Podcasts · Society & Culture

Scamfluencers

Audible

152 episodes · Explicit

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. 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 healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? From Black Swan Murder to a fake social media influencer to an audacious Hollywood Ponzi schemer, each season will take the listener along the twists and turns, the impact on victims, and what’s left when the facade falls away.

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Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. Listen Now— Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe

    · 6:58 · Trailer · Explicit

    A Hollywood stuntwoman turned personal injury attorney. A handsome disbarred lawyer with a dark past. And an elaborate scheme that leads to murder. Vanessa Motta gives up a career of fake car crashes for real ones. But…

  2. Nevin Shapiro: Gameday Grifter | 237

    · 58 min · Episode 237 · Explicit

    When Nevin Shapiro becomes a booster for his beloved Miami Hurricanes, he doesn’t just want to root for his favorite team – he wants to be their go-to guy. To one who leads the football team out of the tunnel by day,…

  3. Rosie Keo & Samantha Barbash: In the Club, We All Scammed | 236

    · 54 min · Episode 236 · Explicit

    Back in the 2000s, Rosie Keo is a scrappy young single mom barely making rent – until she meets Samantha Barbash, a seasoned dancer who shows Rosie that the real money isn’t on the pole…it’s in the wallets of the men…

  4. Listen Now: My Mom’s Murder

    · 5:18 · Trailer

    Lauren Malloy was a baby when her mother, Lori, was murdered in East Providence, Rhode Island. For thirty years, no one told her. Everyone said Lori died of natural causes. Then a stranger sent Lauren a message — and…

  5. David J. Friedland: Swimming with the Sharks | 235

    · 57 min · Episode 235 · Explicit

    David J. Friedland spent the 60s and 70s climbing the ranks of New Jersey’s Democratic political machine – greasing palms, brokering backroom deals, and making sure every spotlight in Hudson County was pointed directly…

  6. Kevin Trudeau: As Schemed on TV | 234

    · 58 min · Episode 234 · Explicit

    Before he was a bestselling author and late-night TV fixture, Kevin Trudeau was hustling his way through multilevel marketing schemes. He worked his way onto infomercials, then into bookstores, building a fortune by…

  7. Listen Now: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

    · 55 min · Trailer

    For centuries, Dracula has evaded capture. Enter Mina Harker. Audible presents Dracula, a brand-new, full-cast adaptation of Bram Stoker's masterpiece starring Ella Purnell, Jonathan Bailey, Aimee Lou Wood, Louis…

  8. Bridgegate: The Phantom Tollbooth | 233

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 233 · Explicit

    The Bridgegate scandal was a prime example of New Jersey political corruption at its most ridiculous. At the center was Chris Christie – the brash Republican governor riding a landslide re-election and a fast track to…

  9. Carl Rinsch: Lights, Camera, Fraud | 232

    · 57 min · Episode 232 · Explicit

    Carl Rinsch had everything Hollywood loves in an up-and-coming director: talent, charisma, and the ability to make people believe. His obsessive perfectionism was written off as the mark of a visionary. But when…

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

    · 56 min · Episode 231 · Explicit

    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 Rob and Fab weren’t the masterminds. Behind them…

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

    · 43 min · Episode 230 · Explicit

    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, Martha Stewart is indicted for obstruction of…

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

    · 40 min · Episode 229 · Explicit

    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 decades building her lifestyle empire from the…

  13. Sam Israel: Greed Is Good Part 2 | 228

    · 53 min · Episode 228 · Explicit

    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 clients, and when they start asking questions,…

  14. Sam Israel: Greed Is Good Part 1 | 227

    · 49 min · Episode 227 · Explicit

    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 money. But instead of admitting failure to his…

  15. Miracle Children: The Price of Admission | 226

    · 57 min · Episode 226 · Explicit

    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 were inspiring. The acceptance letters were real.…

  16. Juliette D’Souza: The Sham Shaman | 225

    · 57 min · Episode 225 · Explicit

    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 charm gave her control over her followers and…

