110 episodes

You never really know someone…especially online. In today’s world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world’s most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. On Wondery’s new weekly series, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? From Black Swan Murder to a fake social media influencer to an audacious Hollywood Ponzi schemer, each season will take the listener along the twists and turns, the impact on victims, and what’s left when the facade falls away.
New episodes come out every Monday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

Scamfluencers Wondery

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.1 • 5.8K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

You never really know someone…especially online. In today’s world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world’s most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. On Wondery’s new weekly series, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? From Black Swan Murder to a fake social media influencer to an audacious Hollywood Ponzi schemer, each season will take the listener along the twists and turns, the impact on victims, and what’s left when the facade falls away.
New episodes come out every Monday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Game. Set. Scam.

    Game. Set. Scam.

    This episode comes out for free on 04/29, and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers.

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    Grigor Sargysan turned the tennis world on its head by masterminding a global match-fixing scheme. He rallies underpaid players in fast cash, and spins authorities out with a scheme so carefully crafted, he becomes known as The Maestro. But international law enforcement agencies are watching and waiting to serve their ace.

    Listen Now: How I Built…Liquid Death

    Listen Now: How I Built…Liquid Death

    Have you ever wondered how some of the biggest companies were built? On the podcastHow I Built This, host Guy Raz talks to the founders behind the world’s biggest companies and brands to learn the real stories of how they built them. How I Built This with Guy Raz is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.




    Follow How I Built This on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen toHow I Built This early and ad-free right now on Wondery plus. Wondery.fm/IFD_HIBT




    For more deep dive and daily business content listen to Wondery– the destination for business podcasts. With shows like How I Built This, Business Wars, The Best One Yet, Business Movers and many more, Wondery means business.

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    • 4 min
    Leona Helmsley: The Art of the Steal Part 2

    Leona Helmsley: The Art of the Steal Part 2

    Leona Helmsley’s perch atop the world of Manhattan real estate is threatened by federal tax evasion charges. Her trial gives all the people she bullied a chance to hit back. With her dirty laundry aired out for all to see, the Queen of Mean is served her just desserts. But as she soldiers on without her beloved Harry, Leona will have terrible trouble defending her riches, and her heart.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 42 min
    Leona Helmsley: The Art of the Steal Part 1

    Leona Helmsley: The Art of the Steal Part 1

    Leona Helmsley escapes Depression-era poverty by marrying billionaire real estate magnate Harry Helmsley. She takes over his Manhattan hotels and declares herself Queen of the Palace, then earns a royal reputation for berating, bullying, and firing employees at the drop of a hat. But when her tax bills come into question, everyone who’s worked under Leona gets their pitchforks ready to take down the Queen of Mean.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 44 min
    Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

    Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

    Sandy Jenkins moves to the gossipy, small town of Corsicana, Texas to work in the town’s world-famous fruitcake factory. Desperate to keep up with his cliquey neighbors, Sandy starts cutting fruitcake factory checks to pay for jewelry, cars, a second home and private jet trips. But this half-baked scheme starts to crumble when a new employee takes a closer look at how Sandy cooks the books.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 40 min
    Listen Now: The Big Flop

    Listen Now: The Big Flop

    The Wing was supposed to be a model for feminist social clubs, built on activism, inclusion, and self-care. But instead, The Wing became a glaring example of toxic girlboss culture and workplace discrimination. On each episode of Wondery’s podcast The Big Flop, comedians join host Misha Brown to chronicle one of the biggest pop-culture fails of all time and try to answer the age-old question: who thought THIS was a good idea?

    This is just a preview of The Big Flop. Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, or at wondery.fm/the-big-flop.

    For more deep dive and daily business content listen to Wondery – the destination for business podcasts. With shows like How I Built This, Business Wars, The Best One Yet, Business Movers and many more, Wondery Means Business.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5
5.8K Ratings

5.8K Ratings

coopwolf ,

Love the podcast BUT…

Love the podcast. Get a lot of humor but you guys describe white people as all the same and it just felt kind of racist. Isn’t that what we are trying to absolve?

Caro1 ,

Could be much better

I enjoy this podcast but can’t get past some things. The reactions seem pretty scripted, it’s just like bad acting.
And unfortunately I’m also a bit of a stickler about people speaking correctly when taking on informative roles. This ad they run has her saying “photogenic memory” — so painful. It’s photographic memory. Photogenic means that you are naturally nice looking when photographed. Also, please get an editor. “Surprisibly” is not a word. It’s “surprisingly.” If you’re out there with a broadcast platform you gotta do better. And mortified means embarrassed, not horrified. I could go on but maybe you’ll see this and fix these constant mistakes? Otherwise your subject matter and breakdown is great! Hence the 4 rating.

Hotchewitchi ,

Won’t demote you for this

A+ material, engaging and slick- as anything from this producer is. Is it just me- or do the episodes not populate chronologically? I have to scroll to the bottom to see the new one. It’s odd.

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