Ep 15. The Phantom Fraudster Of Broadway

The Phantom Fraudster of Broadway is the 15th episode of the 10th season of American Greed. This episode tells the story of a man who perpetrated one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history.

The story begins with a man named Mark Hotton, who was a former stockbroker turned theatrical producer. He was hired as a consultant by the producers of a new Broadway musical called Rebecca, which was based on a novel of the same name. Hotton claimed that he had secured $4.5 million in investment funds from a group of wealthy investors in Europe, who were interested in backing the production.

However, as the show's opening night approached, it became clear that the money had never materialized. Hotton had invented the investors and faked bank statements to give the impression that the funds were in the process of being transferred. The producers of Rebecca were left with no choice but to cancel the show, and the investors who had already put money into the production lost their entire investment.

As investigators began to look into Hotton's background, they realized that this was not the first time he had been involved in fraudulent activity. In fact, he had a long history of scamming people out of their money, using a variety of different schemes.

One of the most startling facts about Hotton's scam is the sheer scale of it. He had managed to convince the producers of Rebecca that he had access to millions of dollars in investment funds, when in reality he had no such access. He had also managed to fool a number of other people over the years, using a variety of different schemes and scams.

Throughout the episode, we learn more about Hotton's life and the extent of his criminal activity. We hear from some of his victims, who describe the devastating impact that his scams have had on their lives. We also hear from law enforcement officials and investigators who worked on the case, and who describe the process of unraveling Hotton's web of lies.

Overall, The Phantom Fraudster of Broadway is a fascinating and deeply disturbing episode of American Greed. It highlights the lengths that some people will go to in order to make money, and the devastating consequences that their actions can have on others. At the same time, it is a testament to the dedication and hard work of law enforcement officials and investigators, who are able to bring these fraudsters to justice and prevent them from victimizing others in the future.