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
151
1404: The Pests part 4
50 min
152
1403: The Pests part 3
31 min
153
1402: The Pests part 2
28 min
154
1401: The Pests part 1 (Gang stalking)
30 min
155
1311: The Stalker - Interview with the Doctor (...
29 min
156
1310: Love and Taxes (plus Stalker update)
39 min
157
1309: The Pale-Faced Lie part 2
16 min
158
1308: The Pale-Faced Lie part 1
26 min
159
1307: The Stalker - Fly on the Wall (part 15)
58 min
160
George Santos & The Harbor City Capital Ponzi S...
The Ponzi Playbook - New podcast from Javier Leiva and Neal McTighe
40 min
161
1305: The Stalker - In Time You'll Get the Trut...
17 min
162
1304: The Cuban Spy part 2
27 min
163
1303: The Cuban Spy part 1
28 min
164
1302: The Real Catch Me If You Can - The Promis...
18 min
165
1301: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 9 (update)
47 min
166
1215- The Proxy part 2
33 min
167
1214- The Proxy part 1
29 min
168
S1213: The Stalker part 13 (The Arraignment)
20 min
169
S1212: The Stalker part 12
43 min
170
S1211: The Stalker part 11
41 min
171
S1210: The Stalker part 10
29 min
172
S1209: The Stalker part 9
39 min
173
S1208: The Stalker part 8
25 min
174
S1207: The Stalker part 7
25 min
175
S1206: The Stalker part 6
20 min