In 1999, after the collapse of Consumers Buyline, 39-year-old Keith embarked on a new business venture. But while the product he was selling changed, his approach remained the same. And soon, he began to prey upon the very students he had promised to help.

After acing an IQ test in 1988, 28-year-old Keith Raniere was able to brand himself “The Smartest Man in the World.” The moniker allowed him to seduce unappreciated businesswoman Toni Natalie, who would go on to help Keith grow the first of his predatory companies.

Founded in New Zealand in the late ‘60s, Gloriavale was supposed to be a sin-free utopia. But its leader, Neville Cooper, instead crafted a hellish prison rife with immorality. He imposed rigid rules and strict gender norms—and had a penchant for violently abusing his followers.

In 2004, Swedish Pastor Helge Fossmo used “spiritual shunning” to alienate and manipulate the congregation at his Pentecostal church. He convinced them to do whatever he asked, eventually coercing his mistress Sara into committing a string of wicked crimes.

In the mid-’90s, Pastor Helge Fossmo was hand-selected by the so-called “bride of Christ” to help lead a Swedish Pentecostal church. As he gained more authority, Fossmo's power went to his head, and he began doing whatever he wanted to get his way… eventually resorting to murder.

By the mid 1950s, Bruno Gröning was famous. Thousands flocked to the "Miracle Doctor" hoping that he would heal them with the power of his faith. However, just five years later, Bruno's mythos was already beginning to break down and he was beleaguered by scandals from all quarters.

In 1949, faith healer Bruno Gröning was thrust into the limelight after German newspapers reported he had cured a young boy of muscular dystrophy. However, with fame came increased scrutiny from the legal authorities...

As the 1980s began, Terri Hoffman and her followers seemed to be flying high. But after several people associated with Terri suffered mysterious deaths, her organization faced accusations of brainwashing, theft, and murder.

In the 1970s, Terri Hoffman went from high school drop-out to leading New Age mystic. Her Dallas-based organization, the Conscious Development of Body, Mind, and Soul, targeted affluent residents…and their wallets. But as her influence grew, so did suspicions about her shady practices.

In June of 1888, John Alexander Dowie moved his family to the United States to found the holy city of Zion. He envisioned the Illinois town as a paradise, but soon his immense wealth clouded his judgment, and Dowie came crashing down to Earth.