Explore the Most Fascinating Scam Movies Ever Made

The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley (2019) directed by Alex Gibney alongside Gibney, Erin Edeiken, and Jessie Deeter, serving as producers, while HBO Documentary Films and Jigsaw Productions will produce the film and HBO will distribute.

The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley (2019) is a documentary film about one of the biggest frauds in the history of the tech valley. Elizabeth Holmes spent her life pursuing the ambition to revolutionize the medical industry. Many investors poured massive amounts of capital, up to hundreds of millions of dollars, into Theranos, unaware that it was all a hoax orchestrated by Holmes. Everything collapsed, Theranos plummeted from a company valued at nine billion dollars to just a single digit.

Director Alex Gibney won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay at the 72nd Writers Guild of America Awards for his screenplay, earning Gibney his record fourth award in this category.

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Tomatometer Score: 78%

Audience Rating: 75%

Focus (2015) directed and written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Rodrigo Santoro...

In the film, Will Smith plays Nicky, a seasoned con artist. He takes on Jess (Margot Robbie) as an apprentice. However, their relationship becomes complicated when Jess crosses the line. Nicky decides to end things. Three years later, while Nicky is on a dangerous mission in Buenos Aires, Jess, now a seductive femme fatale, suddenly reappears. This reunion throws Nicky back into his old life, unable to resist her allure.

Focus (2015) starring Will Smith is essentially a romantic film with a criminal twist. In the movie, common con tricks are turned into an art form full of allure.

IMDb Rating: 6.6

Tomatometer Score: 56%

Audience Rating: 53%

It can be said, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) stands as a cinematic masterpiece blending various elements, beyond the masterful directing talent of Martin Scorsese, one must acknowledge the outstanding performance by Leonardo DiCaprio portraying a seasoned wolf of Wall Street, making money like water, spending it on women, drugs, and more.

Despite being a fraudulent money launderer, a corrupt and hedonistic convict imprisoned, Jordan Belfort remains an inspirational figure in wealth accumulation and salesmanship. Undeniably, he's a born salesman, someone with a “sixth sense for boundless energy” when it comes to money.

The film is well-crafted with a clever script, captivating viewers through the protagonist's actions, and those of his companions. The highlight of the film lies in its comedic elements, ranging from witty to crude humor, unexpected situations, and ribald banter.

IMDb Rating: 8.2

Tomatometer Score: 79%

Audience Rating: 83%

Catch Me If You Can (2002) is based on the true story of the youngest 'master of deception' in American history - Frank Abagnale (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio), Catch Me If You Can has recreated the journey of this teenage trickster, alongside the pursuit of Frank by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).

Set in New York in 1963, the peaceful life of 16-year-old Frank Abagnale takes a sharp turn when his parents divorce due to his father's financial downfall. Shattered and panicked, Frank leaves home and embarks on the life of a 'master of deception,' experiencing many glorious moments that perhaps everyone dreams of. Despite constantly changing identities and evading police pursuit, more than once, Frank longed for someone to find him, someone to lift him out of the lonely puddle he was sinking deeper into. Frank also longed for someone to love him.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) is a suspenseful, humorous, and nuanced film intertwined with various emotions and humanistic values! A film that will make you think a lot, and hope that, beyond, there are no more 'Franks' like him, no more lonely and confused young men and women in life.

IMDb Rating: 8.1

Tomatometer Score: 96%

Audience Rating: 89%

Owning Mahowny (2003) is a Canadian film, featuring a cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Maury Chaykin, John Hurt... This piece reflects the stark reality of the horrors of gambling addiction. Following the story of a bank employee named Dan Mahowny, it shows viewers how he exploits the trust of his boss to gain access to large bank accounts of clients. From there, Dan Mahowny steals a significant amount of money, and true to form, he squanders it all in the casino.

With an ambitious script, it reveals to the audience how a hardcore gambling addict is, and how he disregards everything just to immerse himself in that world of black and red.

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Tomatometer Score: 78%

Audience Rating: 75%

The film Boiler Room (2000) follows Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), a college dropout who seeks wealth by selling stocks of virtual or defunct companies. He's the smooth-talking type who promises like a 'nail hammered in' that by joining their program, one could become a millionaire in the blink of an eye.

In the financial world, a “Boiler Room” refers to a brokerage firm over the phone, specializing in persuading clients to trade in obscure securities, often cheap stocks. The film is straightforward, targeting the dark side of the financial industry, where stockbrokers in New York make money through ruthless means, pushing fake shares to unsuspecting clients.

IMDb Rating: 7.0

Tomatometer Score: 66%

Audience Rating: 78%