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
101
TRAILER: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey
11 min
102
1705: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
41 min
103
1704: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
32 min
104
1703: The Doula BREAKING NEWS
6 min
105
1702: The Doula part 2
35 min
106
1701: The Doula part 1
26 min
107
Confessions of a Ponzi Schemer
The Timepiece Gentleman (Anthony Farrar) on the Ponzi Playbook
47 min
108
The Treasure Hunter Revisited
37 min
109
How to find people who don’t want to be found
30 min
110
1609: The Truth Experts part 2
53 min
111
1608: The Truth Experts part 1
41 min
112
1607: The Fake Lawyer
32 min
113
1606: The Grave Detector (Junk Science Bonus)
20 min
114
1605: The Stalker - Case Closed
7 min
115
1604: The Grave Detector part 3
35 min
116
1603: The Grave Detector part 2
31 min
117
1602: The Grave Detector part 1
35 min
118
1601: The High School Hoax (Shelby Hewitt)
19 min
119
1510: How to Disappear Revisited
50 min
120
1509: The One Who Got Away - Revisited
47 min
121
1508: The Christmas Con
37 min
122
1507 - The Stalker - It Will Never End (part 18)
20 min
123
1506: The Maury Povich Olive Lady
32 min
124
1504: The Red Collar Killer part 2
22 min
125
1503: The Red Collar Killer part 1
27 min