Anna Delvey, can a fake heiress fool the rich?

This early twenty something woman named Anna Delvey came to New York and made everyone believe she is a German Heiress. With the name of Anna Delvey? How did she fake it?

The storyline of the Netflix limited series is intriguing and full of flashbacks. Starting with the present time when Anna Sorokin is already arrested and in prison at Rikers Island New York. Her indictment and an article on the Post come out. This raises the awareness of Vivian Kent, pregnant journalist at Manhattan Magazine, who is fighting to establish her career before her maternity leave.

The Journalist has a vivid imagination, every time she interviews or thinks about Anna’s case, we view the flashbacks through her mind. The story of Anna Sorokin slowly unravels in front of our eyes.

Vivian often visits Anna in prison and the fake german heiress is not very cooperative with revealing informations. The con artist continues with the con until she is cornered. Vivian investigates multiple sources, getting a lot of leads due to Annas public Instagram. The journalist finds many people connected to the story who are willing to talk. Vivian has the skill to be able to talk and find out more from everyone, even details they would rather not tell. Or is it Vivians vivid imagination filling out the blanks?

The journalist has to fight really hard to get this story validated by her magazine, neither her editor nor her boss believe in the success of it. They doubt and misunderstand her often. She is convinced her story could be groundbreaking. Eventually her boss does give her more time to expand her story. And yes, this story will end up to be one of the most successful and posted stories of Manhattan Magazine of all times!

Really interesting the portrayal of men in this series, they are mostly white, in power and very dismissive towards woman. Every woman, including Anna, has to stand up for herself, to get to her voice heard. Did this ever happen to you? You knew something would be a success, but the people in charge did not listen to you?

Is New York really so male dominated and elitist?

We see the fake heiress being literally obsessed with fashion. She knows what to wear, where to shop, what to get and how to combine it. Plus, everyone believes she is filthy rich, because of her tipping everyone well. Only who is really wealthy can tip so much, right?

One fact I did not understand from the whole series,
Who did she defraud before coming to New York?
When she comes to New York she stays at the best hotels,
How did she do that without money? It is incredible with how much luxury she was surrounded with.

The real Anna Sorokin is a consultant on this limited Netflix series. They do not reveal where and how she started. Honestly, I don’t believe it was New York and I am curious what do you think? Did she scam someone in Paris before coming to New York? We eventually get to know, she is German middle class, so who was her first victim?

Maybe someone really wealthy? Apparently from the portrayal of the series, if you are really wealthy and get scammed, you don’t go to the police. You want to save yourself the embarrassment to be associated with the scam. Like with Nora, best friend of Val the stylist, a wealthy entrepreneur in New York. She is head of many charity foundations in New York and doesn’t want to be embarrassed by what happened between her and the fake heiress. Later in the series we discover how much financial damage the con artist brought to her. Nearly half a million she swindled from this well established and well connected older lady, by using her Amex credit card.

Nora admits to Vivian, that her friends ad Amex, the credit card Anna swindled, understood her case and gave her back all the money she had lost. You must be very well connected to do so without involving the police, right?

What do you think? Do they wealthy and rich not go to the police when they are scammed, because it would ruin their reputation?

Vivian, as many others, is obsessed with Anna throughout the show. Anna has this magnetic personality, who draws in people, by making them believe she is someone special to be around and to get to know. Only, the fake heiress stays a mystery for most of them. Everyone gets to know a certain version of her, a glimpses here and there. Not the real her, but exactly what people needed, wanted or desired. The con artist knows when to use love and guilt to her advantage to trick people into giving her what she needs. In this case Anna needs Vivian to become famous, this was her dream all along. They both need each other for a purpose. Vivian slowly completes the Anna Sorokin puzzle.

Val, a stylist, former friend of Anna, tells during their interview that the fake heiress has “a basic peasant face, that is how you know she was legitmatley wealthy, no-one who looks like that could get away with being poor, not in our world.” What do you think about this comment? Later we find out that in reality he admired and wanted to be her friend. The stylist explains her impeccable fashion taste, how she always knew what to say and was at all the important fashion events. They became good friends, I really honestly don’t know where he disappear after the Paris fiasco? Do you?

Their fallout is all connected to Chase, Annas tech millionaire boyfriend. They were all living at Noras at the time and Val was headed to Paris fashion week, while Anna and Chase left for Ibiza. Chase wanted funds for his App Wake. While Anna was scrolling on instagram he saw on her feed that she is friends with Talia Mallai an accomplished entrepreneur, who is on the yacht of this business tycoon in Ibiza. He tells the Anna to contact her and to fly there for business opportunity and to have some fun. He booked their ticket and they left the day after.

