Thorny questions of identity

IN Tinder Swindler, a man assumes the identity of a billionaire’s son, tricks women into falling for him, and then swindles them for large amounts of money to fund his opulent lifestyle, involving more women who become future victims. Inventing Anna shows how a supposed German heiress chases a business proposal while spending lavishly, lying to banks, hotels and also friends.

Both of these Netflix productions, based on true stories, are entertaining and insightful, but also enlightening are the reactions that others have towards these characters. One friend opined that since the former only preyed on innocent women, he was undoubtedly evil; whereas the latter stole from institutions that are themselves corrupt, suggesting some sort of poetic justice.