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
251
S512: COVID-19 Scams: The Rattlesnake King
39 min
252
S511: COVID-19 Scams: How to Steal a Stimulus C...
34 min
253
Inside Criminal Conduct
Criminal Conduct debuts March 23rd
19 min
254
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Criminal Conduct
2 min
255
S510: The Joe Schmo Show
57 min
256
S509: The Santa Claus Man
42 min
257
S508: The Prank Call part 4
33 min
258
S507: The Prank Call part 3
38 min
259
S506: The Prank Call part 2
40 min
260
S505: The Prank Call part 1
47 min
261
S504: The Cousins part 2
46 min
262
S503: The Cousins part 1
46 min
263
S502: The Sugar Daddy part 2
47 min
264
S501: The Sugar Daddy part 1
30 min
265
S411: The Norco Bank Heist part 2
60 min
266
S410: The Norco Bank Heist part 1
49 min
267
S409: The Psychic Vampires
37 min
268
S408: The Psychic Kids (James Randi and Project...
37 min
269
S407: The Psychic Spy (featuring Uri Geller)
57 min
270
S406: The Bounty Hunter Part 2
40 min
271
S405: The Bounty Hunter Part 1
34 min
272
S404: The Soccer Mom
35 min
273
S403: The One Who Got Away
51 min
274
S402: The Shawcross Letters
45 min
275
S401: The Commander
28 min