When they arrive, Chase is obsessed in getting funds for his app. The yacht owner does not believe in the idea. Honestly, the app idea is a dig at tech start ups, it is the most vague and abstract idea someone ever had for an app. What did you think about the app that is able to record your dreams? Nowadays I don’t think we even have the technology to do so yet. It is an impossible ordeal. The business tycoon gave him 100k to shut them up. Anna is good at making people uncomfortable, yet challenging them.

Then Talia explains to Vivian during this interview at Talia Mansion, that Anna and Chase overstayed their welcome at the yacht. After everyone else left, but the couple went back and stayed on the yacht by themselves! The cost to maintain the whole crew for such a yacht is really expensive, the entrepreneur explains, that they stayed there and ordered the staff around. What an idea? Talia was convinced it was Chases. When she heard from her friend who owned the yacht that Anna is still on it, she calls her furious about this situation. After that they have never talked again. Nevertheless, Talia still seems to be impressed by the fake heiress and ask Vivian if “Anna is running Rikes Prison already?”

Impressive this visit to Talia Mansion, did you also get this vibe of calm and comfort? Vivian stays the night in the guest cottage with her husband, who had brought her there with the car. They both loved the experience in the soft bed and the floor heating. Vivian goes back home the next day charged with new realisations.

Vivian goes to talk to Val again and he explains what happened in Paris: Chase and Anna would always bicker. Chase leaves Anna after another fight. Then calls Val very distraught that he did not trust Anna anymore, he asks Val to check the name on Annas Passport. Why is Chase starting to get suspicious? What do you think?

While Chase is away, the credit cards Anna provided the hotel, did not work anymore. She and Val end up locked out of their suite, sleeping in the lobby. Anna did not want to call Chase, but when she falls asleep, Val calls him. He needs his sleeping medication from his luggage. When Chase gets to the hotel, he pays the bill and Val gets to his luggage. There was also Annas luggage nearby, so he takes the opportunity to check Annas Passports. What do you think, was it ok for him to do so?

The day after when Anna leaves to shop, he tells Chase that he saw her passport: “Annas real surname is Sorokin, not Delvy”.

Soon after Chase goes on his own to meet Anna at the hotel suite and asks her: “who is Anna Sorokin? Who are you?”

Now the fake heiress is clever, and at this point she formulates her idea of ADF, Anna Delvey Foundation. She wants to create this private club, like Soho House, an entertainment for the rich, wealthy and well connected practically. She explains about art exhibitions and events in this establishment. I mean she does not tell him who Anna Sorokin is, she tells him who Anna Delvey will be. Is that her cunning strategy? He does not question any further. Anna maybe could have known something was off with Chase, but she was too focused on getting her story as fascinating and resourceful as possible.

They decide to cut off anyone who questions her, that includes Val, who also knows her real name. The stylist was waiting for them, cause they should have left Paris together, but they did not. Anna did not want to talk to him anymore. Val actually did never believe Anna was a fraud, he genuinely thought there was some bigger issues with Annas family, maybe oligarch or gangster, he honestly thought she was in real trouble. But the fake heiress never talked to him again.

What do you think about Annas move to cut Val off?

I mean at the time, they were all living and were guests at Noras house. Chase and Anna were going back to Noras, where also Val was supposed to be living. I really don’t know were he was living after Paris fiasco. Do you? Why don’t we see him anymore? Where did he go after Paris?

After that, Chase persuades Noras friends to invest money into his App idea, 3 million dollars. Anna is so frustrated he does not help her with ADF. The relationship collapses when she cannot reach him for some days and goes to his office. Here she finds one of his employees packing, and he tells her that the app is failing, there has never been a real working app, it was all for show and he hasn’t been paid yet! What would you have done if it was you? So Chase is a fraud too?
Really fitting for a fake heiress!

Anna Sorokin first finds Chase and unravels more of his lies. Then, she is out for revenge and talks to Nora, telling her about Chase failing business. Nora who favoured Chase until now, will not be persuaded by him anymore. Now she gives Anna the chance to pitch her business ideas to her affluent friends. Chase is furious he lost everything and Anna is not helping and pitching her own idea instead.

That is when their relationship ends. He tells her everything she learned she learned from him and wants 40% of ADF. Anna wouldn’t have it and leaves him standing. What did you think about the end of their romance?

