Holiday Scams: Don't Get Caught Out (2023)

Look Closer: The Rise and Fall of Robert Benfer

In 2013, online clay animator Robert Benfer scammed hundreds of fans out of thousands of dollars and has continued to become less of the independent film icon he used to be, though his unique influence on video creators remains to this day. This film not only sheds light on how Benfer's films impacted young filmmakers, but also how a talented independent artist can fall from grace no matter how obscure they are.

The Secret

Interviews with leading authors, philosophers and scientists, with an in-depth discussion of the Law of Attraction. The audience is shown how they can learn and use 'The Secret' in their everyday lives.

Die Enkeltrick Betrüger

Grandchild fraudsters scare their victims on the phone with so-called "shock calls". The losses run into millions. Month after month. Many victims are left severely traumatized. But the scam has a weak point. And the izzy team has found it. During a year-long investigation, izzy figurehead Cedric Schild pretends to be an elderly person and supposed victim on the phone. This not only makes for a few laughs, but also drives the perpetrators crazy - at the same time, the editorial team penetrates deep into the structures of the criminal clans. Thanks to more than 1200 minutes of recorded conversations from real shock calls, the izzy film "Die Enkeltrick Betrüger" shows all the tricks used by fraudsters for the first time and thus makes an important contribution to prevention. In cooperation with the law enforcement authorities, the perpetrators are arrested in front of the cameras.

The Pig Butchering Romance Scam

Investigation into a highly sophisticated scam involving criminal gangs, modern-day slavery and victims around the world who have lost millions of dollars.

My Kid Could Paint That

A look at the work and surprising success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings have been compared to the likes of Picasso and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Patent Scam

The corruption runs deeper than you'd ever imagine. A multi-billion dollar industry you've never heard of. This is the world Patent Trolls thrive in: A world created for them by our own U. S. Patent system. You can be sued for clicking on a hyperlink, using your own scanner, or sharing your Wi-Fi! It sounds insane, but the reality is even crazier. Patent Trolls look for obvious ideas, patent them, and then sue anyone they claim is infringing on their idea. People's lives and businesses are being destroyed.. and they have no way out. “The Patent Scam” exposes the underbelly of this system, and the people that commit this practice.

Monopoly - Spiel ohne Erbarmen

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The Man Who Would Be Polka King

A polka kingdom crumbles in this documentary tracing the rise and fall of dubious duple meter master Jan Lewan. A Grammy-nominated polka superstar who defected from Poland to the West in the 1970s, Lewan created a musical empire that made him an internationally-recognized figure. When scandal erupted and Lewan's shady dealings were revealed, fans couldn't believe that their hero had committed one of the largest polka-related financial crimes in history.

Lords of Scam

This documentary traces the rise and crash of scammers who conned the EU carbon quota system and pocketed millions before turning on one another.

Your Turn to Win!

A marketing scam video from 1990. Take a glimpse at some retro financial chicanery.

Winner

Chloe's dream trip to Borneo transforms into a waking nightmare when she realizes she's the target of a ruthless scam. With her private photos held hostage, she races to outwit the blackmailer before her secrets are exposed to the world.

In the Palm of Your Hand

A con artist seduces the widow of a millionaire, only to learn she'd plotted with her lover to murder the late husband. A tense game of cat-and-mouse ensues—but who's the cat?

2 Days in the Valley

In a sleepy bedroom community of LA's San Fernando Valley, the murder of a professional athlete by two hit men sets into motion a chain of events that puts the mundane lives of a dozen residents on a collision course. This clever tale tells the story of two hit men, a mistress, a nurse, a vindictive ex-wife, a wealthy art dealer and his lovelorn assistant, a suicidal writer and his dog, and a bitter cop and his partner.

O tetraperatos

A vibrant cafe owner struggles to attract the girl of his dreams. Who knows, with a bit of luck and sharp wits, life can sometimes be a bed of roses.

Scarlet Street

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March. Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny, a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Johnny find out that art dealers are interested in Chris's work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.

Thegidi

Vettri joins a detective agency and is assigned a series of subjects to observe. He falls in love with Madhusree, one of his targets, and just when everything seems to be going fine, Vettri's subjects start dying mysteriously. Can he save Madhu before it is too late?

The Frighteners

Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.

Choke

A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.

New Faces of 1937

A crooked producer makes money from Broadway flops by selling more than 100% interest to multiple parties. He only fails if it makes a profit.

