Pretend - a true crime podcast about ...

PRETEND exposes the masterminds behind some of the most notorious scams and cons. From cult leaders to con artists and undercover FBI agents, this podcast pulls back the curtain on those who've pretended to be someone they're not.

True Crime
Documentary
Society & Culture
176
S208: The Stranger
A lie is only powerful if you choose to believe it. So why do we fall for it every time? In this episode, we’ll hear four different stories. Each describes a tall tale, so persistent, that it’s hard to imagine someone keeping all the lies straight...
33 min
177
S207: The Gambler Part 2 - Art Schlichter
Previously on Pretend Radio, we learned how Art Schlichter’s gambling habits destroyed Anita Barney life. She went from being the wealthy widow of a Wendy’s CEO to becoming broke and struggling to pay her light bill.   It started out with a...
20 min
178
S206: The Gambler Part 1 - Art Schlichter
This is the story of disgraced Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter. In order to understand Art Schlichter’s crimes, you first have to understand how his story ends. Anita Barney, heiress and widow of a former Wendy’s CEO, lost every single penny...
20 min
179
S205: The Reporter - Vester Flanagan
Warning, this episode may be disturbing for some listeners. It describes a shooting that resulted in the death of two people. While this story is not technically about a mass shooting, it has every characteristic of one.   I began working on this...
27 min
180
S204: The Taker
Karl comes from a long line of con men. He says both his grandfather and father were swindlers. It's only natural that Karl slipped into the family business. In today's episode, Karl talks about bribing corrupt company building managers. He says he...
25 min
181
S203: The Boy and the Girl
Candis Cox and her husband Adam live in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is their love story. How did I find them? I’m glad you asked. I told my friend Wendy I was looking for a couple profile. She said, “Hang tight. I have the perfect couple for...
19 min
182
S202: The Snake Oil Salesman Part 2 - Curing Au...
Last time on Pretend Radio, I spoke with a group of women who drink a bleach-type chemical that they claim cures everything from cancer to depression.  I soon found out that parents are forcefully giving bleach enemas to kids with autism. As a...
26 min
183
S201: The Snake Oil Salesman Part 1 - Curing ca...
I stumbled upon a group of people who self-medicate with chlorine dioxide, a bleach-like substance. They claim it cures everything from  headaches, lyme disease, malaria, HIV, hepatitis, and cancer.  When I first discovered this trend, I...
24 min
184
S111: The Bigamist
Mary Turner Thomas says she married a bigamist.…
32 min
185
S110: The Pretender Part 2 - Undercover FBI Age...
The Pretender - Marc Ruskin FBI undercover agent…
25 min
186
S109: The Pretender Part 1 - Undercover FBI Age...
Before Marc Ruskin was an undercover FBI agent, h…
18 min
187
S108: The Sculptor
Sharon McConnell-Dickerson is preserving the Miss…
22 min
188
S107: The Real Estate Agent - Part 2 - Todd Koh...
South Carolina serial killer Todd Kohlhepp confes…
22 min
189
S106: The Real Estate Agent Part 1 - Todd Kohlhepp
This week’s story is about self-professed serial …
26 min
190
S105: Birth of a Con Man Part 2 - Opioid epidemic
Previously on Pretend Radio we witnessed the birth of a con man. Erik Torres started his criminal career as a street thug and worked his way up to car insurance scam artist. Here’s how how it works. Erik stages car accidents then the driver...
18 min
191
S104: Birth of a Con Man Part 1
Imagine, you’re driving on the road when suddenly…
22 min
192
S103: The Prophet Part 3 - Word of Faith Fellow...
In the Prophet part 3, we’ll look at the Word of …
21 min
193
S102: The Prophet Part 2 - Word of Faith Fellow...
John Cooper remembers one of the Word of Faith Fe…
22 min
194
S101: The Prophet Part 1 - Word of Faith Fellow...
The Prophet part 1 explores The Word of Faith Fel…
23 min
195
PRETEND Podcast Trailer
1 min