Panorama Season 66, Episode 38: Catfish: The Billion Pound Romance Scam

Millionaire Bankrupts Exposed

Bankruptcy isn't always what it seems. Some of Britain's biggest bankrupts are going to great lengths to hide their money while declaring bankruptcy to escape their debts. In this investigation, reporter Sam Poling goes undercover to expose the tricks wealthy business people can use to keep hold of their wealth, while those they owe money to are left with nothing. She meets the millionaire bankrupts making a mockery of the system and asks how they can get away with it.

Trump Voters: One Year On

Donald Trump has changed the face of American politics, but what do the people who voted for him make of his tumultuous first year in office? Filmed over a year in Michigan, Wyoming, Texas and Florida, this programme hears from Trump supporters who hoped that he would 'make America great again'. But with so much promised, Panorama asks whether his supporters are still happy and if they would vote for him again.

White Fright: Divided Britain

In 2007 Panorama made a programme in Blackburn, which was becoming segregated along ethnic and religious lines. Now Panorama has returned and found a town that is even more divided. Some parts of Blackburn are almost entirely Muslim Asian, while other parts are only lived in by white residents. This kind of social segregation has been described as a national crisis, despite decades of government policy aimed at bringing people together. So why do such divisions persist? Panorama visits one town to answer that question and illustrate the impact of social segregation on local communities.

Addicted: Last Chance Mums

Can a mother addicted to drugs change? Should the state be helping her or taking her baby away? The number of newborns being taken into care is rocketing. Many of the thousands of women who lose their babies each year are drug addicts. Many have had children permanently removed before. In this film, Panorama has been given exclusive access to one of the only residential units in the country trying to break this cycle, Trevi House in Plymouth. We follow mothers and their babies undergoing intensive treatment as they try to prove they're fit to be a parent. The stakes couldn't be higher - if they fail they will lose their baby forever.

Who Wants to Be a Bitcoin Millionaire?

Panorama investigates what Bitcoin is and what it means, going inside a Bitcoin mine in Iceland - where currency is made - and spending time with the Bitcoin millionaires of Silicon Valley. The programme also hears from others who have been scammed out of their life savings and investors who think the cryptocurrency is an enormous scam and that the writing is on the wall. In Britain, and around the world, authorities are sounding the alarm that Bitcoin is too risky - is it too late, or too crazy, to try to become a Bitcoin millionaire?

Evicted for No Reason

Richard Bilton sheds light on the difficulties faced by many private tenants in the UK, who have no long-term right to stay in their homes, and can be ordered to leave with little by the way of notice or explanation. Courts ordered more than 24,000 'No-fault' evictions last year and Richard meets some of the people whose lives have been plunged into chaos by their landlords. He also talks to landlords. Britain depends on the private sector, and 'no fault evictions' are a lifeline for Britain's millions of landlords.

Weinstein: The Inside Story

Harvey Weinstein was once one of the most successful producers in Hollywood history, but beneath the glitz and glamour, there was a dark story of threats, bullying and allegations of sexual assault. As Hollywood prepares to celebrate the 90th Academy Awards, Panorama investigates Weinstein's spectacular fall from grace and the extraordinary efforts he made to silence his accusers. This one-hour special, co-produced with PBS Frontline, examines the complex web of lawyers, journalists and private detectives deployed to keep Weinstein's secrets hidden.

Immigration: Who Should We Let in?

Public concerns about immigration were at the heart of the vote to leave the EU. Since then, the government has been silent on their plans. But with just a year to go until the country leaves, there are big unanswered questions about how any new system will work after Brexit - and the issue still stirs up powerful emotions. Nick Robinson travels from the heartlands of the leave vote to the front line of the NHS to find out what immigration the public wants and what Britain's businesses and public services say they need, and to ask the big question: who should we let in?

Taking on Putin

Vladimir Putin is about to face the voters, and most think his victory is a foregone conclusion. If the Russian president does win six more years in power, he will become the country's longest-serving ruler since Stalin. So why is Putin so powerful? Reporter John Sweeney investigates allegations that the Kremlin has subverted democracy in Russia. He meets the Putin opponent who has been banned from the election, hears from the opposition activists who say they have been attacked and finds out for himself what it is like to be targeted by the Russian state.

Britain's Equal Pay Scandal

For the first time, the UK's biggest employers are having to reveal the average wages they pay men and women. At the same time, the BBC and many other organisations find themselves in battles over equal pay. Almost 50 years after the passing of the Equal Pay Act, why are women still not being paid as much as men? Jane Corbin travels the UK to meet the workers, from supermarket staff and council carers to BBC presenters, who are fighting for equality - even if the costs run into the billions.

