Con Artists
Anyone can fall victim to a con. But what kind of person intentionally tries to deceive and manipulate someone? Peek behind the masks of hustlers, swindlers, and fraudsters, and explore how far someone would go to gain money, power, and respect. Con Artists is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
76
Con Artists Bites: Mothers Misbehaving
Today we're taking a closer look at women who subverted their maternal expectations to lead a life of crime.
22 min
77
Victor Lustig Pt. 1
He cut his teeth swindling victims through a series of card game tricks. Soon Victor Lustig would move onto more elaborate, skilled schemes in which he would systematically earn his mark's trust for weeks before taking off with thousands of dollars.
45 min
78
Con Artists Bites: Psychological Manipulation
Today we explore the idea of Psychological Manipulation—the tactics criminals use to deceive, coerce, and exert control over their victims.
27 min
79
George Graham Rice Pt. 2
In 1904, George Graham Rice took his scams out West. Like many Americans in the early 20th century, Rice came to California looking to strike it rich. Except Rice wasn't looking to seek his own fortune, he was hoping to swindle others out of theirs.
45 min
80
George Graham Rice Pt. 1
A master swindler who operated in the early 1900s, George Graham Rice was a con artist before America even knew the term.
44 min
81
Best of 2019: Sante Kimes Pt. 2
In 1998, Sante and Kenny Kimes started a spree of crimes by stealing a green Lincoln Town Car. But their biggest gambit—to snatch a $10 million mansion out from under New York socialite Irene Silverman.
50 min
82
Best of 2019: Sante Kimes Pt. 1
Sante ran cons for the majority of her life and involved both her husband, Kenneth Kimes, Sr., and their son, Kenny, in her elaborate plots.
49 min
83
John Duval Gluck, Jr. Pt. 2: “Santa Claus Man”
In 1914, after two successful Christmas seasons, John Duval Gluck Jr.'s Santa Claus Association had become world-renowned. But the conman's greed led him to even bigger ventures, and his fundraising fraud only grew more brazen.
48 min
84
John Duval Gluck, Jr. Pt. 1: “Santa Claus Man”
In the 1910s, John Gluck Jr. had such a desire for fame and wealth that he abandoned his business ventures and established himself as a reputable good Samaritan. But in a few years, he turned his successful charitable organization into a massive fraud operation.
47 min
85
Debby Montgomery Johnson Pt. 2: “The Woman Behi...
In 2012, after borrowing nearly $100,000 from her parents to loan to her online boyfriend, Debby Montgomery Johnson was growing worried about the relationship's financial burden.
44 min
86
Debby Montgomery Johnson Pt. 1: “The Woman Behi...
After the death of her husband, Debby Montgomery Johnson joined an online dating site in hopes of finding love again.
43 min
87
Charles Ponzi Pt. 2: “The Father of Fraud”
Within 16 years of coming to America, Italian immigrant Carlo Ponzi would build a financial empire based on a massive scam.
45 min
88
Charles Ponzi Pt. 1: “The Father of Fraud”
Italian immigrant Carlo Ponzi came to Boston in the early 1900's intent on making a name for himself.
50 min
89
Madame Rachel Pt. 2: “The Beauty of Lies”
Not only were Madame Rachel's claims about the magical qualities of her cosmetics false, she also used her London salon as a front for shadier practices like blackmail and prostitution.
46 min
90
Madame Rachel Pt. 1: “The Beauty of Lies”
In 1860s Victorian London, a woman from humble beginnings cons her way into the world of high society—selling exorbitantly priced bogus cosmetics to the very women she aims to befriend.
47 min
91
Christian Gerhartsreiter Pt. 2: “The Unknown Ro...
In 1995, Sandra Boss married who she thought was “Clark Rockefeller.”
49 min
92
Christian Gerhartsreiter Pt. 1: “The Unknown Ro...
Born in Germany in the 1960s, Christian Gerhartsreiter had dreams of going to America...conning his way when necessary to get there.
44 min
93
Jeanne de Saint-Rémy Pt. 2: Comtesse de la Motte
18th Century France—con artist Jeanne de la Motte hoodwinks the royals, ultimately contributing to the fall of the monarchy.
48 min
94
Jeanne de Saint-Rémy Pt. 1: Comtesse de la Motte
Jeanne de la Motte was an 18th-century French confidence artist.
41 min
95
Sante Kimes Pt. 2: Escalation
In 1998, Sante and Kenny Kimes started a spree of crimes by stealing a green Lincoln Town Car.
50 min
96
Sante Kimes Pt. 1: Mother and Son
Sante ran cons for the majority of her life and involved both her husband, Kenneth Kimes, Sr., and their son, Kenny, in her elaborate plots.
49 min
97
Jordan Belfort Pt. 2: Wolf In A Cage
Tremendous wealth fueled an incredibly lavish lifestyle, filled with luxury goods and debauchery.
41 min
98
Jordan Belfort Pt. 1: The Wolf of Wall Street
On Jordan Belfort’s first day as a Wall Street Stockbroker, in October 1987, the market crashed over 500 points.
43 min
99
Anna Anderson Pt. 2: Princess Imposter
By 1925, 28-year-old Franziska Schanzkowsky had forged a new life for herself posing as the long lost Russian monarch, Anastasia Romanov.
45 min
100
Anna Anderson Pt. 1: The False Anastasia
Franziska Schanzkowsky always thought she was destined for something bigger than the life of a Polish peasant.
48 min