Currency and Peace

Martin is an innocent lad from small-town Mlada Boleslav who comes to big-city Prague, hoping to exchange his krona for deutschemarks so that he can visit Germany. A local spiv named Robert obliges Martin, but at an unfair exchange rate. When Martin finds out he was rooked, he plans revenge on Robert ... but then decides to join Robert's gang instead.

The Golden Holiday

A laid-back countryside detective Byung-su takes his family to the Philippines for his 10th wedding anniversary. In fact, his hidden agenda is to track down his old friend Yong-bae who scammed him and got away a few years ago. In Manila, Byung-su finds Yong-bae in prison for murder, and hears about the case surrounding 'Yamashita’s Gold'. Swayed by a share of the Gold that Yong-bae offers, Byung-su suddenly becomes embroiled in the case.

Shooting Fish

Two con artists hire an unwitting medical-school student as a secretary for their latest scam.

The Associate

An unemployed investor creates a fictious business partner to attempt to improve business. Eventually, his creation gets out of control as his business becomes successful and his wife announces that she is in love with the partner and his son wishes the partner was his father -- although no one has ever seen him. To regain control, the man decides to "kill" his imaginary partner and is arrested for the murder.

Carry On Loving

The Wedded Bliss computer dating agency aims to bring together the lonely hearts of Much-Snoggin-in-the-Green. Its owner, Sidney Bliss, has enough complications in his own love life, but still produces a pamphlet called 'The Wit to Woo'. The strange collection of hopefuls lead to some outlandish matches—and jealousies are bound to lead to trouble.

Chasers

Military men Rock Reilly and Eddie Devane are tasked with taking a prisoner, blonde bombshell Toni Johnson, on what becomes an unforgettable road trip. Toni, an enlistee who's in trouble for deserting her unit, soon proves that she's craftier than most inmates.

Sound of the Sea

A poor Sicilian family of moles has to emigrate to the United States. On their journey, they meet a fox who offers to help them.

The Producers

Broadway producer Max Bialystock and his accountant, Leo Bloom plan to make money by charming wealthy old biddies to invest in a production many times over the actual cost, and then put on a sure-fire flop, so nobody will ask for their money back – and what can be a more certain flop than a tasteless musical celebrating Hitler.

Squeak-squeak

Léonard Monestier owns a large fortune, alas his wife Cynthia made a bad investment in a worthless oil concession. Far from letting this get him down, Léonard decides to find a sucker to buy this concession from him. Right on cue appears Antoine Brévin, a befuddled billionaire who is very interested in Léonard's beautiful daughter Patricia and would do anything to win her hand...

Sylvia Scarlett

When her father decides to flee to England, young Sylvia Scarlett must become Sylvester Scarlett and protect her father every step of the way, with the questionable help of plenty others.

Palmetto

After spending two years in prison, framed for accepting a bribe, former newspaper reporter Harry Barber is released, bitter and disillusioned. Feeling like he were owed something for his loss of time, he proceeds to get himself involved in a simple kidnapping plot which turns out to be more complex than he imagined.

The Pest

Fast-talking Latino con artist Pestario "Pest" Vargas is the target of Scottish mobsters to whom he owes a considerable debt. Willing to do anything to raise money and avoid severe injury or death, Vargas agrees to a very unusual job -- he will be transported to a remote island and hunted by Gustav Shank, a racist German executive. If he can survive a full day and night, Vargas gets $50,000 and will be set free. Is he wily enough to elude Shank?

Nine Queens

Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the "nine queens").

Queenpins

Bored and frustrated suburban homemaker Connie and her best pal JoJo, a vlogger with dreams, turn a hobby into a multi-million-dollar counterfeit coupon caper. After firing off a letter to the conglomerate behind a box of cereal gone stale, and receiving an apology along with dozens of freebies, the duo hatch an illegal coupon club scheme that scams millions from mega-corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. On the trail to total coupon dominance, a hapless Loss Prevention Officer from the local supermarket chain joins forces with a determined U.S. Postal Inspector in hot pursuit of these newly minted “Queenpins” of pink collar crime.

Wicked Stepmother

A mother/daughter pair of witches descend on a yuppie family's home and cause havoc, one at a time since they share one body & the other must live in a cat the rest of the time. Now it's up to the family's mother, a private detective, and a suspended police officer to try and stop the witches.

Love Crimes

An Atlanta prosecutor sets her own trap for a sex offender who poses as a famous photographer.

