The trailer for Curiosity Stream’s new, original six-part true-crime docuseries Inside the Mind of a Con Artist takes a terrifying look at the psyche of several former con artists who voluntarily sat down for an intense round of questioning with specialists seeking to understand what makes them tick.
Featuring interviews with forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes, behavioral scientist Mark Frank, and neuroscientist Moran Cerf, the Curiosity Stream original docuseries is set to premiere on the streaming platform on Feb. 10.
From financial crimes and identity theft to art forgery and marriage fraud, the con artists that center in each episode include “Mini Madoff” Helmut Kiener, forger Shaun Greenhalgh, “The Chameleon” Frédéric Bourdin, Pennsylvanian polka Ponzi-schemer Jan Lewandowski, Matthew Cox, who was once on the Secret Service’s most-wanted list, and French imposter Christophe Rocancourt.
“My catchphrase is, ‘Hi, my name is Matt Cox, and I’m a con man,” Cox says in the new trailer obtained exclusively by MovieMaker, which you can watch below.
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Read the full descriptions of each con artist below, courtesy of Curiosity Stream.
Helmut Kiener
Dubbed the “Mini Madoff”, Kiener is one of Germany’s greatest con artists, tricking thousands of private investors and banks including Barclays and JP Morgan. He lived in a $25 million estate in ritzy Palm Beach, flew a private jet, and even had an audience with Pope, until he went to prison. A trained psychologist, Kiener used his talents to read other people. But when caught, he argued it was all just a coincidence. Our experts knew right away, there was much more to the story.
Shaun Greenhalgh
From the late 80’s to the early 2000’s, British artist Shaun Greenhalgh produced a number of forgeries including Roman and Chinese art objects, medieval Christian relics, and 19th century paintings. His most notable achievement was even thought to be a rare Gauguin. Until he was caught, Greenhalgh fooled some of the world’s most respected institutions including The British Museum, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s. Greenhalgh presents himself as a sympathetic, good-hearted, and extremely shy man. But our experts know there is more than meets the eye to this gifted storyteller.
Frédéric Bourdin
Nicknamed “The Chameleon,” Frédéric Bourdin is a former French serial imposter. He began his impersonations as a child and claims to have faked more than 500 false identities. Most notably, this Frenchman took the identity of a young Texas boy who had disappeared in 1994… and convinced both police and the boy’s family he was their lost son. More than 5 months later, everyone figured it out and The Chameleon went to prison. Our experts search for clues in the mind of this fascinating artist of transformation.
Jan Lewandowski
Jan Lewan is the polka sensation from Pennsylvania who fleeced millions of investors with his classic Ponzi scheme. Known for his flamboyant costumes and outlandish personality, he ran a gift store to market directly to his fan and orchestrate his fraud. In 2004, Lewan was arrested for defrauding 400 people out of millions. His name shot to fame when actor Jack Black portrayed him in the feature film Polka King. When our experts finally get beyond Lewan’s flamboyant and gregarious exterior, the true nature of the impostor is revealed.
Matthew Cox
Matthew Cox is a former mortgage broker from Florida who found himself on the Secret Service’s most wanted list. He made millions falsifying homeownership documents and mortgages for five times the properties’ actual worth. After a tip that police were on to him, he left Florida and continued his crime spree across the United States. Known by several aliases, he used elaborate schemes to avoid capture, including teaming up with several female accomplices. Those women, and Cox, all went to prison. Our experts get Cox to explain in detail how he falsified documents and conned people and entire banks out of millions. But does his apparent honesty have an ulterior motive?
Christophe Rocancourt
Infamous French imposter Christophe Rocancourt scammed the rich and powerful by masquerading as a nobleman, a Rockefeller heir, and a Russian prince, just to name a few of his cons. From France, to Switzerland, and then LA, he invented countless fake identities, convincing investors to give him money, fund his luxury lifestyle and include him in the inner circle of celebrity and high society. But it was his American wife who ultimately tipped off the FBI. Our experts learned quickly that Rocancourt is not to be underestimated… but eventually, they’re able to decode his playbook.
Curiosity Stream was launched by Discovery founder and former chairman John Hendricks as a home for documentaries and docuseries on science, history, technology, nature, and more.
Inside the Mind of a Con Artist was produced for Curiosity by Autentic GmbH and Topkapi Nonfiction. Rob Burk is head of original content for Curiosity. Noah Morowitz is executive producer for Curiosity. Series directed by Daniel Nogueira, Flynn von Kleist, and Robert Oey. For Autentic, producers are Patrick Hoerl and Alexandra Boehm. For Topkapi Nonfiction, producers are Robert Oey and Jorinde Sorée.
Main Image: Poster for Inside the Mind of a Con Artist — courtesy of Curiosity Stream.</>
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