Love Fraud
GenreDocumentary
Directed by
Music byT. Griffin
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Heidi Ewing
  • Rachel Grady
  • Vinnie Malhotra
  • Amy Goodman Kass
  • Jihan Robinson
  • Michael Bloom
  • Maria Zuckerman
ProducerAlex Takats
CinematographyAlex Takats
EditorJD Marlow
Production companies
Original release
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseAugust 30 (2020-08-30) –
September 20, 2020 (2020-09-20)

Love Fraud is an American true crime documentary miniseries, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, about the hunt for a serial romance scammer. It premiered on August 30, 2020, on Showtime.[1]

Production

The filmmakers wanted to make a series about a con artist, but not one that was a cold case, resolved, or well known. They decided on their subject after producer Alex Takats read the blog of a woman who had accused her former husband of fraud.[2] There was an arrest warrant, but his whereabouts were unknown.[2] The filmmakers decided not to be a "fly on the wall", but instead intervene to fund the investigation.[3] The series began filming in December 2017.[4]

Release

The series had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2020.[5][6] It was initially scheduled to premiere on Showtime on May 8, 2020, but this was delayed to August 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8][9]

Subject

The series is a "manhunt", following efforts of private detectives hired by the filmmakers, including bounty hunter Carla Campbell, to find a man from Lenexa, Kansas named Richard Scott Smith.[4][3] Smith was accused by multiple women, including some he married, of romance scams. He is accused of being married at least ten times[3] and to more than one woman at a time,[4] and being accused of using multiple identities.[3] His former partners accused him of using their identities to make purchases and obtain credit, leaving them severely in debt.[4][3] He was put on probation in 2015 in Polk County, Iowa after being charged with domestic abuse assault.[10] After one former partner went to the police in 2017, he pleaded guilty to identity theft and received a 10 month jail sentence, later violating probation.[4]

The women each tell their stories of how they met Smith and came to be duped, and the film explores what led Smith to act in these ways.[2] Smith appears on camera in the final episode in "what can most charitably be described as a dumpster fire of an interview", according to the Kansas City Star.[4]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 92% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Explosive, but never exploitive, Love Fraud tells a thrilling tale of online dating gone terribly wrong with expert precision and a welcome dose of empathy."[11] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 77 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Episodes

No.Title [13]Directed byOriginal air date [13]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"You Just Gotta Trust Me"Heidi Ewing
Rachel Grady		August 30, 2020 (2020-08-30)0.135[14]
2"Wichita"Heidi Ewing
Rachel Grady		September 6, 2020 (2020-09-06)0.142[15]
3"I'm Glad You Called"Heidi Ewing
Rachel Grady		September 13, 2020 (2020-09-13)0.149[16]
4"How Did You Guys See This Thing Ending?"Heidi Ewing
Rachel Grady		September 20, 2020 (2020-09-20)0.111[17]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominees Result Ref.
2021 Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Series for Broadcast Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady Nominated [18][19]
Independent Spirit Awards Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Amy Goodman Kass, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom and Maria Zuckerman Nominated [20][21]
Critics' Choice Real TV Awards Best Limited Documentary Series Love Fraud Pending [22]

References

  1. ↑ "Showtime Announces the Premiere Dates for the Non-Fiction Programs "The Go-Go's," "Love Fraud" and "Belushi"". The Futon Critic. May 13, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Wilkinson, Alissa (4 September 2020). ""People want to believe": How Love Fraud builds an absorbing docuseries around a romantic con man". Vox.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jensen, Erin (30 August 2020). "'Pure evil': Con man Richard Scott Smith's ex-fiancée talks crook ahead of 'Love Fraud' docuseries". USA Today.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Owen, Rob (26 August 2020). "'Love Fraud': In TV series, women say Johnson County man romanced, then swindled them". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Love Fraud". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  6. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 18, 2020). "Coronavirus: Showtime Staggers 'Black Monday' Episodes, Delays Premieres Of 'Outcry' & 'Love Fraud' Docuseries". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ Petski, Denise (February 13, 2020). "'Love Fraud' Trailer: First Look At Showtime's True-Life Love Con Docuseries". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  9. ↑ Schwartz, Ryan (August 29, 2020). "The TVLine-Up: What's Returning, New and Leaving the Week of Aug. 30". TVLine. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ Sederstrom, Jill (6 September 2020). "Where Is Serial Dater Richard Scott Smith of 'Love Fraud' Now?". Oxygen.
  11. ↑ "Love Fraud". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Love Fraud". Metacritic. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Counting Cars – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  14. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (September 1, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.30.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (September 9, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.6.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  16. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (September 15, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.13.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  17. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (September 22, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.20.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ Thompson, Anne (November 19, 2020). "Cinema Eye Honors Advance Documentary Awards Contenders". IndieWire. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  19. ↑ Mullen, Pat (March 10, 2021). "Collective Tops Cinema Eye Honors Winners". POV Magazine. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  20. ↑ Lewis, Hilary; Galuppo, Mia (January 26, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always,' 'Minari,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Nomadland' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  21. ↑ Warren, Matt (April 22, 2021). "Here are the Winners of the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards!". Film Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  22. ↑ Grobar, Matt (June 2, 2021). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' & Netflix Lead Critics Choice Real TV Award Nominations; Alex Trebek Set For Impact Award". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
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