Best Documentaries About Scams & Fraud: McMillion$, Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street & More

For decades, scams and fraud have been the subject of major interest for documentary makers. There is always news about people or companies tricking investors or partners into giving their investments, savings, and assets. However, every white-collar crime like this has a story.

Here is a list of some of the most fascinating projects on this topic.

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

Directed and written by Chris Smith, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened showcased the exploits of a fraudulent luxury music festival. Reports suggest that this festival’s founders, entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, advertised it as the greatest music festival of all time. Furthermore, several celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and more promoted it on social media.

Ticket prices almost touched $100,000 and guests were promised extravagant facilities and luxuries. However, upon arrival at the location (Bahamas), they received cheese sandwiches in foam containers and FEMA tents to live in. In addition, things got worse when they realized that they got stranded on the island with no means to escape.

According to its official trailer, its synopsis reads, “An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival. Created by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, Fyre Festival was promoted as a luxury music festival on a private island in the Bahamas featuring bikini-clad supermodels, A-List musical performances and posh amenities. Guests arrived to discover the reality was far from the promises. Chris Smith, the director behind the Emmy Award Nominated documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, gives a first-hand look into disastrous crash of Fyre as told by the organizers themselves.”

The producers of this project are Danny Gabai, Mick Purzycki, and Chris Smith. Furthermore, it came out on Netflix on January 18, 2019.

Art and Craft

The 2014 documentary Art and Craft, delves into the life and actions of Mark Landis, one of America’s most prolific art forgers. Interestingly, his legacy spans three decades. He was born in 1955.

According to this project’s official website, its synopsis reads, “Mark Landis has been called one of the most prolific art forgers in US history. His impressive body of work spans thirty years. Covering a wide range of painting styles and periods that includes 15th Century Icons, Picasso, and even Walt Disney. And while the copies could fetch impressive sums on the open market, Landis isn’t in it for money. Posing as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a family member’s will, and most recently as a Jesuit priest. Landis has given away hundreds of works over the years to a staggering list of institutions across the United States.

It further reads, “But after duping Matthew Leininger, a tenacious registrar who ultimately discovers the decades-long ruse and sets out to expose his philanthropic escapades to the art world. Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamoring for him to stop. ART AND CRAFT starts out as a cat-and-mouse art caper, rooted in questions of authorship and authenticity. But what emerges is an intimate story of obsession and the universal need for community, appreciation, and purpose.”

Per IMDb, the directors of Art and Craft are Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, and Mark Becker.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Released in 2005, this project is based on the 2003 book of the same name. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room takes a closer look at the 2001 fall of the Enron Corporation. Holistically called the Enron scandal, this ordeal resulted in the criminal trial of many top executives of the company.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room received several honors. In addition, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 78th Academy Awards.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of this project reads, “This documentary explores the fall of the Enron Corporation. Arguably the most shocking example of modern corporate corruption. The company is linked with several illegal schemes. Including instigating the California energy crisis as a way to drive up utility prices at the expense of the average American. In a hyper-competitive environment, Enron traders resort to all kinds of underhanded dealings in order to make money at any cost and keep their high-paying jobs.”

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room was directed and written by Alex Gibney. Furthermore, its producers were Jason Kliot, Susan Motamed, Alison Ellwood, and Gibney.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Released in 2019, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley showcases the exploits of Elizabeth Holmes and her former company, Theranos. Reports suggest that Theranos, the biotech company, was once valued at $9 billion. Furthermore, they made promises to revolutionize the healthcare industry with their advanced blood-testing device. Interestingly, people also compared its CEO and founder Elizabeth Holmes to Steve Jobs.

However, upon investigation, officials realized that everything the company promised was a lie. Furthermore, the mastermind behind all of it was none other than Holmes herself.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of this project reads, “With a new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing. Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, just two years later, her multibillion-dollar company was dissolved.”

The director of The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley is Alex Gibney. Furthermore, its producers are Gibney, Jessie Deeter, and Erin Edeiken.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal that showcased the infamous Varsity Blues Scandal. The man behind this scandal was the 62-year-old William “Rick” Singer. Reports suggest that Singer devised an elaborate scheme to get lesser-qualified children of wealthy parents into elite colleges. He used illegal means, such as bribery and inflating test scores, to do this.

According to its official trailer, its synopsis reads, “Everything you’ve heard is true. But you haven’t heard everything. Using real conversations recreated from FBI wiretaps, the filmmaker behind Fyre brings you Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal.

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged. Using an innovative combination of interviews and narrative recreations of the FBI’s wiretapped conversations between Singer and his clients, Operation Varsity Blues offers a rare glimpse into the enigmatic figure behind a scheme that exposed the lengths wealthy families would go to for admission into elite colleges, and angered a nation already grappling with the effects of widespread inequality.

The director of Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal was Chris Smith. It came out on Netflix on March 17, 2021.

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