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
The Stalker - Interview with the Doctor part 16
29 min
177
1310: Love and Taxes (plus Stalker update)
39 min
178
1309: The Pale-Faced Lie part 2
16 min
179
1308: The Pale-Faced Lie part 1
26 min
180
The Stalker - Fly on the Wall part 15
58 min
181
George Santos & The Harbor City Capital Ponzi S...
The Ponzi Playbook - New podcast from Javier Leiva and Neal McTighe
40 min
182
The Stalker - In Time You'll Get the Truth Part 14
17 min
183
1304: The Cuban Spy part 2
27 min
184
1303: The Cuban Spy part 1
28 min
185
The Real Catch Me If You Can - The Promissory N...
18 min
186
The Real Catch Me If You Can part 9 (update)
47 min
187
1215- The Proxy part 2
33 min
188
1214- The Proxy part 1
29 min
189
The Stalker part 13 (The Arraignment)
20 min
190
The Stalker part 12
43 min
191
The Stalker part 11
41 min
192
The Stalker part 10
29 min
193
The Stalker part 9
39 min
194
The Stalker part 8
25 min
195
The Stalker part 7
25 min
196
The Stalker part 6
20 min
197
The Stalker part 5
27 min
198
The Stalker part 4
20 min
199
The Stalker part 3
25 min
200
The Stalker part 2
20 min