North Korea's Secret Slave Gangs

As President Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, prepare for an unprecedented summit, Panorama investigates North Korean modern-day slavery. It is thought that more than one hundred thousand North Korean workers are posted abroad to earn money for the cash-strapped regime - money that is being ploughed into Kim Jong-un's nuclear weapons programme. An international consortium of journalists has filmed undercover to reveal secret work gangs operating in Russia, China and Poland.

Gangsters' Dirty Money Exposed

Why does London attract so much dirty money? Panorama tracks down a violent Ukrainian crime gang using offshore companies and professionals to hide suspicious wealth in the UK. An in-depth investigation of leaked documents reveals gangsters, their families and associates taking advantage of offshore secrecy and ineffective money laundering controls to buy luxurious property and expensive works of art. Reporter Andy Verity follows the gangsters' trail from Odessa to Rome and London.

Getting a Fair Trial?

Everyone has the right to a fair trial, but how sure can people be that, if it came to it, they would get one? Panorama reporter Katie Razzall investigates cases where crucial evidence had not been investigated by the police or where evidence had been withheld from defendants. One man was wrongly jailed for four years, another had the case against him thrown out just before his trial was due to start and a man was put on trial for rape despite the alleged victim saying he should not have been charged. All rape prosecutions are now being reviewed after the collapse of some high-profile trials. Former High Court judge Richard Henriques tells the programme there have been too many cases recently where only at the last moment the truth comes to light and the system must do better.

Hacked: Smart Home Secrets

Smart devices and the latest technological gadgets give us remote control of our homes and our cars - but how safe are they? Reporter Fiona Phillips investigates their hidden dangers and reveals how products designed to make life easier around the home can be hacked. She discovers families whose children are being spied on because their baby monitors are being streamed live online, and meets a couple who had no idea they were being watched, in their own home, by thousands of strangers around the world.

Police Under Pressure

With a surge of violent crime in London and recorded crime rising across the country, Panorama films with four police forces to ask if Britain's police can cope. The film reveals forces stretched to crisis point by eight years of austerity and a national shortage of detectives. An exclusive analysis of police data for Panorama shows how fewer crimes are ending up with any suspect charged. Chief constables speak about the strains on their forces and how changes have had to be made not only in the way they prioritise crime, but how they investigate it too. But do the public accept these changes? Panorama hears from victims of crime and communities who fear Britain's streets are no longer being properly policed. Less

Grenfell: Who Is to Blame?

It has nearly been a year since Britain's worst fire in living memory, and nobody has been arrested or held to account. Reporter Richard Bilton reveals new evidence about the safety failures that led to the deaths of 72 people at Grenfell Tower. He tracks down those with questions to answer and confronts those who may share the blame.

Last Chance for Justice

What if you were jailed for a crime you didn't commit? Panorama investigates the cases of two convicted murderers who have each spent almost 20 years in prison and have always protested their innocence. Their only hope of clearing their names lies with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the body tasked with probing alleged miscarriages of justice. But many believe the CCRC is failing. Reporter Mark Daly finds new evidence in cases the CCRC rejected and investigates whether the watchdog is fit for purpose.

Tessa Jowell: Her Last Campaign

In 2017, former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. Three in four people diagnosed with her type of brain cancer are dead within a year. Brain cancer is becoming more common and the UK has one of the lowest survival rates in western Europe. After her diagnosis, Tessa Jowell and her daughter Jess launched a campaign for brain cancer patients to get access to more trials and treatments than are available on the NHS. With intimate access during the final weeks of her life, this moving Panorama follows Tessa as she tries to use her influence to highlight the struggles of brain cancer patients across the UK and to bring about a radical and permanent change in NHS cancer treatment.

Putin's Russia with David Dimbleby

As thousands of British fans prepare to travel to Russia for the World Cup, David Dimbleby returns to a country he first visited when Yeltsin came to power 25 years ago. For 18 of those years, Vladimir Putin has ruled the largest country on earth, and he has another six years ahead of him. But with talk of a new Cold War, and with British Intelligence accusing Putin's government of 'criminal thuggery', this Panorama special asks what Russians see in him and how he has held on to power for so long. David talks to an eclectic mix of Putin's supporters, from a mother of ten who has been awarded the Order of Parental Glory, to a deputy prime minister and one of Putin's advisors. He joins children as young as seven learning to load and shoot guns in a patriotic youth club, and a group of young Muscovite fans of the president who are trying to cash in on the Putin brand. David also hears from opposition protestors, lawyers and journalists who reveal the extent and ruthlessness of the Kremlin's autocratic rule

Exposed: Northern Dreams, Failed Schemes

When the government launched the Northern Powerhouse, the plan was to attract investment and improve infrastructure. But four years on, some of the big projects have failed. These high-profile property developments were marketed with great fanfare, and some were promoted and backed by local authorities. Now building sites stand abandoned, local investors have lost millions and confidence in the north has been badly damaged. So what went wrong? Reporter Michelle Ackerley investigates why some projects have failed, as well as the local developers and businesses that made big promises but have failed to deliver.

