American Greed Episode 8: When Greed and Giving Collide | Confessions of a Con Man

Case File

Case 1: When Greed and Giving Collide

  • The Con Man
  • John Bennett. Some said he was a visionary and a godsend. His New Era Philanthropy foundation doled out $100 million nationwide. Was it to good too be true?
  • The Discovery
  • Albert Meyer. An accountant in a small town makes a big discovery. His one-man investigation reveals a massive fraud that will leave charities and non-profits out millions of dollars.
  • The Capture
  • Take an insider's look at a fascinating case where two contrasting principles - giving and greed - collide!

Case 2: Confessions of a Con Man

  • Life in Nevada
  • Eric Stein. His lifestyle was right out of the movies. A Bentley and a Rolex for every day of the week. He made millions running one of Nevada's largest investment frauds. Stein believed he was invincible.
  • The Scam
  • The pitch is alluring. Up to a 50 percent return on your money in just 90 days. Investors are impressed. Stein uses new investor cash to line his pockets and pay existing investors to lure them back into the game.
  • Con Man Confession
  • The scam goes bust. Stein realizes the error of his ways. "Greed does not lead you down a road to success; it leads you down a path of destruction. " - Eric Stein.

Web Extras

  • The Takedown

    .John Bennett's "Foundation for New Era Philanthropy" stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting patrons. It's a story of deception, theft and "American Greed."

  • Steve Stecklow

    Journalist Steve Stecklow discusses his meeting with John Bennett.

  • A Television Commercial Producer Goes Bad

    By 1997, Eric Stein became the founder of the Sterling Group, a millionaire and the mastermind of one of Nevada's largest scams. Click to learn more.