In the early hours of February 21, 1814, a man identifying himself as Colonel de Bourg landed at Dover wearing a scarlet military uniform. He claimed to be an aide-de-camp to Viscount Cathcart and delivered shocking news: Napoleon Bonaparte had been killed by Cossacks, the Bourbons were restored, and the Napoleonic Wars were effectively over. As the messenger made his way to London, rumors spread rapidly, sending British government securities, particularly Omnium stock, soaring on the London Stock Exchange.
Behind the charade was Charles Random de Berenger, working alongside accomplices including Lord Cochrane, a famous naval commander and Radical Member of Parliament. Before the government could officially refute the false news, the conspirators dumped huge holdings of government bonds, securing enormous profits. When the fraud was uncovered, the public was outraged.
Lord Cochrane maintained his innocence, claiming he was an unwitting bystander, but was convicted, fined, stripped of his knighthood, and expelled from Parliament. The event stands as one of the earliest recorded examples of large-scale financial market manipulation via coordinated misinformation.