Smartphones: The Dark Side

People are all increasingly glued to their smart phones and consumed by social media, but why? Panorama reporter Hilary Andersson tracks down tech insiders who reveal how social-media companies have deliberately developed habit-forming technology to get people hooked. A former Facebook manager tells the programme: 'Their goal is to addict you and then sell your time' and the creator of the 'like' button warns of the dangers of social-media addiction. Panorama investigates the science behind the lure of technology, and shows how behavioural science has been used to keep people endlessly checking their phones.

Trump: Is the President a Sex Pest?

Donald Trump has been accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour by more than 20 women, but he has dismissed them all as liars. Now one of those women is suing him for defamation. An American court will have to decide what really happened and whether the President of the United States is a sexual predator. So what is the truth about Donald Trump's behaviour towards women? In the week of his visit to Britain, reporter Richard Bilton investigates new allegations about Mr Trump and meets the women who say the president is a sex pest.

Fighting for my Child

In the aftermath of the Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard cases, Panorama meets three extraordinary families who spend their lives caring for children with serious disabilities. The number of school-aged children with complex needs has doubled since 2004, but many families now struggle to secure the help their children need in the face of limited resources. Families let cameras into their homes to see what it takes to give their children the care they need on a daily basis - sometimes it's a fight to simply keep them alive. Are we willing to do what it takes to give these children a decent quality of life?

The Fake Murder that Fooled the World

Found in a pool of blood, Arkady Babchenko, a Russian journalist and critic of President Putin, was declared murdered in Ukraine in May. But a day later he was back from the dead, appearing alive and well at a Kiev press conference. Speaking to all the key players for the first time, Jonah Fisher has the inside story of how to fake a murder. Why did Ukrainian security services stage his death? And in the propaganda war between the truth and fake news, what, if anything, did it achieve?

Get Rich or Die Young

Life expectancy in Britain varies dramatically depending upon where you live. The rich live longer and the poor die younger. Reporter Richard Bilton visits Stockton, the town with the country's worst health inequality. He investigates why people in the town centre can only expect to live to 69, while their wealthier neighbours a couple of miles away will live an average of 18 years longer.

Online Doctors Uncovered

Panorama goes undercover to reveal online doctor sites putting profit before patient care. In 2017 the Care Quality Commission issued a warning about the risks of buying drugs prescribed by doctors online. The programme discovers opiate-based painkillers and slimming tablets being sold to potentially vulnerable people and antibiotics being delivered across Europe in the face of warnings about resistance. Dr Faye Kirkland, journalist and GP, meets the families of patients who have died after online consultations and exposes the sites running rings around the regulators.

Doctors on Trial

Panorama investigates the case which has sparked outrage among doctors - a junior doctor convicted of manslaughter and then struck off the medical register for her role in the death of a boy. In 2011, six-year-old Jack Adcock was admitted into the Leicester Royal Infirmary, under the care of Dr Hadiza Bawa Garba. Less than 12 hours later he had died from sepsis, a potentially life threatening condition which the doctor had failed to spot. But the action that was taken against her has provoked an outcry from the medical profession, who say she has been unfairly blamed for mistakes made while working in an overstretched and under-resourced NHS. So what should happen when doctors make mistakes? And who should take responsibility? Panorama talks to Dr Bawa Garba in her first interview and to the parents of Jack Adcock to explore the story.

Legal Weapon

Panorama investigates how antique guns are being brought into the UK perfectly legally and ending up in the hands of criminals. Panorama buys two handguns, one in America, carrying it through customs, and the other from an antique guns fair in Birmingham. Under current legislation it is legal to buy and sell guns provided commercially manufactured ammunition is no longer available. But criminals are home making ammunition for these antique weapons and then using them to kill. Gloucester gun dealer Paul Edmunds flooded the streets of Birmingham and London with antique guns as well as modern guns passed off as antiques. These weapons have been used in multiple murders. Now West Midlands Police and the National Ballistics Intelligence Service are calling for a change in the law to close this loophole.

Murder on the Streets

Across Britain serious violence is rising. There have been over 80 murders in London in 2018 alone, which includes eight children, under 18. Panorama investigates why young people are losing their lives, by focusing on just one of these murders. 17-year old Rhyhiem Barton grew up on the Brandon Estate in South London, and was killed on the streets there. Filming with his family and friends, the programme looks at the devastation and loss caused by Rhyhiem's death- from their perspective. It explores what might have led to his murder and how the community has responded to try and prevent more of their children being killed.

