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


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True Crime
Technology
Society & Culture
226
S708: The Constable (Criminal Conduct)
40 min
227
S707: The Lie Detector part 2
47 min
228
S706: The Lie Detector part 1
44 min
229
S705: The Word of Faith Fellowship Update
69 min
230
S704: The Confident Woman
28 min
231
S703: The Pharmacist
39 min
232
S702: The Pill Mill
41 min
233
S701: The Real Donnie Brasco
52 min
234
S611: The Santa Claus Man (Rebroadcast)
42 min
235
S610: The Party Crasher
38 min
236
S609: The Treasure Hunter part 4
44 min
237
S608: The Treasure Hunter part 3
58 min
238
S607: The Treasure Hunter part 2
45 min
239
S606: The Treasure Hunter part 1
38 min
240
S605: The Inheritance
48 min
241
S604: How to disappear part 4
51 min
242
S603: How to disappear part 3
59 min
243
S602: How to disappear part 2
42 min
244
S601: How to disappear part 1
38 min
245
S512: COVID-19 Scams: The Rattlesnake King
39 min
246
S511: COVID-19 Scams: How to Steal a Stimulus C...
34 min
247
Inside Criminal Conduct
Criminal Conduct debuts March 23rd
19 min
248
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Criminal Conduct
2 min
249
S510: The Joe Schmo Show
57 min
250
S509: The Santa Claus Man
42 min