The Quintessential Con Man: How Juan Carlos Bettencourt Mastered the Art of Hotel Hustling

💼Bettencourt's troubled upbringing and feeling of being an outsider may have fueled his drive to succeed as a con man.

🏨Bettencourt targeted five-star hotels, taking advantage of their impeccable service and luxurious environments.

🔑His strategy involved befriending hotel staff, acquiring key card access to guest rooms, and gaining information about wealthy guests.

💰Bettencourt would then proceed to rob the safes in guest rooms, stealing jewelry, cash, passports, and more.

🌍His crimes spanned multiple countries, and he managed to avoid getting caught in the act for over a decade.

How did Juan Carlos Bettencourt choose which hotels to target?

—Bettencourt specifically targeted five-star hotels around the world, using their reputation for impeccable service to his advantage.

How did Bettencourt gain access to the safes in guest rooms?

—By acquiring key card access to guest rooms, Bettencourt would then call hotel security and claim to have lost his PIN number, convincing security to open the safe for him.

How did Bettencourt avoid suspicion from hotel staff?

—Bettencourt would make himself familiar to hotel staff, becoming a familiar face around the hotel and cultivating a sense of trust.

How much did Bettencourt manage to steal during his criminal career?

—Police estimate that he made over a million pounds in stolen goods from the hotels he targeted.

Was Bettencourt ever caught for his crimes?

—During his criminal career, Bettencourt was never caught in the act, allowing him to continue his hotel hustling for over a decade.

00:00Juan Carlos Bettencourt, a former street child from Colombia, became a skilled con man specializing in five-star hotels.

02:52Bettencourt targeted five-star hotels, taking advantage of their impeccable service and luxurious environments.

04:05His strategy involved befriending hotel staff, acquiring key card access to guest rooms, and gaining information about wealthy guests.

06:54Bettencourt would then proceed to rob the safes in guest rooms, stealing jewelry, cash, passports, and more.

08:26His crimes spanned multiple countries, and he managed to avoid getting caught in the act for over a decade.