The Scams, The Schemes, The Broken Dreams . . . Some People Will Do Anything For Money
American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels & Scandals
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 11, 2007 --- In an unprecedented original primetime series, CNBC's "American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals" examines the dark side of the American Dream. Everyone wants to be rich, but some people will stop at nothing. And, beginning on Thursday, June 21st at 10 PM ET on CNBC, you won't believe how far they'll go. "American Greed," CNBC's six-part primetime series, focuses on how greed changes people's lives; from Ponzi schemes to art heists to a stunning case of stolen identity.
"'American Greed' is a departure from the network's traditional business coverage," says Jonathan Wald, Senior Vice President of Business News, "revealing a new angle to business news that aligns with CNBC's goal to provide unparalleled, dynamic programming to the influential business leaders who watch CNBC."
In the first episode airing Thursday, June 21, "American Greed" exposes the story of Barry Hunt, a skilled fisherman and expert Ponzi scam artist angling for big money and reeling them in...hook, line and sucker. From a fishing town in coastal New Hampshire to Reno, Nevada, Hunt lured local investors into a promising start-up. Before long, more than 50 people had invested to the tune of about $2 million. In reality, Hunt was operating a classic Ponzi scheme, shifting money from one investor to the next. One small town cop launches a global manhunt for a con man and ultimately brings him to justice. Most of Hunt's victims were unaware of his arrest and conviction until CNBC's "American Greed" came calling.
"American Greed" also takes a look at art theft, a growing trend worldwide that accounts for annual losses of $6 billion. There is behind-the-scenes footage from inside a West Hollywood heist, a crime still on the FBI's top 10 list of art crimes. It was a scene straight out of the movies --cutting the roof, diffusing the alarm system, shorting wires and moving in and out of a gallery undetected making off with paintings worth $4 million. Through never before seen crime scene video, as well as access to the FBI Art Crime Team's ongoing investigation, CNBC's "American Greed" provides an inside look into one of the world's most famous unsolved art heists-and asks for help from the viewers in order to solve the crime.
The series is narrated by actor Stacy Keach and produced exclusively for CNBC, America's Business Channel, by Kurtis Productions.
CNBC's "American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals" will air on Thursday nights beginning Thursday, June 21st and repeat on the following Sunday night. The first two episodes will premiere on Thursday nights at 10pm & 1am ET while the remaining four episodes will air Thursday nights at 9pm & 12am ET.
"American Greed" Programming Schedule
EPISODE 1 -- Thursday, June 21, 10pm &1am ET
EPISODE 2 -- Thursday, June 28, 10pm & 1am ET
EPISODE 3 -- Thursday, July 5, 9pm & 12am ET
EPISODE 4 -- Thursday, July 12, 9pm & 12am ET
EPISODE 5 -- Thursday, July 19, 9pm & 12am ET
EPISODE 6 -- Thursday, July 26, 9pm & 12am ET
About CNBC:
CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news, providing real-time financial market coverage and business information to more than 340 million homes worldwide, including more than 95 million households in the United States and Canada. The network's Business Day programming (weekdays from 5:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and also includes reports from CNBC news bureaus worldwide. Additionally, CNBC viewers can manage their individual investment portfolios and gain additional in-depth information from on-air reports by accessing http://www.cnbc.com.
Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBC Universal Media Village Web site at http://nbcumv.com/cnbc/.