Kiss or Kill

Two lovers, Nikki and Al, have a scam in which Nikki allows herself to be picked up by older men, drugs them, and, with Al's help, robs them. After accidentally killing one of her victims with an overdose, Nikki and Al are on the run.

We're Talkin' Serious Money

A couple of bumbling con men go on the lam when they can't repay a loan from the mob.

Speedway Junky

A naive drifter runs away from his army father in hopes of making it on the car racing circuit. In Las Vegas, he meets a young scam artist, who develops a crush on him. He is then introduced to a whole gang led by a young hustler. The racer-to-be then gets a lesson in the wild side, getting involved in one situation after another.

The Violators

A New York City probation officer, noted for his sympathy with delinquents, put to a severe test when his daughter falls for a boy whom circumstances force into breaking the law.

The Land

Rita discovers that she is the victim of a scam in the purchase of a piece of land and denounces the woman who manages the place. Without finding justice, Rita joins other scammed people to face the situation.

Every Girl Should Be Married

Anabel Sims is determined to find the perfect husband. She thinks she's found her man in Madison Brown, a handsome pediatrician. She then prepares an elaborate scheme to trap him into marriage

Stagecoach to Monterey

Barstow and Stevens are forcing the local printer to print fake silver certificates which they then sell. Treasury Agents Chick Weaver and Throckmorton Snodgrass arrive working under cover. But when Chick's true identity as an Agent is revealed, Barstow sends his henchmen to finish him off.

Saw X

Between the events of 'Saw' and 'Saw II', a sick and desperate John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.

Steptoe & Son Ride Again

Albert Steptoe and his son Harold are rag-and-bone men, complete with horse and cart to tour the neighbourhood. They also live amicably together at the junk yard. Always on the lookout for ways to improve his lot, Harold invests his father's life savings in a greyhound who is almost blind and can't see the hare. When the dog loses a race and Harold has to pay off the debt, he comes up with another bright idea. Collect his father's life insurance. To do this his father must pretend to be dead.

Shree 420

The story of a small-town man who comes to make it big in the city, where he is almost instantly relieved of all his possessions. Homeless and penniless, he is taken in by a woman who looks after him.

Pale Moon

Daily, Rika Umezawa battles a nagging sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction. She works a tiring job, comes home to an unappreciative husband and has little opportunity to enjoy life. But things change when office gossip about affairs and embezzlement inspire Rika to do the unthinkable. Soon, Rika finds herself filling the void with a university student named Kota and the millions entrusted to her by clients. Is her newfound lifestyle the key to happiness? And if so, how long can it last?

The Producers

Broadway producer Max Bialystock and his accountant, Leo Bloom plan to make money by charming wealthy old biddies to invest in a production many times over the actual cost, and then put on a sure-fire flop, so nobody will ask for their money back – and what can be a more certain flop than a tasteless musical celebrating Hitler.

Lovers: A True Story

Set in '50s Spain, a young man leaves the army and looks for a job so he and his fiancée can get married. He rents a room from a widow, and shortly begins a torrid affair with her. The fiancée figures it out and decides to win him back by offering herself to him and taking him to meet her family. Ultimately he has to make a decision. Based on a true story.

The Vault of Horror

The sequel to Tales from the Crypt. Five strangers trapped in a basement vault converse about their recurring nightmares. Their stories include vampires, bodily dismemberment, east Indian mysticism, an insurance scam, and an artist who kills by painting his victims' deaths.

Tere Bin Laden

Ali Hassan (Ali Zafar), a reporter with a downmarket TV channel in Karachi, is keen to go to USA for a better life, but his visa has been refused six times in seven years. In desperation, he gets hold of an Osama Bin Laden look alike and makes a fake Osama tape which he sells to the owner of his channel to raise money for a false identity, a new passport and better luck with US visa. As one can expect, it is far from smooth sailing for him and his friends, as they get into a series of comic situations.

Hyderabad Nawabs 2

When six families find themselves without a home after their illegal building is razed down by municipal authorities, they decide to take revenge against the realtors who sold them their flats.

Miss Grant Takes Richmond

A bookie uses a phony real estate business as a front for his betting parlor. To further keep up the sham, he hires dim-witted Ellen Grant as his secretary figuring she won't suspect any criminal goings-on. When Ellen learns of some friends who are about to lose their homes, she unwittingly drafts her boss into developing a new low-cost housing development.