Scamfluencers

Milli Vanilli: Girl You Know It’s (Not) True | 231

When news broke that Milli Vanilli were lip-syncing frauds, it was a defining moment in pop-culture. Forty years later, their name is still synonymous with fakery. But Ro

ENCORE: Martha Stewart: The Homemaker Hustler Part 2 | 230

We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode of Scamfluencers. In the meantime, enjoy the conclusion of Martha Stewart: the Homemaker Hustler:  In the summer of 2003

Encore: Martha Stewart: The Homemaker Hustler Part 1 | 229

We’ll be back in two weeks with new episodes, but in the meantime, we’re revisiting an episode about one of America’s most famous lifestyle moguls: Martha Stewart spends

Sam Israel: Greed Is Good Part 2 | 228

This is part two of our series about Sam Israel – a wealthy hedge fund manager whose company starts quickly hemorrhaging money. Rather than admit defeat, Sam lies to his

Listen Now: Audible True Crime

Introducing Audible True Crime, a dedicated podcast feed where we bring you the best podcasts in true crime, with episodes dropping every single week. Find your next bing

Sam Israel: Greed Is Good Part 1 | 227

Sam Israel was born into wealth, but he wanted to prove he could make it on Wall Street on his own. So he started a hedge fund – and almost immediately started losing mon

Miracle Children: The Price of Admission | 226

T.M Landry was a small independent school in Louisiana that gained national fame for sending kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to Ivy League schools. The viral videos w

Juliette D’Souza: The Sham Shaman | 225

Juliette D’Souza had no medical degree and no spiritual training – but she convinced her clients she was a gifted healer and shaman. For more than a decade, her natural c

Martin Armstrong: The Man Who Bet Billions on Pi | 224

Martin Armstrong is a Wall Street outsider who builds a financial prediction model with a hidden connection to the number pi. And whether it’s fortune-telling or just a f

The Wildenstein Family Part 2: The Art of the Steal | 223

In our last episode, we followed the Wildenstein family over the span of four generations as they came to dominate the art world. The family prized success – and secrecy

The Wildenstein Family Part 1: The Art of the Steal | 222

For over a century, the Wildenstein family has quietly dominated the art world, amassing one of the largest private collections ever assembled while most people have neve

Bill Mize: The Car Crash King | 221

Bill Mize always believed he was destined for fortune – he just couldn’t figure out how to get it. After flaming out as a restaurateur and drug dealer, Bill finally found

Trevor Milton: The Elon Musk of Semi-Trucks | 220

Trevor Milton called himself a serial entrepreneur and his playbook was simple: pick a futuristic idea, promise it will change the world… then talk about it constantly on

John McAfee: The Antisocial Virus | 219

John McAfee was a brilliant but volatile programmer who helped pioneer antivirus software, making himself a fortune in the early days of personal computing. But he had an

ENCORE: Lance Armstrong: Tour De Fraud | 218

We’ll be back next week with new episodes. In the meantime, in honor of next month’s Tour de France, we’re revisiting one of the most infamous sports scandals of the earl

ENCORE: Rod Blagojevich: All the Governor’s Men | 217

We’ll be back soon with all new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode about Rod Blagojevich, the infamous governor of Illinois who used his office to line his poc

ENCORE: Jho Low: How to Buy Friends and Influence People | 216

We’ll be back soon with new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode about Jho Low, the fraudster who charmed Hollywood’s elite while allegedly stealing over $4 bill

Kyle Sandler: The Alabama Startup Scam | 215

Kyle Sandler spent much of his life searching – for an identity, for a purpose, for a place where he fit in. But when he discovers he has a gift for sales, everything cha

Marianne Smyth: The Fake Irish Heiress | 214

For years, globe-trotting con artist Marianne Smyth used her charm to manipulate the people closest to her – including her own daughters. Her scam was a classic: she told

Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz: A Farewell to Arms | 213

Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz were two Miami Beach stoners with zero military experience and absolutely no background in military procurement – but they had audacity