The American Greed episode “The Fake Housewife of Orange County” profiles Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mulder. The money manager “cooked the books to live it up and feed her need” for cosmetic surgery, vacations, and horses. She befriended small business owners of a hair salon, travel agency, Pilates studio, and construction company, agreed to act as their accountant, and then stole more than $1.5 million from them over seven years. Victims says she was “convincing, charming and confident.” Police found an app on her phone that she used to disguise her voice when calling her victims to cover up her scheme.
In May 2017, the 34-year-old Laguna Beach resident, pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. In October 2017, Mulder was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay the $1.5 million back to her victims. American Greed airs Mondays at 10pm on CNBC.
