Case File
Case 1: Inside the WorldCom Scam
- Rags to Riches
- He came from nothing and went to the top of the financial world. Bernard Ebbers took a small telephone company and turned it into a telecom giant. As the head of WorldCom, Ebbers was worth billions.
- The Lifestyle
- The Aquasition, a 132-foot yacht and the largest privately-owned ranch on earth. Bernard Ebbers spared no expense when it came to himself. But the lavish lifestyle put WorldCom investor fortunes in jeopardy.
- Billion Dollar Fraud
- The outlook for the telecom business turns stormy. WorldCom stock tumbles. Ebbers is asked to resign. But the company hasn't hit rock bottom yet... an internal auditor makes a discovery that shocks Wall Street and the world!
Case 2: DHS: Department of Hollywood Scams
- Lights, Camera, Action!
- The allure of Hollywood. Promises of an action-adventure series based on cases from the Department of Homeland Security. Producer Joseph Medawar's plans for a new TV series to attract attention... and money. But the show is just a scam to bilk millions out of investors.
- Key Player
- Dana Rohrabacher. A Congressman and writer with a screenplay. Medawar offers to make his script a movie. A deal is struck. Rohrabacher is also interested in "DHS: The Series" and begins introducing Medawar to many influential figures in Washington, D.C. The con takes on an air of legitimacy.
- Curtain Call
- The FBI and IRS catch on to Medawar's scam. The con game is about the end, but not before investors are taken for more than $5.5 million. American Greed profiles the case of a Hollywood dream that turned into a nightmare for investors.