Profits before Pupils? The Academies Scandal

More than 7,000 schools in England have been turned into academies and are now run by private trusts. The people in charge are not supposed to profit from children's education, but what's to stop them from cashing in? Reporter Bronagh Munro investigates a businessman whose companies have been paid millions from school budgets and asks whether it's the pupils who are paying the price.

Inside No 10: Deal or No Deal?

The Brexit deadline is looming - just weeks left to get a deal, just months until the country is due to leave the European Union. The stakes are high for Britain, and at the centre of it all is the prime minister. Theresa May has to strike a deal with the EU and convince the public and MPs that her plan is the best plan. The only alternative, the government say, is no deal at all. But many disagree - and her own party, the opposition and the country are divided. So what does the prime minister's plan really mean, and what else could we do? At a crucial time for the country, Panorama has been inside Downing Street with Theresa May as she seeks to navigate Britain's negotiations with the EU. Nick Robinson interviews the prime minister and hears from all sides about deals and no-deal.

Kids in Crisis

Britain is in the grip of a child mental health crisis. Nearly half a million children are either waiting for treatment or receiving it. The government has promised more money for child mental health but in the meantime getting help is a postcode lottery. Some children are waiting up to two years to be seen and others are being sent hundreds of miles away from home for treatment. In this Panorama, Sean Fletcher, whose own teenage son Reuben has been hospitalised with severe obsessive compulsive disorder, investigates the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service - CAHMS. He investigates whether care is being rationed in some areas, leaving children to deteriorate until they have to be hospitalised. And he speaks to children who have been let down by the system and despairing parents who believe their children's lives have been put at risk.

Can Violent Men Change?

Panorama explores courses and therapies designed to stop domestic abusers from reoffending, asking how effective these interventions are and if violent men can ever really change.

Syria's Chemical War

Panorama investigates the use of chemical weapons in the civil war that's torn Syria apart in the last seven years. President Assad and his allies Russia and Iran have consistently denied the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons. But Nawal Al-Maghafi's shocking expose reveals the true extent of chemical weapons use by the regime and shows they are a crucial part of his war-winning strategy, terrorising and driving out civilians from opposition-held areas. Never before have chemical weapons have been used in this way and to this extent, but Panorama shows the west has been unable to prevent it. Nawal hears from families who have fled their homes and joined the 13 million displaced people and refugees. Though the Syrian government is now saying it's safe for refugees to return, few dare to go back home. With extraordinary footage from inside the city of Idlib, the one remaining rebel outpost, Panorama reveals the lasting impact of these weapons.

Trapped by My Mortgage

Trump: What Next?

Will President Trump be forced out of office? On the eve of the most important US midterm elections for a generation, Panorama examines allegations that Trump colluded with Russia to win the presidency, and looks at the similarities with the Watergate scandal which brought down Richard Nixon. Reporter Hilary Andersson joins the campaign trail in West Virginia, where the president's message of a vast political witch-hunt against him has fired up Republican voters. If the Democrats do well tomorrow, it could open the door to impeachment, but Trump's supporters believe they will win and warn of riots should the establishment try to take their man down.

The Universal Credit Crisis

As the government's controversial new benefits system, universal credit, is rolled out, Panorama is with families as they struggle with their claims. The programme follows one council as it deals with mounting rent arrears and tenants in crisis. The government has responded to criticism of the new system by announcing more funding, but is it too little too late?

Salisbury Nerve Agent Attack: The Inside Story

The Great Implant Scandal

They keep us moving and they keep our hearts beating, but not all medical devices are properly tested before they are put inside us. Reporter Deborah Cohen investigates an industry where some patients are treated like human guinea pigs and then abandoned when things go wrong.

Ripped Off? Join The Club

Panorama investigates a businessman targeting sports and social clubs with offers of financial help that can end up costing them everything. With little or nothing in the bank but assets worth thousands, these clubs are often the lifeblood of local communities across the UK. In one case, a football club claims to have lost its pitch, clubhouse, car park and nearly a million pounds from the sale of a plot of their land. As reporter Jon Cuthill reveals, they are just one club among many, including Conservative clubs and working men's clubs, who say they have been ripped off after seeking help with relatively small debts. Some, with long and proud histories, have ended up closing altogether, while many have had premises they once owned outright sold from under them.

Takeaway Secrets Exposed

Reporter Tina Daheley lifts the lid on the secrets of the takeaway industry, investigating how planning laws are being subverted and food safety legislation flouted by producers.

HS2: Going off the Rails?

Panorama investigates the impact the High Speed 2 rail scheme is having and what the final cost of the project could be.