"INSIDE THE FINANCIAL FIASCO" TO AIR ON "DATELINE" BEGINNING SUNDAY, MARCH 22

CHRIS HANSEN TO REPORT IN A THREE-PART INVESTIGATIVE SERIES "INSIDE THE FINANCIAL FIASCO" BEGINNING ON SUNDAY, MARCH 22 ON "DATELINE NBC"

With Hidden Cameras and Exclusive Accounts from Whistleblowers and Insiders, "Dateline" Presents a Trilogy of Reports That Examine Who Knew What and When in Mortgage Crisis; Debt in America and Its Collectors; and How Americans Out of Work Can Protect Themselves From Schemes

(New York) � March 12, 2009 � In a three-part investigative series, NBC News' Chris Hansen takes a comprehensive look "Inside the Financial Fiasco." The in-depth trilogy of reports, each an hour long, will air on Sunday, March 22 (7:00 PM/ET); Friday, March 27 (10:00 PM/ET) and Sunday, March 29 (7:00 PM/ET). NBC News examines and documents the country's current economic state in the following three parts:

Sunday, March 22: The Mortgage Crisis

With exclusive accounts from insiders and whistleblowers speaking out for the first time, Hansen reports on who knew what and when, and explains how risky home loans helped cause a chain reaction that led to failures on Wall Street, and the near collapse of the American Economy.

Friday, March 27: Debt in America and Its Collectors

As the mortgage crisis and mounting job losses melt away the American dream, another fundamental economic crisis has emerged: America's debt epidemic. Hansen investigates how families got mired in debt and, with hidden cameras, exposes dirty tactics used by some collection agencies.

Sunday, March 29: Schemes

With the economy in freefall and unemployment reaching record highs, Hansen investigates two schemes that sound too good to be true. One involves scams targeting people desperately searching for jobs, and the other, a self-professed visionary who claims he can increase gas mileage by 50 percent.

Exclusive stories, extended interviews, and interactive tools and resources for consumers will be available on Dateline.Msnbc.com. In addition, viewers will be able to access an exclusive feature that tracks several mortgages through the financial system. The tool will illustrate how risky loans to unqualified borrowers could play a vital role in triggering a chain reaction leading to failures on Wall Street and losses to investors.

David Corvo is the executive producer of "Dateline NBC."