Documentaries on Scams and Fraud – It is impossible to stress the importance of staying informed about numerous frauds and scams spreading in the digital era. The best method to accomplish this is to watch documentaries that provide a thorough examination of the subject.
In this post, we’ve produced a list of the 15 best documentaries about frauds and fraud that you should see. These real crime movies cover everything from high-profile incidents of corporate fraud to small-time con artists and will offer you an inside peek into the world of fraud and scams.
Documentaries on Scams and Fraud
-
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
The Fyre Festival, introduced by serial entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, was billed as the greatest music festival of all time. Tickets cost up to $100,000 and were widely marketed on social media by celebrities and influencers. Luxury lodgings and exquisite meals prepared by celebrity chefs were offered to guests. On top of that, the festival’s final list of musicians comprised nearly 30 of the industry’s biggest stars.
-
Art and Craft
Mark Landis, a prolific art forger who contributed his works to a vast number of institutions around the United States, is profiled in Art and Craft. His work spanned thirty years and included Picasso and Walt Disney, among others.
Art faking is a hugely profitable scam. Almost always, the fake is performed with monetary motives. But in the instance of Mark Landis, the story takes an unexpected turn. Landis did not imitate renowned paintings for the sake of money, fame, or recognition. Instead, he pretended to be a philanthropic benefactor or the bereaved executor of a family member’s bequest, and he donated several of his works to numerous American art museums. As a result, he was never charged.
-
The Tinder Swindler
The Tinder Swindler is one of Netflix’s top documentaries about fraud and scam. The documentary, which was released in early 2022, received 46.8 million global views in just five days.
The true crime documentary depicts the story of Simon Leviev (actual name Shimon Hayut), who used the dating app Tinder to trick several women into paying him money he would never repay. He accomplished this by posing as the son of diamond magnate Lev Leviev and enjoying a luxury lifestyle with money stolen from other women he met on Tinder.
-
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, based on the book of the same name, investigates the Enron crisis and all of the major actors involved in one of the largest corporate scams in history.
The documentary film, which includes interviews with ex-Enron employees, stock analysts, reporters, and former California Governor Gray Davis, sheds light on the unethical activities of former Enron executives that led to the company’s demise. It is an eye-opening insight into the world of corporate greed and the devastation it can cause.
-
Worst Roommate Ever
Most of us have had to deal with obnoxious roommates at some point in our lives, but the ones featured in this Netflix true-crime documentary will send shivers down your spine.
Worst Roommate Ever is a five-part docuseries about roommates who have nasty and occasionally violent intents and cause misery on unsuspecting victims.
-
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
The Inventor follows the rise and fall of Theranos, a biotech firm once valued at $9 billion. Theranos was ready to change the healthcare business with their innovative Edison blood-testing device. Elizabeth Holmes, the company’s enigmatic creator and CEO, was dubbed “the next Steve Jobs,” and her personal net worth was believed to be approximately $4.5 billion.
-
LulaRich
Corporate greed is a frequent subject on our list, and LulaRich wonderfully embodies it by recording the growth and partial fall of LuLaRoe, a multi-level marketing (MLM) corporation that sells women’s apparel.
This four-part documentary series details the troubles that occurred within LolaRoe, as well as the terrible repercussions that MLMs and pyramid schemes may have on people’s lives.
-
Operation Varsity Blues
The 2019 college admissions bribery scandal shocked the country. The scandal, codenamed Operation Varsity Blues, exposed how prominent corporate leaders and celebrities from around the country attempted to influence undergraduate admissions choices at numerous major American universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
The documentary Operation Varsity Blues is about the Varsity Blues college admissions bribery scandal. The documentary includes reenactments as well as interviews with real people who were involved in the controversy. It delves into the scheme’s inner workings and the motivations of the individuals involved.
-
Lords of Scam
This documentary is not as well known or critically regarded as the others on this list of scam documentaries. However, if you appreciate business and financial documentaries, Lords of Scam on Netflix is a must-see.
This French documentary film follows the rise and fall of con artists who defrauded the EU carbon quota system and collected millions before turning on one another. It’s an intriguing look at how they managed to pull off such a large-scale deception and the extent they went to keep the money flowing.
-
Dirty Money
If you’re searching for a gripping and instructive documentary series about corporate fraud and corruption, Dirty Money on Netflix is an excellent pick. This critically regarded show has six episodes per season, each an hour long and concentrating on a specific instance of corporate fraud.