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
176
S1107: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 7
57 min
177
S1106: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 6
it turns out that America's favorite con man is really just another petty criminal who's never really repaid all the money he stole
52 min
178
S1105: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 5
Confrontation with Frank Abagnale
61 min
179
S1104: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 4
If he wasn't posing as a doctor, a lawyer, or a professor, then what the heck was Frank Abagnale up to?
49 min
180
S1103: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 3
Two reporters destroy Frank Abagnale's story. Yet nobody cared.
41 min
181
S1102: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 2
56 min
182
S1101: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 1
47 min
183
Trailer: The Real Catch Me If You Can
1 min
184
S1004: The Man Who Wears Many Hats part 2
30 min
185
S1003: The Man Who Wears Many Hats part 1
28 min
186
S1002: The Sperm Donor
32 min
187
S1001: The Dadbot
40 min
188
S908: The Deepfake
17 min
189
S907: The Forensic Musicologist
27 min
190
PRETEND's 100th Episode
42 min
191
Javier Interviews a Serial Killer — Criminal Co...
28 min
192
S905: The Business of Cults part 3
56 min
193
S904: The Business of Cults part 2
42 min
194
S903: The Business of Cults part 1
38 min
195
S902: Cons, Scams, and Flim-flams
41 min
196
S901: The KGB Agent
43 min
197
S811: The Truth About Santa
22 min
198
S810: The Hypnotist part 4 - Alien Abductions a...
38 min
199
S809: The Hypnotist part 3 - Is hypnosis admiss...
48 min
200
S808: The Hypnotist part 2
36 min