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
26
The Pests part 1 & 2 Revisited
59 min
27
2505: State of Corruption: The School That Didn...
36 min
28
Introducing Everything They Missed
31 min
29
2504: How to Spot a Fake ICE Agent
29 min
30
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming Part 3
15 min
31
2503: Didn't See It Coming (Part 3)
40 min
32
Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming part 2
23 min
33
2502: Didn't See It Coming (Part 2)
29 min
34
Listener Reaction: Didn't See That Coming Part 1
24 min
35
2501: Didn't See It Coming (Part 1)
36 min
36
2408: PRETEND Live AMA
63 min
37
2407-Licensed to Kill Revisited
73 min
38
2406: The Real Life Grinch
35 min
39
Listener Reaction: Matthew Fenner vs. Ted Bell ...
27 min
40
2405: The Prophet: Matthew Fenner vs Ted Bell
54 min
41
Off Script: Pretend, Murder She Told & Sins and...
34 min
42
2404: Open Enrollment, Open Season for Scammers
25 min
43
2403: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3
38 min
44
Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine
18 min
45
2402: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2
28 min
46
2401: The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1
35 min
47
2309: From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology ...
40 min
48
2210: The High School Hoax Update
29 min
49
2209: The Stalker: Rick Fernandez’s Guilty Plea
9 min
50
2208: The Monster
38 min