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
Introducing Everything They Missed
31 min
2
2504: How to Spot a Fake ICE Agent
29 min
3
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming Part 3
15 min
4
2503: Didn't See It Coming (Part 3)
40 min
5
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming part 2
23 min
6
2502: Didn't See It Coming (Part 2)
29 min
7
Listener Reaction: Didn't See That Coming Part 1
24 min
8
2501: Didn't See It Coming (Part 1)
36 min
9
2408: PRETEND Live AMA
63 min
10
2407-Licensed to Kill Revisited
73 min
11
2406: The Real Life Grinch
35 min
12
Listener Reaction: Matthew Fenner vs. Ted Bell ...
27 min
13
2405: The Prophet: Matthew Fenner vs Ted Bell
54 min
14
Off Script: Pretend, Murder She Told & Sins and...
34 min
15
2404: Open Enrollment, Open Season for Scammers
25 min
16
2403: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3
38 min
17
Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine
18 min
18
2402: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2
28 min
19
2401: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1
35 min
20
Dakota Spotlight: Meanwhile in Mankato
53 min
21
2309: From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology ...
40 min
22
Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relatio...
25 min
23
The Hypnotist - Alien Abductions
36 min
24
The Haunted Tourist
57 min
25
The Real Vampires
38 min