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
76
The Stalker - New Charges part 21
28 min
77
2110: Cocaine Air
46 min
78
2109: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 4
36 min
79
2108: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 3
33 min
80
2107: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 2
37 min
81
2106: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 1
30 min
82
2105: The Man Who Stole 200 Million Identities
27 min
83
2104: The Digital Pickpocket Revisted
26 min
84
LaDonna's Easter Egg Hustle
19 min
85
2102: Faking Insanity
37 min
86
2101: My Wife, the Ponzi Schemer
32 min
87
2013: I Married a Narcissist part 3
48 min
88
2012: I Married a Narcissist part 2 Listener Re...
13 min
89
2011: I Married a Narcissist part 1
51 min
90
2010: The Keepsake Scandal
30 min
91
2009: The Gambler Revisited
37 min
92
2008: Licensed to Kill part 2
28 min
93
2007: Licensed to Kill part 1
37 min
94
2006: Operation Cock Block
46 min
95
2005: The Telepathy Tapes B-side part 3
34 min
96
2004: The Telepathy Tapes B-Side part 2
44 min
97
2003: The Telepathy Tapes B-Side part 1
41 min
98
Criminal Conduct S5: The Life and Death of Buff...
28 min
99
2002: DNA Deception
33 min
100
2001: Drone Hysteria
19 min