Between seemingly unlimited podcasts and an endless procession of Netflix documentaries, it’s clear that we are living in a golden age of true crime. Over the past few years, the genre has expanded to include a new cultural fascination: scammers, swindlers and fraudsters. Suffused with money, secrets and plenty of scandal, the scammer story is the sexier, less gory cousin of the murder mystery.
There’s no shortage of documentaries and films tackling famous fraudsters, but there are also plenty of samplings on the television side. With “The Dropout” having recently premiered on Hulu, TheWrap takes a look at seven scammer shows that are worth investing in.
The Dropout
Every few months, a new fraudster gets their moment in the spotlight, and the woman of the hour is Elizabeth Holmes. “The Dropout” stars Amanda Seyfried as the founder of Theranos, a company that claimed to have invented a revolutionary lab testing technology. With its $9 billion valuation, Theranos turned Holmes into Silicon Valley’s golden girl – until the scheme came crashing down.
Based on an ABC podcast of the same name, “The Dropout” co-stars Naveen Andrews, William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf and Dylan Minnette, among others.
Where to Watch: Hulu
Inventing Anna
Another high-profile liar to recently get the adaptation treatment is Anna Sorokin, better known by her alias Anna Delvey. “Inventing Anna” tells the true story of a young woman who swindled wealthy New Yorkers out of $275,000. Julia Garner’s Anna shares the screen with Anna Chlumsky’s Vivian Kent, a journalist based on Jessica Pressler, who wrote the New York Magazine article that inspired the series. Between all the yachts, champagnes, 2010s couture and colorful characters, “Inventing Anna” is all about the glam in the scam.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Dirty Money
If you’re looking for a crash course in financial crime, “Dirty Money” is the docuseries for you. Each episode of the two-season show focuses on a different case of greed and corruption, featuring notorious figures like Martin Shkreli and Jared Kushner as well as lesser-known stories. Whether discussing chemical waste dumping in a small Texas town or legalized elder abuse, “Dirty Money” focuses on the far-reaching effects of unchecked wealth and power.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Don’t F*** With Cats
From the studio behind “The Tinder Swindler,” “Don’t F*** With Cats” is a testament to what can happen when the internet rallies behind a common cause. An actor named Luka Magnotta sparked worldwide outrage when he uploaded a video of himself torturing and killing kittens. What began as an investigation by internet sleuths morphed into an international manhunt as the target of his crimes progressed from animal to human.
Where to Watch: Netflix
McMillion$
In the 1990s, a criminal mastermind rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game for $24 million with the help of a network of accomplices. An anonymous tip exposed the scheme in 2001, kicking off a high-stakes investigation. These events were captured in “McMillion$,” the six-part documentary executive produced by Mark Wahlberg. As the FBI builds its case, everyone from corporate workers and lawyers to mafia affiliates and ordinary Americans come out of the woodwork. It’s almost too strange to be true, which is why it’s thrilling to watch in a documentary format.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman
Before there was “The Tinder Swindler” (also streaming on Netflix), there was the Puppet Master, real name Robert Freegard. Like the subject of that documentary, Freegard conned individuals out of nearly a million pounds by convincing his victims to believe that they and their families were in mortal danger, giving him total control over their lives and their wallets. The docuseries revolves around a family whose mother disappeared with Freegard years earlier. Their search for her leads them down a rabbit hole of other cases and crimes.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Madoff
It doesn’t get any scammier – although “scam” doesn’t quite capture the severity of his crimes – than Bernie Madoff, the man who orchestrated one of the largest Ponzi schemes of all time. In 2016, “Madoff” became the first series to bring his story to the screen. Starring Richard Dreyfuss in the titular role and Blythe Danner as his wife Ruth, ABC’s four-part miniseries chronicles the rise and fall of Wall Street’s most powerful con man. Though the series may lack the nitty-gritty details and nuance of a documentary, it boasts great performances while hitting all the dramatic points of this larger-than-life scandal.
Where to Watch: Vudu, Amazon Prime Video
