This is the American Greed podcast presented by CNBC. I'm Stacey Keach.

In this episode of American Greed, Vitali Borker rules an $18 million eyewear empire,

hawking fake luxury designs online.

There's no crime that I've ever come across where you can make this much money and face

such little risk.

Everybody wants something designer, something named brand for cheap.

He had Rayban, Prada, Gucci, Chanel.

Customers think they're scoring high-end bargains.

Instead, they're getting hustled with bogus brands and violent threats when they dare to question Vitali Borker.

He just went nuts. I started yelling at me, started cursing at me.

He said, you don't know who you screwed with, I'm going to get you.

Shop at home convenience turns to terror as Borker threatens to rape,

maim, and murder customers who cross him.

He would get grisly at times, you know, tell him one woman he'd slice her legs off.

He doesn't care who he's harming.

As long as he's putting money in his greedy pocket, that's all that matters. With online retail sales at an all-time high, Americans hit, Buy Now to the tune of more than $300 billion a year.

Luxury accessories rank high among customer favorites.

Fashion executive Stasia Lambrinos has spent more than two decades as a specialist in the world of designer clothing and is a frequent online shopper.

My schedule is completely hectic. I'm on a plane every single week. Online, it's so

accessible now from anywhere you are, so it's very, very easy to figure out who's got the best

price and the quickest shipping. One of Rambrino's favorite splurges is high-fashioned eyewear.

Sunglasses or eyewear, it just makes your face.

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