King Con: The Life and Crimes Of Hamish McLaren

[TV.Cynic]

King Con: The Life and Crimes Of Hamish McLaren

2024 Upfronts

Hamish McLaren is one of the most successful con men of all time. Throughout a 30-year career, he scammed unsuspecting girlfriends, high profile businessmen, acquaintances and his best friends out of more than $60 million … and that’s just the people who came forward. Authorities suggest it could be twice that amount, as he wreaked havoc on a global scale targeting people in Canada, Asia, Europe and the UK, as well as at home in Australia. This special event series tracks the rise and fall of Australia’s most successful con man, and how Tom Zadravec, a young NSW Police detective, forensically pieced together Hamish’s scams and then brought him down. King Con: The Life and Crimes Of Hamish McLaren is a Perpetual Entertainment production for the Seven Network.

[TV.Cynic]

Sunday 3 March 8:00 pm

Hamish McLaren is one of the most successful con men of all times. Throughout a 30 year career he scammed unsuspecting girlfriends, high profile businessmen, acquaintances and his best friends out of more than $60+ million … and that’s just the people who came forward. Authorities suggest it could be twice that amount, as he wreaked havoc on a global scale targeting people in Canada, Asia, Europe and the UK as well as at home in Australia.

Experts have called him a psychopath, lacking in empathy and compassion. His girlfriend Tracy believed he was a 41-year-old banker named Max who loved surfing but took her life savings. Karen, a divorcee, was left one million dollars in debt after she met Hamish. Suburban grandparents Lorraine and Peter lost two million dollars to the man who promised he would never let them down.

In this movie-length documentary we will witness the rise and fall of Australia’s most successful con man. We will hear first-hand from the people he targeted as they deal with the betrayal and devastation suffered at the hands of the ‘charming and flamboyant’ Hamish and how Tom Zadravec, a young NSW police detective, forensically pieced together Hamish’s scams and then brought him down.