Loved The Tinder Swindler? These are the best, most shocking TV shows about real-life scams to watch next
There's no doubt that our favourite TV shows have an extra element of interest when we know it's based on a real-life story – and recent Netflix hit Inventing Anna is the perfect example.
And while true crime is a genre that has become undeniably popular over the past few years, what about the series that are based on true scams? It's all about deceit, drama and jaw-dropping 'how?' moments in these real-life stories of the con-artists that *almost* got away with it.
Whether they're documentaries or dramas, the success of a truly addictive scam story is usually in the humanity of its central characters – be it the charismatically cunning Anna Delvey or the famous faces popping up to expose the truth behind the ill-fated Fyre festival (we're still not over that one).
Where IS she?!
But if you've already scrolled Netflix's entire catalogue for your next scandalous watch, never fear, because there's plenty more real-life con stories across the likes of Amazon Prime, Sky and NOW TV – plus some Netflix gems you might have missed.
From the internet's new obsession, The Tinder Swindler, to The Woman Who Wasn't There – the shocking story of Tania Head, who faked being a survivor of 9/11 for years after the New York attacks – there's plenty of true tricksters to learn about, then frantically Google immediately after.
Here's our round-up of the best real-life scam TV shows that are available to stream right now...
AARON EPSTEIN/NETFLIXInventing Anna – Netflix
If you haven't got around to it yet, Inventing Anna is a must-watch if you love dramas based on wild true-life stories. Julia Garner is brilliant as Anna Delvey, the Russian native who manages to convince elite New Yorkers that she is a German Heiress launching a luxurious social club – of course, the story only gets juicier as the stakes (and the credit card bills) get higher.
NetflixThe Tinder Swindler – Netflix
Millions have already binge-watched Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler – a gripping true tale about scammer Shimon Heyada Hayut (with the false name and persona of 'Simon Leviev', the son of a Russian diamond trader), who deceived a number of women via dating apps.
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened – Netflix
The Fyre festival documentary was one of Netflix's big hits of 2019, with over 20 million households watching it within its first month of release – and it was a major talking point online.
If you're still unfamiliar, Fyre was a luxurious music festival in the Bahamas that promised high-end accommodation, wellness activities, private catering and big headline acts – promoted by the likes of Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, no less – but actually ended up being anything but, with revellers turning up to total disorganised chaos.
HBOThe Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley – Amazon Prime
This one's another shocker: the story of Elizabeth Holmes, a female founder who claimed she had changed the face of healthcare with a new finger pinpricking machine that could run hundreds of complex tests with a small drop of blood.
She lied for years about what her company was capable of doing, making billions of dollars. Yet another mind-blowing 'fake it 'til you make it' story.
HBOMcMillions – Sky and NOW TV
You know the McDonalds Monopoly promotion that runs each year? You may not also know that it dates back to the eighties, and was rigged by a huge scandal between 1989 and 2001.
McMillions tells the story of Jerome Jacobson, the security manager who was in charge of transporting the winning tokens for the promotion – but instead, he secretly swapped them out to cash in on the top prizes. Who knew?
Matthew PeytonAuthor: The JT Leroy Story – Amazon Prime
The extraordinary story of cult author JT Leroy, who wrote autobiographical books exploring trauma, crime, sexuality and abuse that gained a famous following – until it came about that he didn't actually exist.
Dirty Money – Netflix
Rather than focusing on one particular subject, Dirty Money dedicates an episode each to a number of different scams – from banking scandals to corrupt landlord or 'slumlord millionaire' Jared Kushner, who went on to serve as chief advisor to his father-in-law Donald Trump.
Ricardo DeAratanhaSour Grapes – Amazon Prime
Booze fraudster Rudy Kurniawan manages to make millions by selling his fake vintage wines – and sommelier knowledge – conning countless experts in the world of wine. It's an entertaining look at the ego-centricity that's involved within the wealthy world of collecting, too.
Amazon PrimeThe Woman Who Wasn't There – Amazon Prime
Tania Head's incredible tale of escape from the south tower of the World Trade Centre during the 9/11 attacks was an unbelievable one – literally, so it turned out.
The Woman Who Wasn't There tells the story of the woman who convinced a community that she was a survivor of 9/11, becoming so involved in her narrative that she was made president of the World Trade Centre Survivors' Network. It wasn't until years later that it was discovered she was living a lie, and wasn't even in the US when the attacks happened.
Amazon PrimeAn Honest Liar – Amazon Prime
This one's an anti-scam documentary, we guess.
World-famous magician and escape artist James Randi – also known as 'The Amazing Randi' – dedicated his life to exposing dishonesty in practices such as faith healing and psychics. It's a surprisingly moving insight into a talented man who didn't believe in trickery, despite his profession.
“People who are stealing money from the public, cheating them and misinforming them — that’s the kind of thing that I’ve been fighting all my life,” he tells the documentary. “Magicians are the most honest people in the world: They tell you they’re going to fool you, and then they do it.”
Picturehouse EntertainmentThe Imposter – Amazon Prime
This suspenseful documentary tells the shocking tale of Frenchman Frederic Bourdin, a con artist who convinced a grieving Texan family that he was their long-lost son who had disappeared years before.
The film, which dates back to 2012, won a BAFTA at the time and is still well worth a watch – plus, there are Making A Murderer–esque twists and turns.
Cr. Courtesy of Netflix/2020Bad Sport – Netflix
Another multi-story series, Netflix's Bad Sport rounds up a number of true tales from the sporting world that you won't believe – complete with first-hand accounts from many of the perpetrators.
From drugs trafficker Randy Lanier – who funds his dream to become a racing driver by running a huge cannabis empire – to the story of the 2002 Winter Olympics and its fixed figure skating competition, sport is far more scandalous than we ever realised.
NETFLIXOperation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal – Netflix
Behind the headlines involving Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman and 90210's Lori Loughlin, there's a lot much more to the so-called ‘college admissions scandal’, which saw wealthy families using bribery to secure places at top US universities for their children.
The documentary takes an unnusual approach, as interviews with the people involved are intertwined with dramatic reenactments. But it works.
HuluThe Act – Amazon Prime
The Act, starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette, is a drama based on the shocking true story of Dee Dee Blanchard, a mother who forced her 24-year-old daughter Gypsy Rose to pretend to be a child with learning difficulties, disabilities and illnesses such as leukaemia and asthma – deceiving everyone around them including family, friends and their local community.
Of course, it doesn't stop there, but we wouldn't want to ruin the ending...
