A couple of my favorites: there are literally extant court records of Joseph Smith scamming people before he started the religion, and the "ancient papyrus" he supposedly translated for a side project was utterly invalidated a few years later when the Rosetta stone helped early Egyptologists crack the language.

Starting a "trust me, bro" religion in an era of scientific advancement and systematic record keeping is certainly one way to go, LOL. Kudos to him and the subsequent leaders for keeping the grift going... I guess.