The series that examines the dark side of the American dream is back for another season on Wednesday, January 7th at 9PM & 1AM ET. CNBC's unprecedented original primetime series, "American Greed," focuses on how greed change's people's lives and proves people will do anything for money.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., January 6, 2009 - He was a master of ID theft who made his way through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee with a female companion in tow, swindling major banks and hard-working people out of millions of dollars along the way. In the season premiere of CNBC's "AMERICAN GREED," airing WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7th at 9PM ET, the tangled story of Matt Cox and his $12 million mortgage fraud scheme is exposed, including interviews with victims, accomplices and the villain himself.

CNBC's "American Greed" reveals how this devious lothario used fraudulent real-estate dealings that provided him with fast cars, a grand house, and plenty of cash, which in turn helped him attract a steady stream of young, beautiful female companions. Once he roped in a beautiful new girlfriend, usually a down-on-her-luck single mother, they would engage in a scheme that used stolen identities to take out mortgage loans on properties that he didn't own, enabling him to pocket the cash.

Shortly after Cox's first accomplice takes her newly acquired false identity to a mortgage refinance meeting and walks out with a check for $117,000, he asks her to leave her home and young son in Tampa to go on the run. When she refuses, he dumps her and finds another "Bonnie," to his Clyde, who is willing to comply. The pair take their scheme on the road to Georgia, South Carolina and Texas as they make – and spend – millions.

Meanwhile, a reporter from the St. Petersburg Times is hot on the trail, dozens of people whose identities have been stolen and credit ruined become vocal, and law enforcement officials step up their investigation. As Cox feels his scheme collapsing around him he flees his current residence in Houston and heads to Nashville. There, a strange set of circumstances puts an end to his crime spree.

"American Greed" is produced by Kurtis Productions. Sharon Barrett is the Executive Producer and Mike West is the producer for Kurtis Productions. Charles Schaeffer is the Executive Producer for CNBC of "American Greed." Jonathan Wald is the Senior Vice President, Business News at CNBC.