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PODCAST

Scamfluencers

You never really know someone…especially online. In today’s world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world’s most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. On Wondery’s new weekly series, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic

society & culture

All Episodes

00:41:14

Encore: There's Something About Martin | Part 1

Scamfluencers ·

2023/11/20

With a number of fraud trials in the news, we thought we’d revisit one of the cringiest fraud cases we’ve ever covered: Martin Shkreli’s. In this re-run episode from last winter, we chart his rise – and fall – from humble beginnings to finance wunderkind to one of the most hated men in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

en

00:38:25

The Super League That Wasn't

Scamfluencers ·

2023/11/13

When some of the wealthiest, most famous teams announce their plan to break away from Europe’s biggest football competition in April 2021, it causes 48 hours of complete chaos. With billions of dollars on the line, personal relationships will get destroyed, new rivalries will be formed, and all bets are off. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

en

00:40:09

Melissa Caddick: Trouble's Afoot

Scamfluencers ·

2023/11/06

Melissa Caddick has always dreamed of doing big things. When she becomes a high-powered financial planner, she’s finally able to buy a huge house, take extravagant vacations, and live the life of an Australian jet-setter. But all that cash isn’t just coming from her paycheck. When her friends and family find out her secret source of income, they feel hurt and betrayed. But by that point, Melissa has mysteriously vanished. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy

en

00:41:52

Jho Low: How to Buy Friends and Influence People

Scamfluencers ·

2023/10/30

Jho Low, a Malaysian-born businessman, will do anything to climb the social ladder. After attending Wharton business school, he establishes himself as a globe-trotting playboy with a celebrity entourage. He uses his money to get near Leonardo DiCaprio, Miranda Kerr, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Kim Kardashian. But the source of Jho Low’s seemingly endless cash is a mystery…. Until one of his former associates decides to blow the whistle. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and

en

00:38:36

The Fortune Teller's Fraud

Scamfluencers ·

2023/10/23

Rose Marks runs a fortune telling business that attracts people with big problems and even bigger wallets. In the early 1990s, she reels in one of her most lucrative clients: A wealthy romance novelist looking for a way out of her unhappy marriage. Rose offers comfort and advice, but it comes at a steep cost: a million dollars a year. But when Rose takes things too far, her client will start to fight back in a way she never saw coming. This episode includes descriptions of violence, emotional

en

00:43:34

Rod Blagojevich: All The Governor’s Men

Scamfluencers ·

2023/10/16

Rod Blagojevich is an ambitious son of immigrants who knows how to win over a crowd. After marrying the daughter of a powerful alderman, he rises through the ranks of Illinois politics. He gets elected governor in 2002, and immediately starts wheeling and dealing, leveraging his influence for his own personal gain. But when he gets wrapped up in a scheme to sell Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, he’s faced with the campaign of his life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

en

00:35:40

The Scam Artist is Present

Scamfluencers ·

2023/10/09

Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi present themselves as eccentric, free-spirited art dealers. Most alluringly, they seem to have incredible access to a trove of rare paintings that were thought to be lost or destroyed during World War II. The couple travels the world and becomes extraordinarily wealthy selling paintings from their mysterious collection – until one wrong brushstroke calls their entire operation into question. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice

en

00:35:44

The Great Syrup Swindle

Scamfluencers ·

2023/10/02

In Quebec, maple syrup is tightly regulated by a government-backed federation. It controls syrup prices – and profits. When a group of outlaws discovers they can make a ton of money by circumventing the federation, they devise a risky plan. Their dramatic heist reaps super sweet rewards… until things get a little too sticky. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

en

00:44:00

Ozy Media: Pivot to Fraud

Scamfluencers ·

2023/09/25

Carlos Watson is a Stanford Law School graduate with big Silicon Valley connections and even bigger dreams. When he pitches investors on his idea for a Millennial-focused news website called Ozy Media, it seems like a sure bet. It’s the early 2010s, and Internet-focused media start-ups have generated tons of buzz – and more importantly, tons of clicks. But Carlos doesn't actually know what he’s doing. And when Ozy fails to attract the readers he’s promised his investors, he decides to ditch the

en

00:43:45

ENCORE: Superstar Sports Scammer | Part II

Scamfluencers ·

2023/09/18

In the finale to this two-part series, which originally aired last fall, Alex Guerrero comes under scrutiny from the FTC, but Tom Brady stands by his business partner. Together, they open a sports center, publish a book, and promote their own brand of supplements. But as their popularity grows, some of their most troubling beliefs will come to light. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

en

00:41:35

ENCORE: Superstar Sports Scammer | Part I

Scamfluencers ·

2023/09/11

Football season is kicking off again, and we’re celebrating by returning to this two-part series on one of the NFL’s biggest stars. Tommy Brady is retired (for now), but the mark he and his “body coach,” Alex Guerrero, left on the sports and wellness worlds can’t be understated. This episode, which originally aired in October 2022, delves deep into Alex Guerrero’s origin story and his influence over the NFL. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

