Case file open · Season 1
We break down the scams so they don't happen to you or the people you love.
MATERIUM investigates history's biggest frauds. Here you get what's useful: the warning signs, the alerts and how to cut the trap off in time. Free.
World premiere · Friday, October 16
01 The trailer
Sixteen chapters. Sixteen Laws. One trap.
Every chapter exposes a real fraud and names a Law of Deception: the one they'd use on you.
No scam is new. The century changes. The trap doesn't.
02 Our promise
We will never ask you for money to recover what you lost. If anyone does, it's another scam.
After a scam come the fake lawyers, “hackers” and agencies promising to get your money back for an upfront fee. That's the second scam, and it's often run by the same network. MATERIUM doesn't recover funds, doesn't charge to help you and will never message you first asking for bank details.
If it happened to you: report it to the police, tell your bank and your country's financial regulator. It's free.
03 Alerts and free guide
The 16 Laws of Deception, in your pocket.
Subscribe and get the guide with the warning signs of every Law, plus a heads-up whenever a new scam is going around or a new chapter drops. 7 Laws are unlocked today; the rest unlock with each chapter.
Subscription confirmed.
You're on the MATERIUM alerts list. The warning signs of the first 7 Laws are unlocked right below.
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The Manual of Deception
Every Law comes with its warning sign: what you'd see coming if someone tried it on you.
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Law No. 1
Victor Lustig · The Eiffel Tower
The victim's greed does the con man's work.
Warning sign
You're offered something far below its value, or returns far above normal, and the rush won't let you ask why you were chosen.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 2
Gregor MacGregor · Poyais
Make the lie big enough and no one checks it.
Warning sign
Flawless maps, brochures, logos and figures… and no independent way to confirm any of it exists.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 3
Charles Ponzi
Pay the first with the money of the next.
Warning sign
The first investors get paid on time, and right away they push you to bring in family and friends.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 4
Baldomera Larra
Impossible returns always find believers.
Warning sign
A fixed, high, “risk-free” return every month. In real investing, that doesn't exist.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 5
Ruja Ignatova · OneCoin
Sell the revolution, not the product.
Warning sign
They talk about the future and the coin that will change everything, but no one can explain what real product is behind it.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 6
Bernard Madoff
Prestige is the perfect alibi.
Warning sign
Big titles, famous clients and a luxury office, and the answer to every question is “trust him, he knows what he's doing”.
Subscribe to see the sign
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Law No. 7
Allen Stanford
The saver's fear is the con man's capital.
Warning sign
They use your fear of losing your savings to inflation, a crisis or the banks to sell you a “safe haven” far from any oversight.
Subscribe to see the sign
Still locked
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Law No. 8
Unlocks with chapter 8
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Law No. 9
Unlocks with chapter 9
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Law No. 10
Unlocks with chapter 10
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Law No. 11
Unlocks with chapter 11
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Law No. 12
Unlocks with chapter 12
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Law No. 13
Unlocks with chapter 13
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Law No. 14
Unlocks with chapter 14
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Law No. 15
Unlocks with chapter 15
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Law No. 16
Unlocks with chapter 16
04 Free class · 14 min
How the Eiffel Tower got sold, and the three signs that would have saved you.
This is the full MATERIUM pilot episode. Watch it with this in mind:
- Borrowed authority Official letterhead, a luxury hotel and a made-up title. A uniform isn't a credential: always verify through a channel you choose.
- Secrecy as a cage “This is confidential.” If you can't tell anyone, no one can warn you.
- Greed does the work Law No. 1: the con man only needs you to want to believe. And shame keeps the victim from reporting it.
05 Before you put your money in
Red flags. If you check one, stop.
Run through this list before you invest, lend or pay anything upfront.
Check the ones you recognize.
06 Were you scammed?
Tell us your story.
Your story could keep it from happening to someone else. We read it with respect and never publish your details.
Thank you for trusting us.
We've received your story. If it's recent, don't wait: report it to the police and call your bank today.
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07 Suggest a con artist
Who should we investigate?
Documented cases only: court rulings, regulators or serious press. We don't publish accusations without evidence.
Got it.
If the case makes it into a season, you'll see it on the channel.
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08 Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is MATERIUM?
A NanisTV series that investigates history's biggest financial frauds, using documented cases. Every chapter tells a real scam and boils it down to a Law of Deception so you recognize it when someone tries it on you.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. The chapters, the guide, the class and the alerts are free.
Can you get my money back?
No. No legitimate service asks for an upfront fee to recover what you lost. What does work: report it to the police, tell your bank as soon as possible and notify your country's financial regulator.
Will you publish my story with my name?
Never. With your permission we may tell your story without names or any detail that identifies you. Otherwise we just read it.
How often do the alerts arrive?
One message per new chapter (Tuesdays and Fridays) and occasional alerts when a scam worth knowing about is going around. Unsubscribe in one click.
Is this financial advice?
No. We tell real cases so you learn to see the signs. Before investing, talk to a licensed professional.
What languages is it in?
Spanish and English. Use the ES | EN switch at the top.