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.


© 2025 Creative Babble LLC


[CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

True Crime
Technology
Society & Culture
76
1812: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 12
41 min
77
1811: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 11
56 min
78
1810: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 10
27 min
79
1809: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 9
45 min
80
1808: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 8
35 min
81
1807: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 7
38 min
82
1806: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 6
29 min
83
1805: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 5
40 min
84
1804: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 4
26 min
85
1803: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 3
44 min
86
1802: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 2
33 min
87
1801: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 1
38 min
88
TRAILER: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey
11 min
89
1705: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
41 min
90
1704: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
32 min
91
1703: The Doula BREAKING NEWS
6 min
92
1702: The Doula part 2
35 min
93
1701: The Doula part 1
26 min
94
Confessions of a Ponzi Schemer
The Timepiece Gentleman (Anthony Farrar) on the Ponzi Playbook
47 min
95
The Treasure Hunter Revisited
37 min
96
How to find people who don’t want to be found
30 min
97
1609: The Truth Experts part 2
53 min
98
1608: The Truth Experts part 1
41 min
99
1607: The Fake Lawyer
32 min
100
1606: The Grave Detector (Junk Science Bonus)
20 min