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 (16)
1. A Con Man's Deadly Revenge
Aired 15 January 2015 • 43 min
A coin collector and his brother start mail order coin businesses. They go bankrupt in 2008. After they're jailed, one plots murder of the judge and prosecutor.
2. The Playboy of Indiana
Aired 22 January 2015 • 43 min
A multimillion-dollar yacht, 80 sports cars, a Playboy centerfold girlfriend. Tim Durham is the picture of success as a fix -it-and-flip-it business king. But he’s actually running a $200 million fraud from the comfort of his 12,000 square-foot home.
3. Ea$y Being Green / Burglar To The Stars
Aired 29 January 2015 • 43 min
(1) Con man Rodney Hailey runs a fake green energy business and collects millions by scamming major corporations. A fleet of luxury cars that litters the front of his home draws suspicion and leads authorities to the dirty money he makes on clean fuel. (2) Cat burglar Blane Nordahl targets the homes of wealthy individuals across the East Coast, showing an exclusive interest in hallmarked antique silver.
4. A Widow's Web
Aired 5 February 2015 • 43 min
Rich husband, beautiful wife, perfect life. Pamela Phillips and Gary Triano are Tucson's golden couple. But their life unravels in a fury of greed and hate. When Gary ends up dead, all eyes are on Phillips. Could she kill for money?
5. The Cash King
Aired 12 February 2015 • 43 min
No investment idea is too exotic for visionary entrepreneur James “The Cash King” Duncan. He sets his sights on strip clubs, real estate, Iraqi currency, diamonds, and even mind control technology.
6. The Dirtiest Con
Aired 19 February 2015 • 43 min
Sixteen-year-old Barry Minkow starts ZZZZ Best Carpet Cleaners and quickly realizes there's more cash in fraud.
7. Charity Begins at Home
Aired 26 February 2015 • 43 min
Claudio Osorio casts himself as a brilliant international business tycoon to scam big money and big names. This crook steals more than $40 million from investors and the US government through a bogus company and schemes to build homes for the poor.
8. The Real Wolf of Wall Street
Aired 5 March 2015 • 43 min
Stockbroker Jordan Belfort runs a sex, drugs and rock 'n’ roll brokerage firm. He pleads guilty to fraud and does jail time. After his release, Belfort gets a Hollywood makeover, but do his victims get justice?
9. Kevin Trudeau’s Secrets / Remington Steal
Aired 10 July 2015 • 43 min
(1) The infomercial pitchman who claimed he was broke and could not pay a $37.6 million fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission is chronicled. (2) An examination of Remington Financial Group's advanced-fee scam that defrauded investors in small businesses.
10. Fake It to Make It / Kill the Witnesses
Aired 17 January 2015 • 43 min
Case 1: “Ferrari” Mike Banuelos steals musical artists’ money and their dreams. His Ferrari lifestyle drives them in the fast lane, but his promotional acumen leaves his investors to crash and burn. Case 2: Former IRS Agent Steven Martinez may seem like a normal accountant, but when he’s caught in a $12 million fraud, he diverts taxpayer money to the ultimate crime…. Murder.
11. Vintage Wine Fraud
Aired 24 July 2015 • 43 min
Counterfeit wine dealer Rudy Kurniawan dominates the fine wine scene, making millions selling his cheap basement blends through elite auction houses.
12. In Harm’s Way
Aired 30 July 2015 • 43 min
A US military contractor loots his company of $190 million and goes on a wild spending spree.
13. The Lawyer Lies / Black Gold Bust
Aired 16 October 2015 • 43 min
(1) Indiana personal injury lawyer William Conour helps himself to desperate clients’ settlement money, pocketing millions. (2) Phony oil tycoon Gary Milby guarantees gushers of money to investors from his Kentucky oil wells.
14. Friends Without Benefits
Aired 23 October 2015 • 43 min
Mutual Benefits buys life insurance policies from aids patients, the chronically ill, and seniors and fraudulently resells them as low risk investments to clients. When medical advances help patients live longer, Mutual Benefits collects new investor money to pay returns. 30,000 people get caught in the $1.25 billion ponzi scheme.
15. The Spy Who Scammed Me
Aired 30 October 2015 • 43 min
A private security contractor is a James Bond wannabe who spins lies to desperate clients.
16. The Sky's the Limit
Aired 6 November 2015 • 43 min
Ross Mandell’s company Sky Capital has hundreds of employees and investors and he’s living like a king. It’s a huge coup for Mandell who was once known as the Bad Boy of Wall Street, had addiction issues, and run-ins with regulators. Turns out, however, that Mandell is up to his old tricks – and the $140 million raised for Sky Capital goes down the drain in a spiral of greed.