PRETEND

PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web.

Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons.


PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling.


Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off.


PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC.


© 2026 Creative Babble LLC


[CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

True Crime
Technology
Society & Culture
1
Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited
39 min
2
Update on “The Hand That Held Me”
0 min
3
The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited
75 min
4
The Pests part 1 & 2 Revisited
59 min
5
2505: State of Corruption: The School That Didn...
36 min
6
Introducing Everything They Missed
31 min
7
2504: How to Spot a Fake ICE Agent
29 min
8
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming Part 3
15 min
9
2503: Didn't See It Coming (Part 3)
40 min
10
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming part 2
23 min
11
2502: Didn't See It Coming (Part 2)
29 min
12
Listener Reaction: Didn't See That Coming Part 1
24 min
13
2501: Didn't See It Coming (Part 1)
36 min
14
2408: PRETEND Live AMA
63 min
15
2407-Licensed to Kill Revisited
73 min
16
2406: The Real Life Grinch
35 min
17
Listener Reaction: Matthew Fenner vs. Ted Bell ...
27 min
18
2405: The Prophet: Matthew Fenner vs Ted Bell
54 min
19
Off Script: Pretend, Murder She Told & Sins and...
34 min
20
2404: Open Enrollment, Open Season for Scammers
25 min
21
2403: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3
38 min
22
Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine
18 min
23
2402: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2
28 min
24
2401: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1
35 min
25
Dakota Spotlight: Meanwhile in Mankato
53 min