1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
BusinessGlobal issues

White-Collar Swindlers

August 28, 2025

Swindlers in the business world are notoriously difficult to catch. Their facade is often immaculate. Many are charismatic and persuasive, with a lot of social savvy and tenacity - and some have pulled off massive scams.

White-Collar Swindlers - The Crypto Trap and Wirecard Scandal
Image: ZDF

White-collar criminals have even managed to deceive seasoned financial professionals. They conceal their tricks and crimes behind columns of numbers and mailbox addresses, behind corporate networks and shell companies.

Image: ZDF

Take Sam Bankman-Fried, for example, once hailed as the "crypto kind." His company, FTX, was one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally. Then everything collapsed, and he faced trial on charges of money laundering, fraud, and manipulation.

Image: ZDF

Jan Marsalek was the mastermind behind the scandal involving the payment and financial services provider Wirecard. While his former executive colleagues have stood trial, Marsalek remains on the run and has yet to be found. It's possible he stashed away millions early on to secure himself a comfortable life after the Wirecard downfall.

Image: ZDF

The documentary "White-Collar Swindlers" explores these two cases - two of the most spectacular examples in recent years. Experts expose the strategies used by these fraudsters in expensive suits.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

MON 01.09.2025 – 18:30 UTC
MON 01.09.2025 – 23:30 UTC
TUE 02.09.2025 – 03:30 UTC
TUE 02.09.2025 – 09:15 UTC
TUE 02.09.2025 – 12:15 UTC
TUE 02.09.2025 – 16:15 UTC
TUE 02.09.2025 – 21:15 UTC
WED 03.09.2025 – 07:30 UTC
WED 03.09.2025 – 10:30 UTC
WED 03.09.2025 – 17:30 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW