There are so many true crime offerings dedicated to scams, frauds and con artists that it can be overwhelming. Many of these stories are astonishing and worthy of attention, whether the deceptions are financial, medical, romantic or otherwise. Often most surprising is how relatively painless it seems to lay such traps, and how many people, regardless of personal circumstances, take the bait.
Here are four picks across television, film and podcast that stand out, all of which underscore what can unfold when a hunger for money, power or prestige is put above all else.
Documentary Film
With college acceptance season upon us, it seems appropriate to revisit one of the most outrageous education scandals in recent years: a $25 million bribery scheme that prompted a federal investigation called Operation Varsity Blues. The mastermind behind it was William Singer, a basketball coach turned college admissions counselor who ran a criminal enterprise that opened a fraudulent path for wealthy people to have their children accepted by elite universities under the guise that they had earned entry based on academic and extracurricular excellence. Test scores were doctored, for example, and athletic credentials were fabricated in ludicrous ways.
Dozens of powerful people were accused and arrested, most famously the actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, who both served time in prison.
In this 2021 film, the director Chris Smith puts a fresh spin on re-enactments, long the life blood of true crime television and films, by recreating full scenes and pulling dialogue directly from wiretaps. Matthew Modine (“Stranger Things,” “Oppenheimer”), who plays Singer, and other actors bring it all to life.
Documentary Series
This four-part 2021 series on Amazon Video unpacks the glitzy, extravagant rise and staggering fall of the billion-dollar clothing giant LuLaRoe. The company — a multilevel-marketing business known for its bright, patterned leggings (think neon kitties and kaleidoscopes of pizzas) — was built on the backs of an army of mostly saleswomen (often stay-at-home mothers and wives) trying to make their own income. They were lured by promises of independence, flexibility and jaw-dropping bonuses, all wrapped up in a culture of social media influencing and hollow #bossbabe feminism.
The company has been embroiled in numerous legal battles, including class-action lawsuits. A lawsuit filed by the Washington State attorney general in 2019, and settled in 2021, accused LuLaRoe of being a pyramid scheme that had swindled thousands of associates out of millions of dollars.
The creators of this docuseries interviewed salespeople, former and present (the company is still in business), and, most interestingly, its founders, Mark and DeAnne Stidham, whose lengthy interview revealed that, despite everything, they hadn’t stopped selling the dream.
Podcast
Few true crime revelations have thrown me for a loop like this investigation shared in great detail over 70 minutes in the new podcast “Search Engine,” from Jigsaw Productions, hosted by PJ Vogt.
For this episode, we hear from Zeke Faux, an investigative journalist who dived deep into a technological rabbit hole that led him halfway around the world. He uncovered what is behind those oddly worded text messages or direct messages so many of us receive from random numbers, scams most commonly known as “pig butchering” — messages like “Are we still meeting at golf course?” or “Hi! I just wanted to thank you for last night’s lessons.”
What may seem like silly fodder to laugh about with friends is actually underpinned by a grim reality that involves human trafficking, forced labor and blackmail. It’s crucial, sober information that should change how we see and talk about such messages and beyond.
As an antidote to some the heavier fare above, try this 2016 documentary from the directors Reuben Atlas and Jerry Rothwell that is both a palate cleanser and a boggling ride through the inner sanctums of the ultrawealthy.
It tells the story of Rudy Kurniawan, an unassuming young man who in the documentary is called both a “skinny, geeky young guy that likes wine” and “the Gen X Great Gatsby.” Kurniawan engineered what was possibly the world’s biggest wine fraud, duping some of America’s richest business leaders. Over its 85-minute run time, the film (free to stream with ads on Amazon Prime Video’s Freevee service, or available to rent) transports viewers back to the boom times leading up to the 2008 financial disaster, particularly the rare wine auction market scene. In 2006 alone, Kurniawan sold $35 million worth of the stuff.
If you think that most wine tastes pretty much the same, the revelation at the end will be as satisfyingly sweet as it gets.
