American Greed

2007
4.9
40 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

Season 14 episodes (12)

1 The Trials of Michael Avenatti
2/8/21
Michael Avenatti bursts on the scene in 2018 as the flashy litigator representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her dispute with President Donald Trump. But what Avenatti's fans don't yet know is that he has legal troubles of his own brewing-with his alleged crimes ranging from theft to tax evasion. Still, he continues to dominate the airwaves and build support on social media until a brazen scheme to extort sportswear giant Nike brings his publicity tour to an abrupt end.
2 Nightmare at Nxivm
2/8/21
Keith Raniere is a god-like figure to members of his mysterious organization, NXIVM. Using his powers of persuasion along with classic multilevel marketing techniques, he amasses thousands of followers-many of them rich and famous-and hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions. But what many in the group don't know is that for Raniere, NXIVM is essentially a front for sex trafficking and horrific abuse. Ultimately, they learn a painful truth: their purported "self-help" group was mainly helping Raniere.
3 The Real Dr. Death
2/8/21
In Dallas, a delusional, debt-ridden, and allegedly drug-dabbling spine surgeon maims and even kills patients in one botched surgery after another. It falls to two colleagues to step in where others won't and bring him down.
4 The Fall of an Opioid Mogul
2/8/21
As the opioid epidemic destroys the lives of millions of Americans, billionaire drug mogul John Kapoor looks to cash in. His company, Insys, has its own brand of potentially deadly fentanyl, and he concocts a conspiracy to bribe doctors and lie to insurers in an effort to sell as much as possible. Ultimately, his crime earns him the distinction of being the first Big Pharma exec to land in the slammer.
5 A Family Vanishes
2/15/21
When all four members of the McStay family seemingly vanish into thin air -- here one day, gone the next -- a years-long quest for answers begins. Then a biker in the Mojave Desert finds their bodies in shallow graves… and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion.
6 Social Media Scam Artists
2/22/21
Crowdfunded charities are a modern way to raise funds for a good cause, but do you know where the money really goes? Social media scammers prey on the kindness of strangers, using tragic or heart-warming stories to hook their victims…then empty their wallets.
7 Inside El Chapo's Empire
6/7/21
Everyone knows "El Chapo," a.k.a. Joaquin Guzmán Loera, billionaire drug lord and for years the world's most wanted man. But few are familiar with the betrayal that helped land him in American custody. Meet the Flores twins, Chicago-born drug dealers who earned the trust of the boss of the Sinaloa cartel then helped the Feds put him away for life. Today, the twins are in hiding, but for the first time on television their wives sit down to share what life was like at the heights of the drug trade, exclusively with American Greed.
8 The "Con" in Congress
6/14/21
California Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret look like the perfect political power couple. But instead of serving the public, these partners in life become partners in crime, conspiring to help themselves to hundreds of thousands in campaign dollars. The Congressman also secretly helps himself to multiple mistresses. When prosecutors indict both Hunters after years of illegal spending, Duncan promptly shifts the blame to his loyal wife--who turns the tables and agrees to help the Feds.
9 Confessions of a Scam Artist
6/21/21
T.R. Wright-the architect of what's been called "the wildest insurance fraud scheme Texas has ever seen"-shares his almost-too-crazy-to-be-true story with American Greed. Wright is a fast-talking wheeler-dealer and young Internet influencer who makes a living in the world of aviation. But after a fire at a small Texas airport, an ATF agent uncovers Wright's ties to a breathtakingly audacious scam involving downed planes, sunken boats, and totaled cars.
10 The Impostor
6/28/21
Ed Shin is an entrepreneur, churchgoer, family man: the very picture of success. But when his business partner suddenly vanishes from view, prompting the family to seek answers, a private eye digs into Shin's past-and what he learns is horrifying. American Greed sits down with victims and former friends of Shin to piece together this tale of embezzlement, betrayal, and ultimately…murder.
11 Burned by Greed
7/5/21
How does multibillion-dollar company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) come to repeatedly kill its customers? By putting profits over safety, critics allege. Interviews with victims, investigators, and a longtime employee-turned-whistleblower shed light on how the corporate policies of California's largest utility help lead to explosions and wildfires that claim the lives of more than 100 people.
12 A Father's Fraud
7/12/21
Karl Karlsen is a hardworking man with what seems to be a terrible streak of bad luck. His wife and son both die in accidents nearly 20 years apart. But Karl has a secret: their suspicious deaths and other "tragedies" have been keeping his bank account full for decades. And now his haunted family is ready to share their story with American Greed.

About this show

This series takes an in-depth look at the masterminds behind medical scams, international art heists, bank robberies, identity theft, religious scams, and pyramid schemes. Probing investigations reveal the mechanics of the actual scams as well as offer insight into the psychology that drives certain men and women to swindle unsuspecting marks for millions. American Greed is a fascinating study into the American Dream gone sour, as the ambition and desire for wealth turns the enterprising into criminals and fugitives from justice.

Ratings and reviews

4.9
40 reviews
deborah elliott
June 23, 2021
The Chicago Tribune (June 15, 2021) says that the wives of the Flores twins are being sentenced to prison for money laundering, so I would be skeptical of their statements in the segment on El Chapo. It's segment number 7. American Greed is a good show though. With regard to the money laundering, there was $165,000 for private schools and $100,000 for world travel. It sounds like the wives and their husbands, the Flores twins, are unreformed criminals who are probably also liars.
Did you find this helpful?
Ms. Opinionated
February 10, 2022
Love the show, but why can't I buy season 15 episodes? There are 4 or 5 episodes that have premiered in 2022.
Did you find this helpful?
Media Maven
August 10, 2021
Stacey Keach's narration is perfect! That man can deliver a line--whether scripted or improvised. Oh the sarcasm, wit and hilarity from the takedown of many of these swindlers and sometimes murderers.
Did you find this helpful?

Rate this show

Tell us what you think.