en

00:43:37

ENCORE: Desperate Housewife

Scamfluencers ·

2023/09/04

There’s a lot that’s happened to Jen Shah since this episode originally aired in August 2022. The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star was sentenced to more than six years behind bars, and earlier this year reported to Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. But before all that, she was driving a Porsche, throwing lavish parties, and bragging about her $50,000-a-month shopping sprees. This episode traces her humble origins, rise to fame, and dramatic on-camera downfall. See Privacy Policy at

en

00:43:37

JT Leroy | The Ghost Writer

Scamfluencers ·

2023/08/28

In the early 2000s, an Appalachian-born sex worker named JT Leroy becomes a literary wunderkind. His gritty, buzzed-about novels and tragic backstory earn him celebrity fans like Courtney Love, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Corgan, and interest from filmmakers like Gus Van Sant and Asia Argento. But there’s something that doesn’t quite add up about the mysterious young author behind the blonde wig and dark sunglasses. And it’s just a matter of time before people find out JT’s big secret: He’s just as

en

00:43:51

The Pop Star and the Power Broker | Part 2

Scamfluencers ·

2023/08/21

As Erika Jayne’s pop star career blossoms, questions continue to mount about her husband Tom Girardi’s finances and his legal practice. His clients have been waiting in limbo to receive the settlement money owed to them, and they’re not the only ones getting angry with Tom. In the finale to this two-part series, Tom’s own legal woes overshadow his storied career. The revelations from multiple lawsuits and investigations will upend his reputation, his marriage, and even his freedom. See Privacy

en

00:41:18

The Pop Star and the Power Broker | Part 1

Scamfluencers ·

2023/08/14

Tom Girardi dreams of being a do-gooder lawyer like his childhood hero on the TV show “Perry Mason.” When he starts his own legal firm in the 1960s, he does just that, representing clients against the huge corporations that wronged them. One of his biggest cases even gets the Hollywood treatment in the movie “Erin Brockovich.” But behind the scenes, Tom isn’t the hero he makes himself out to be. And when his extravagant home life with wife Erika Jayne gets broadcast on “The Real Housewives of

en

00:39:32

Brooklyn’s Bling Bishop

Scamfluencers ·

2023/08/07

In 2006, Lamor Whitehead gets arrested while wearing a mink coat, prompting the New York post to dub him a “high roller.” But after a stint in prison, Lamor reinvents himself as a man of God. He starts his own for-profit ministry called Leaders of Tomorrow and befriends some very influential people, including New York politician Eric Adams. But Lamor never lets go of his flashy lifestyle. After he gets robbed while wearing expensive jewelry, his community begins to wonder: How does the pastor of a

en

00:38:46

Holy Smokes

Scamfluencers ·

2023/07/31

David Bunevacz is the king of faking it ‘til you make it. After running a shady Olympics ticket brokering scheme, he moves on to his most lucrative venture yet: A weed vape company that seems to be minting money. David and his family move into a Calabasas mansion once owned by Kylie Jenner. But when David starts enlisting his friends as investors in the company, they can smell that something isn’t right. It won’t be long before it all goes up in smoke. See Privacy Policy at

en

00:39:28

Ben McKenzie Hates Crypto, Too

Scamfluencers ·

2023/07/24

When the actor Ben McKenzie started hearing about Bitcoin, he was immediately skeptical. While his friends were investing, he started investigating. In this special episode of Scamfluencers, Scaachi Koul talks with Ben McKenzie – best known for starring in TV shows like The O.C., Southland, and Gotham – about his journey into the world of crypto, celebrities, and “casino capitalism,” as chronicled in his new book. Plus, Ben explains why he thinks crypto is one of the biggest Ponzi schemes of all

en

00:42:15

I Loot Lucy

Scamfluencers ·

2023/07/17

Charles Hensley gets his first brush with fame when he invents a nasal spray called Zicam. After his product turns out to cause harm to some patients, he abandons the homeopathic world and pivots to Hollywood. His next big idea involves Desilu Productions, a beloved company founded by “I Love Lucy” stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. But when his brazen bluffing goes too far, he’ll have a lot of explaining to do. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

en

00:41:56

Dr. Oz: Supplement Spin Doctor

Scamfluencers ·

2023/07/10

In the mid-90s, Dr. Mehmet Oz is a rock star surgeon with a reputation for performing on high-profile clients. He eventually scores his own television show, and soon he becomes daytime television royalty. Oprah even dubs him “America’s doctor.” But his drive for stardom has him hawking questionable products, mostly related to weight loss. When his medical reputation is up in the air, he does what past-their-prime reality stars do best: he pivots to politics. See Privacy Policy at

en

222 results

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