What to Binge Next if You Enjoyed Shonda Rhimes’ Scammer Series ‘Inventing Anna’

Shonda Rhimes’ “Inventing Anna” is the latest Netflix miniseries to delve into the lives of the world’s biggest fraudsters and scammers. It was inspired by a story published in the New York Magazine and written by Jessica Pressler about Anna Sorokin who tricked the Big Apple’s elite society that she was a German heiress. Unsurprisingly, Shondaland’s fictionalised version drew curious viewers in the same fashion that the real-life Anna gripped the world when her story broke out in 2018. In the week of Feb. 7-13, 2022, “Inventing Anna” was the most-watched TV show in English, racking up 77.31 million hours of viewing time.

If you enjoyed this miniseries and are looking for more swindler-inspired shows that will make you wonder whether to sympathize with or detest the antiheroes, this list is for you.

'Generation Hustle'

This docuseries puts the spotlight on 10 con-artists that had their fair share of media frenzy including WeWork founder Adam Neumann, and of course, Anna Delvey a.k.a. Anna Sorokin. With a fake party kingpin, an orphan who pretended to be a Saudi royal, and a scam rapper added to the list, this series is a who’s who of this generation’s notorious con artists. “Generation Hustle” is streaming on HBO Max.

‘The Catch’

Another Shonda Rhimes-backed fraudster series is “The Catch,” which aired on ABC between March 2016 and May 2017. The story follows private investigating firm exec Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos) as she goes after her fiancé, Benjamin Jones (Peter William Krause), a master con artist who is working with an international crime syndicate. The show lasted two seasons, with 10 episodes each.

‘Dirty John’

Based on the podcast of the same name, “Dirty John” is a true crime anthology TV series that narrates how real-life fraudster John Meehan (Eric Bana) posed as a wealthy doctor and tricked Debra Newell (Connie Britton) into a romantic relationship despite suspicions from the latter’s daughters. Coincidentally, the show features Julia Garner, who played the lead role in “Inventing Anna,” as one of Debra’s daughters. “Dirty John” is available on Netflix.

‘Hustle’

This British TV series is about a group of London-based tricksters specialising in long cons, a type of scam executed over a long period in which the scammer takes time to gain the trust of their prey in hopes of getting a large reward in the end. The group is composed of Mickey, the leader; Albert, a veteran con artist; Ash, in charge of equipment and locations; Stacie, their lone female member; and Danny, an amateur scammer. The eight-season series stars Robert Glenister, Robert Vaughn, and Rob Jarvis.

'Dr. Death'

If you have the stomach for mutilated body parts, this American miniseries is up your alley. It follows Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon notorious for mutilating his patients. Is it because of incompetence or psychosis? Find out when you watch this chilling crime drama featuring Joshua Jackson, Christian Slate, and Alec Baldwin.