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
1812: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 12
41 min
102
1811: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 11
56 min
103
1810: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 10
27 min
104
1809: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 9
45 min
105
1808: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 8
35 min
106
1807: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 7
38 min
107
1806: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 6
29 min
108
1805: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 5
40 min
109
1804: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 4
26 min
110
1803: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 3
44 min
111
1802: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 2
33 min
112
1801: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 1
38 min
113
TRAILER: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey
11 min
114
1705: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
41 min
115
1704: Hockey Dad Poses as Delta Force Agent to ...
32 min
116
1703: The Doula BREAKING NEWS
6 min
117
1702: The Doula part 2
35 min
118
1701: The Doula part 1
26 min
119
Confessions of a Ponzi Schemer
The Timepiece Gentleman (Anthony Farrar) on the Ponzi Playbook
47 min
120
The Treasure Hunter Revisited
37 min
121
How to find people who don’t want to be found
30 min
122
1609: The Truth Experts part 2
53 min
123
1608: The Truth Experts part 1
41 min
124
1607: The Fake Lawyer
32 min
125
1606: The Grave Detector (Junk Science Bonus)
20 min