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

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 224 · Explicit

    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 fluke, Martin’s system really does predict some…

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

    · 55 min · Episode 223 · Explicit

    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 – above all else. But when the Wildenstein men…

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

    · 54 min · Episode 222 · Explicit

    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 never even heard their name. The anonymity isn’t an…

  20. Bill Mize: The Car Crash King | 221

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 221 · Explicit

    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 his calling: orchestrating a sprawling fraud…

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

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 220 · Explicit

    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 online. His biggest pitch was an emissions-free…

  22. John McAfee: The Antisocial Virus | 219

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 219 · Explicit

    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 addictive personality and a short attention…

  23. ENCORE: Lance Armstrong: Tour De Fraud | 218

    · 46 min · Episode 218 · Explicit

    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 early 2000s: Lance Armstrong’s determination to win…

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

    · 45 min · Episode 217 · Explicit

    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 pockets. Rod Blagojevich is an ambitious son of…

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

    · 44 min · Episode 216 · Explicit

    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 billion from one of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth…

  26. Kyle Sandler: The Alabama Startup Scam | 215

    · 55 min · Episode 215 · Explicit

    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 changes. Kyle takes his talents to a small town in…

  27. Marianne Smyth: The Fake Irish Heiress | 214

    · 59 min · Episode 214 · Explicit

    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 people she was an Irish heiress with millions…

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

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 213 · Explicit

    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 to spare. The childhood friends hustled their…

  29. Bess Myerson: Miss America on Trial | 212

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 212 · Explicit

    Bess Myerson rose to fame as the first - and still only - Jewish Miss America, antisemitism on the pageant circuit. She parlayed this visibility into a successful television career, then made the leap into New York…

  30. Eddie Antar: The Criminal Antics of Crazy Eddie | 211

    · 55 min · Episode 211 · Explicit

    Eddie Antar was the king of the deal, the man whose ads screamed at you from your TV set promising prices so low they were practically insane. He turned Crazy Eddie into a retail phenomenon, making himself and his…

  31. William Neil Gallagher: The Money Doctor | 210

    · 55 min · Episode 210 · Explicit

    William Neil Gallagher has been called the Bernie Madoff of North Texas. But while both men defrauded millions of people, William added an evangelical twist. Presenting himself as a devout man of God, he promised his…

  32. Sean Kingston: Beautiful Lies | 209

    · 52 min · Episode 209 · Explicit

    When Sean Kinsgston burst onto the music scene as a teenager, he seemed like a feel-good success story – an upbeat, clean-cut star collaborating with artists like Justin Bieber. But behind the glossy image was a far…

  33. Dana Giacchetto - Swindler to the Stars | 208

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 208 · Explicit

    In the late ‘90s, Dana Giacchetto wasn’t just managing money, he was managing access. As a financial advisor to Hollywood’s elite, he moved in the same orbit as rising stars like Leonardo DiCaprio. But Dana’s real…

  34. ENCORE: Making Up The Grade: The College Admissions Scandal | 207

    · 47 min · Episode 207 · Explicit

    We’ll be back next week with new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode about the college admissions scandal that swept up some of the richest families in Hollywood. Rick Singer is a college admissions…

  35. ENCORE: Ozy Media: Pivot to Fraud | 206

    · 46 min · Episode 206 · Explicit

    We’ll be back in two weeks with brand new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes, about a wannabe media magnate whose big vision ran on even bigger lies. Carlos Watson is a Stanford Law School…

  36. ENCORE: Melissa Caddick: Trouble Afoot | 205

    · 42 min · Episode 205 · Explicit

    We’ll be back soon with brand new episodes – but for now, revisit the story of an Australian financial planner who swindled those closest to her….and then disappeared without a trace. Melissa Caddick has always…

  37. Bernard Lafferty: The Billionaire Butler | 204

    · 57 min · Episode 204 · Explicit

    Born into staggering wealth, Doris Duke lived a life that dazzled the public and confounded those closest to her. She was pursued by society figures, fortune hunters, and even a dictator or two. But in her final years,…