For now the fake heiress has been in the shadow of Chase, living with him in Hotels and enjoying his app investor money. From now on she is on her own. She had to leave Nora, because the wealthy entrepreneur was more and more suspicious about the credit card expenses and would soon find out the truth about Anna defrauding her. By then she had already been introduced to the future advisors and affluent people able to help with ADF.

The lifestyle she enjoyed with Chase, she is continuing to enjoy on her own, living in hotels. Where she meets Neff, a hospitality staff member, who will be able to place Anna in the right spots in the city where only the most rich and affluent people of New York.

Throughout the show Neff she is a loyal friend to Anna. At first, Neff sees a financial opportunity in helping Anna Delvy “an incredible rich german heiress” into all VIP hotspots all around high society New York. Then they became closer and Neff eventually became friends, and was also the only friend who is by her side during trial and visits her in prison. The hotel staff member explains to Vivian how Anna would always tip very well, and give a lot of gifts to her friends.

Like to Rachel, who was working at Vanity Fair and Kacy, the celebrity fitness trainer. These four were good friends. They would train together, have fancy dinners and vacations, all on Annas expenses. Anna would buy them gifts and invite them to events. Apparently, being with the socialite felt very exclusive to them.

Anna Delvey, socialite and fake heiress had her eyes on the lease of a specific beautiful building, a celebrity architect and celebrity chef. She only needed a financial advisors. That is why she starts to pursue Alan Reed, who eventually gives in and helps her to persuade banks and financial institution that she is the real deal.

A german heiress with a 60 million euro trust fund on her name. Apparently not too difficult to believe, when you are in New York and there are so many trust fund babies? She knew how to throw sand in peoples eyes and make believe she is a really rich business savvy connected wonder. To make believe, she even faked a financial advisor in Germany, Peter. She actually made the phone calls with a voice changing app! How crazy is that?

The fake heiress creates this air of exclusivity, also by her expertise in arts, fine clothing and dining. Regarding the financial loan she requested, she was definatley close to getting that deal. I really don’t know why she flew to Morocco for a very expensive vacation, with fitness trainer Kacy, Rachel and a vanity fair photographer, who was here to film them. At that time, Anna was waiting for her loan to come in and gave a not working credit card to the hotel. The fake heiress is so close to the deal, but then continues her usual scam!!??

Here in Morocco they did not wait long to create problems for her, and Rachel gave her own company credit card to appease the manager, hoping Anna will sort out the problems with the international transfer with her bank. Does this remind you of something?

Anyway, Rachel ends up paying for the trip more then 60k, because the fake heiress did not provide the funds. This causes a lot of stress and friction in Rachels live and their friendship, meanwhile Annas dream is also imploding, because the bank wants to check on her trust assets in Germany! This last step Anna cannot provide and has therefore no more options to continue her scam.

Anna jumps from one hotel to another, but they discovered immediately that she does not have funds. Defrauded hotels talk with each other and ban her. She eventually ends up staying at a friends place, the same guy from the Fyre Festival fraud! Incredible how she always ends up in circles, between high society and fraudsters!

Rachel is really in distress, she can’t afford this financial crisis and initially no one seems to help her. When she finds the persecutor on Annas case, she helps the police with Annas arrest.

What do you think about Rachel and the Morocco incident?

Since Anna Sorokin, did not take the plea deal, the trial roles up, which gives her the opportunity to aggressively promote her image. By then the article of Vivian has come out and the interest in her has skyrocketed. She is a viral sensation. At this point it is all a publicity stunt, every time at trial her new outfits have to be on point and the press taking pictures and promoting her infamous image.

Her lawyer Todd is not from a prominent law firm and is up against powerful financial players. He is able to get the jury on their side with Rachel, because Rachel gained a lot of publicity and money from selling Anna Delvey’s story, maybe even contributing to her fame. What he cannot do, is getting her of the hook with the other financial crimes she committed.

Against the Banks, Todd argues that Anna was never close to getting any financial loan. Which is a lie, Anna definitely got close to her swindle financial institutions. The only piece missing in order to get the 40 million dollar loan was the last investigation into her “60 million trust fund”. Up until then she had everyone believing in her!

Anna was found guilty on many counts and sent to prison for 4 years.

What can we learn, or take away from the series?

What did you think about Anna Sorokin, aka Delvy?

If you enjoyed this article,

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Vegan Sarma, falling in love with the wrong man

Thanks for reading.

See you in the comments.

Yours,

Queen BingeEye