About this season
A dissection of the dark side of the American Dream, a survey of how far some people go to become rich, no matter the cost to themselves and those around them. Real-life cases are reviewed and involve such criminal activity as credit card scams, identity theft, counterfeiting and Ponzi schemes.
Episodes (8)
1. The Bonnie and Clyde of Mortgage Fraud
Aired 7 January 2009 • 43 min
An attractive, sinfully dishonest Tampa mortgage broker meets a single mom looking for love. Together they team up and make millions in the real estate market. In a tell-all exclusive interview, Matt Cox and Rebecca Hauck explain how lust and greed are a hot combination for fraud.
2. Boy Band Mogul
Aired 14 January 2009 • 43 min
Lou Pearlman... the legendary manager of boy bands like *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys... the king of an entertainment empire that crumbles. Pearlman lives a glamorous life of fame, fancy cars... and crime. He's the mastermind who scams $500 million from investors!
3. A Wall Street Wonder Takes a Fall
Aired 21 January 2009 • 43 min
Richard Scrushy is the Superstar CEO of HealthSouth, a huge provider of outpatient rehab services. But, the billionaire falls from grace after federal prosecutors accuse him of masterminding a $2.7 billion dollar fraud!
4. Two Brothers, Two Murders
Aired 28 January 2009 • 43 min
Multi-millionaire businessmen and brothers Andrew and Robert Kissel have it all...beautiful families, mansions, country clubs, and fast cars. They appear to live charmed lives. But, the Kissel brothers’ good fortune runs out and ends in murder. Who would want them dead?
5. Skin Doctor Takes His Cut / Revolutionary Guru of Greed
Aired 4 February 2009 • 43 min
A respected doctor. Trusting patients. Dr. Michael Rosin runs a thriving dermatology practice specializing in a highly effective procedure for skin cancer. But, Dr. Rosin’s surgery isn’t just a cancer treatment... it’s a goldmine.
6. Strippers and Insider Trading / Economan: Superthief
Aired 11 February 2009 • 43 min
A shocking scheme to use strippers to solicit information from Wall Street bankers. Another plan to steal secrets and cash in on stock that's about to soar. Two young traders, David Pajcin and Eugene Plotkin, are the masterminds behind a complex Wall Street con. Al Parish. An economics professor. A trusted financial advisor. A genius. But the self-proclaimed "Economan" is the suspected mastermind behind an $80 million investment scam.
7. The Mustang Ranch: Money, Women and Murder
Aired 18 February 2009 • 43 min
The Mustang Ranch. It's the famous brothel where sex is always for sale. Joe Conforte is the pioneering pimp who makes millions peddling sex at the Nevada Ranch. He’s creates a brothel empire and defies the law. But his thirst for power and influence ultimately bring him down.
8. The Body Snatcher
Aired 4 March 2009 • 43 min
A disgraced dentist carves out a gruesome new business. From a secret room in a Brooklyn funeral home he runs a multi-million dollar business... cutting up corpses and stripping the bodies for parts. Michael Mastromarino's is a modern day body snatcher!