  38. Pat Nolan: Here Comes the Bribe | 203

    · 54 min · Episode 203 · Explicit

    In the 1980s, Pat Nolan was one of California’s most powerful conservative lawmakers – pushing to shrink the government and expand the death penalty, while quickly climbing the political ladder. He was ambitious,…

  39. The Salt Path: A Long Walk From the Truth | 202

    · 54 min · Episode 202 · Explicit

    In 2018, a previously unknown writer named Sally Walker became a literary sensation in the UK under the pseudonym Raynor Winn. Her memoir – a stirring account of walking the South West Coast Path with her terminally…

  40. Jerry Jacobson: The Real Hamburglar | 201

    · 54 min · Episode 201 · Explicit

    Since its launch in 1987, McDonald’s Monopoly game has become a cultural obsession, with millions of people buying Big Macs and fries, convinced they might be one peel away from a million-dollar payday. But for nearly…

  41. Matt Bergwall: Return to Sender | 200

    · 43 min · Episode 200 · Explicit

    When Matt Bergwall arrives at the University of Miami in the spring of 2021, he’s young, tech-savvy, and bored. After discovering a vulnerability in corporate refund systems, he turns it into a multimillion dollar scam…

  42. Napoleon Hill: The Self-Help Scammer Scion | 199

    · 56 min · Episode 199 · Explicit

    Napoleon Hill spent decades claiming he was mentored by millionaires and advised U.S. presidents – at a time when almost no one could fact check him. Obsessed with becoming rich and famous, he eventually pulled it off…

  43. Brittish Williams: Out of Bounds | 198

    · 47 min · Episode 198 · Explicit

    Brittish Williams was an instant standout when she first joined the cast of VH1’s Basketball Wives, a reality series following the wives, girlfriends and exes of professional basketball players. Her relationship with…

  44. Charlie Javice: Fake It Til You Make It | 197

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 197 · Explicit

    In the early 2000s, Charlie Javice dreamed of saving the world… and getting rich in the process. Backed by privilege and proximity to power, she raised money for a series of startups that claimed to help people in need…

  45. ENCORE: Billy Mitchell: Truth or Kong-sequences | 196

    · 50 min · Episode 196 · Explicit

    We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode. In the meantime, we’re taking you back to a time when arcades were sacred – and Donkey Kong was king. Billy Mitchell became the king of arcade games when he achieved a…

  46. ENCORE: Sandy Jenkins: Have Your Cake And Steal It, Too | 195

    · 42 min · Episode 195 · Explicit

    We’ll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorites: an unlikely scam baked up in a small Texas town. Sandy Jenkins moves to the gossipy, small town of Corsicana, Texas to…

  47. Lawless Planet: A Polygamist Cult-Leader’s Billion-Dollar Biofuel Scam | 194

    · 50 min · Episode 194 · Explicit

    We’ll be back soon with brand new episodes. In the meantime, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Lawless Planet, hosted by Zach Goldbaum. Lawless Planet is a podcast about the scams, crimes, and cover-ups…

  48. The Cipriani Family: Bribes and Bellinis | 193

    · 44 min · Episode 193 · Explicit

    For nearly a century the Cipriani family has served celebrities, royalty, and cultural icons. Since opening their first restaurant in Venice in 1931, they’ve helped shape fine dining and invent dishes that became…

  49. Calvin Darden Jr.: The Flashy Failson Fraud | 192

    · 56 min · Episode 192 · Explicit

    Calvin Darden Jr. was a smooth-talking hustler with a gift for forging documents, name-dropping celebrities, and jumping from one shady scheme to the next before anyone knew what hit them. His rise reveals deeper…

  50. Clifford Irving: The Howard Hughes Hoax | 191

    · 53 min · Episode 191 · Explicit

    In the early 1970s, struggling author Clifford Irving tries to escape obscurity by writing a tell-all biography of the famously unreachable Howard Hughes. The catch? Clifford has never spoken to Howard and doesn’t have…

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