"THE HANSEN FILES" RETURNS TO "DATELINE"

Chris Hansen's Investigative Series Debuts on Friday, March 2 and Will Air Every Sunday Throughout March

February 22, 2012 - New York, NY - "Dateline's" investigative franchise The Hansen Files returns on Friday, March 2 at 10p and will air every Sunday throughout March at 7p/6c. Along with "Dateline's" hidden cameras, Chris Hansen will uncover secrets and scams that will shock and move you - from day care workers with criminal records to questionable healthcare insurance. He'll also confront dishonest lottery retailers and expose the realities of how prescription drugs are actually approved.

Friday, March 2 at 10p/9c

Reliable Day Care is a staple requirement of American child rearing. But how much do parents know about just who owns and runs some of the daycare centers around the country? And how much are they allowed to know? "Dateline" did some random sampling of Day Care owners and found a surprising number of Day Care operators actually have criminal records. And, sometimes it ends in a tragedy. Chris Hansen confronts Day Care operators with secrets in their pasts.

Sunday, March 4 at 7p/6c

You may think the drugs you take are carefully tested by the federal government before they end up in your medicine cabinet. You'd be wrong. Chris Hansen investigates just how easy it is for a pharmaceutical company to get approval to begin testing new medicines. He'll go overseas and visit the small villages where the drugs you take are first tested, asking whether there's a real safety net in place before those medicines arrive at your pharmacy.

Sunday, March 11 at 7p/6c

The third in a series of investigations into how some lottery retailers actually end up with winning tickets bought by lotto players. Chris Hansen follows along with investigators as they try to turn in big winning tickets at lottery sales locations. But when some of those lottery clerks tell the undercover investigators those tickets aren't winners at all, they have some explaining to do. That's when Chris Hansen steps in.

Sunday, March 18 at 7p/6c

Vitamins and supplements are becoming a way of life in the United States. People looking for more energy and better nutrition look to that list of ingredients on the back of the bottle to confirm what they're taking is safe and effective, something that will give them the edge their looking for. But as Chris Hansen found out, those labels may not be worth the paper their printed on. Chris Hansen asks one lab owner if he's just a rubber stamp for vitamin companies.

Sunday, March 25 at 7p/6c

Having trouble coming up with cash for a new laptop? This company offers a fast and reliable computer (once you agree to the payment terms). It also promises free gifts like a flat screen TV and more. But many customers complain it took much too long to get their computer and free gifts. And as for the computer, some consumers say they paid way more than it was actually worth. "Dateline" ordered its own computer and free gifts, and now Chris Hansen is asking if we got what we paid for.

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If you can't get major medical coverage there may be an answer. Some companies are pushing insurance they say is available to everyone (regardless of pre-existing conditions). The salesperson says on the phone that the coverage is "even better" than major medical. But many people, who got sick and ended up in the hospital, were left holding the bag when the bills came in. Chris Hansen will confront the people who sell insurance that may not be insurance at all.

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Marijuana makes billions for the violent Mexican drug cartels and tons of it is routinely smuggled into the United States. But now the Mexican cartels have found a way to minimize the risk of smuggling by actually growing huge marijuana crops right here in the United States. A lot if it is even being grown on Federal land. Chris Hansen goes along with the DEA on the hunt for huge marijuana crops and the cartel members who are actually farming the marijuana.

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David Corvo is the senior executive producer and Liz Cole is the executive producer of "Dateline" (Fridays at 10p/9c and Sundays at 7p/6c). Follow "Dateline" on Facebook and Twitter @datelinenbc.