Unveiling the Dark Secrets of the Billion-Dollar Telemarketing Industry

The HBO docuseries "Telemarketers" exposes the rise, fall, and ongoing nationwide grift of a telemarketing firm called Civic Development Group (CDG). The series, directed by former CDG employee Sam Lipman-Stern and his cousin-in-law Adam Bhala Lough, features behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with former employees, revealing the dark secrets and fraudulent practices of the company. CDG would take up to 90% of the donations it solicited, and the scam extended beyond one company, implicating some of the organizations themselves. Lipman-Stern and Pespas, armed with a budget and professional help, continue their investigation, hoping to reform the fundraising industry and provide transparency and accountability.