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PRETEND

PRETEND+
  • 4.7 (2.4K)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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. © 2025 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

  1. The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3

    2D AGO

    The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3

    Harry spent nearly two years believing the woman he loved was dying of brain cancer. He stood by her for every surgery, organ failure...None of it was real. In this episode, Harry walks us through the emotional fantasy Rachel built. Want the full story? 🎧 Listen to The Rachel Cancer Scam Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Hn5De466DmCIN8Sppw5Ik?si=6ba6b8cee95e4697 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rachel-cancer-scam/id1772955263 Protect your business before hackers even make a move. NordStellar centralizes breach, dark web, and attack surface intelligence into one powerful threat-intelligence platform—helping you spot risks early and take action fast. Get 20% off all NordStellar plans with the Black Friday code: BLACKFRIDAY20 (valid until December 10, 2025). Use the link nordstellar.com/pretend Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    42 min
  2. Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine (BONUS)

    6D AGO · BONUS

    Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine (BONUS)

    In this bonus episode, Ali, one of my longtime Patreon supporters, reached out after listening to the Cancer Sympathy Machine series. Ali talks openly about her past with addiction, stigma, Hep C treatment and why some people hide the truth about what they’re really going through. I’m also sharing two listener stories about friends, classmates, and loved ones who faked cancer. Thanks to everyone who’s reached out, shared stories, and supported the show. And if you’ve got something you want to talk about, send it my way: javier@pretendradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    20 min
  3. The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2

    NOV 25

    The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2

    Why would anyone fake cancer? Money? Sure. Attention? Definitely. But as I learned in this episode… the motives are a lot darker, messier, and more human than you might expect. In Part 2 of The Cancer Sympathy Machine, we go beyond the headline-grabbing scams and into the emotional machinery behind these lies. With the help of cancer-survivor-turned-researcher Bill Petrich, we break down the categories of cancer fakers — from those seeking sympathy to those hiding crimes, escaping abuse, or covering up addictions. We revisit the infamous cases you’ve heard about: Belle Gibson, Scamanda, and Jennifer Cataldo. To learn more about Bill Petrich’s work documenting these cases, check out his TikTok: @faking.cancer.expert: https://www.tiktok.com/@faking.cancer.expert Listen to eLIESabeth podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2nlxXhewsTRAyJhvyvaQbb?si=5de4d34489f549e9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    31 min
  4. BONUS: Inside the eLIESabeth Podcast

    NOV 21 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    BONUS: Inside the eLIESabeth Podcast

    Suarez and Sherrilyn Dale from The eLIESabeth Podcast. If you’ve been following The Cancer Sympathy Machine, you’ve already heard pieces of their reporting. But this interview goes way beyond what made it into the main episodes. CC and Sherrilyn walk through the entire scope of the Elizabeth Teckenbrock saga. See how she built multiple personas, manipulated people in every direction, and left a trail of financial and emotional wreckage. We talk about the viral birthday-cake moment that launched her online, the ex-husband who tried to warn everyone, the forged medical records, the fake cancer timelines, the elderly victims who lost nearly everything, and the mountain of receipts Andrew eventually uncovered. We also get into the dog-abandonment incident, the TikTok chaos machine that helped her thrive, the victims too embarrassed to come forward, and the frustrating reason why no criminal charges have stuck… at least not yet. CC and Sherrilyn also share what they’ve learned from reporting this story, how they pieced together the timeline, what’s being investigated now, and where things stand with Elizabeth’s disappearance from social media. This is the full conversation...raw, lightly edited, and loaded with context you haven’t heard anywhere else. —Javier

    52 min
  5. The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1

    NOV 18

    The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1

    Some people fake cancer for sympathy. Others do it for money. But the truth is darker than most of us want to believe. In this episode, we break down the tactics, behaviors, and mindsets of some of the most convincing cancer fakers out there. From Madison Russo’s botched medical props to Elizabeth Teckenbrock’s alleged search history...“Is it illegal to fake cancer?” Um, yeah. Bill Petrich, a real cancer survivor who now investigates fake cases, helps us understand the psychology behind the deception. We also take a look at the biggest cancer cons in recent history: Scamanda, Belle Gibson, Jennifer Flynn Cataldo and how these scams went from emotional manipulation to full-on fraud. To learn more about Bill Petrich’s work documenting these cases, check out his TikTok: @faking.cancer.expert: https://www.tiktok.com/@faking.cancer.expert Listen to eLIESabeth podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2nlxXhewsTRAyJhvyvaQbb?si=5de4d34489f549e9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    38 min

  6. NOV 17 · BONUS

    Dakota Spotlight: Meanwhile in Mankato

    On PRETEND, we tell stories about people who build false identities and hide the truth in plain sight. This week, we are featuring a case that fits right into that world. It is the newest season of Dakota Spotlight, titled “Meanwhile in Mankato.” In 1965, an 18-year-old gas station attendant named Ray Dahm was murdered during an overnight shift at a rural Minnesota truck stop. The person who killed him was a clean-cut 17-year-old who looked harmless, the kind of kid no one would ever suspect. On the surface, it seemed simple. A robbery. A terrible act of violence. Case closed. But that was only the beginning. Reporter James Wolner later uncovered that the killer did not stay locked away for long. Within a few years, he was quietly back in the community, working around teenage girls who had no idea they were interacting with a convicted murderer. His past had been buried, ignored, or conveniently forgotten. “Meanwhile in Mankato” is a story about manipulation, vanished accountability, and the people who were left to carry the fallout of one man’s lies. It is exactly the kind of story we look at on PRETEND, because it shows how someone can reinvent themselves while everyone else looks the other way. If you follow PRETEND, you will want to hear this one. It is sharp reporting, unsettling truth, and a reminder that the most dangerous story is often the one no one bothered to check. Subscribe to Dakota Spotlight on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZqpK6FfXIvS35TUYjckd6?si=fe79cf9a61264247 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    56 min
  7. From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology Behind Allison Mack

    NOV 11

    From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology Behind Allison Mack

    Smallville's Allison Mack is out of prison, and she's finally talking. What was NXIVM, and how did Allison Mack become a high-ranking member?NXIVM was a self-help organization that sold leadership training and personal development courses. Beneath the surface, it operated as a coercive group led by Keith Raniere, using control tactics like starvation diets, sleep deprivation, emotional manipulation, and eventually a secret “master-slave” subgroup called DOS. Who is Allison Mack?Allison Mack, best known from Smallville, joined NXIVM in the mid-2000s. She rose quickly inside the group and later played a major role in recruiting and controlling women within DOS. Mack pled guilty to racketeering and served three years in federal prison for her crimes. She was released in 2023. What is this episode about?In this conversation, journalist Natalie Robehmed — host of the new CBC podcast Allison After NXIVM — explains how Allison Mack describes her journey from devoted follower to active perpetrator. We break down the psychological mechanics that made NXIVM work: obedience training, emotional conditioning, sexual manipulation, and why even smart people get pulled into systems like this. We also revisit Allison’s early life as a child actor, her abusive relationship before NXIVM, and how these patterns help explain the control she eventually exerted over others. After you listen, check out:👉 Allison After NXIVM from Uncover (CBC + Campsite Media) — Episode 1 is out now. https://open.spotify.com/show/5asD2sDYXsiUCtYi7VUO49?si=0325705c159b4f54 👉 Comic Book Central’s 2016 interview with Allison Mack — recorded before NXIVM collapsed, offering an eerie look at who she was then. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1VXZyFrQGrzwHzgU1D1Cih?si=dd94dae2332a493e 20% off all NordStellar Plans (valid until December 10th, 2025)  Link: nordstellar.com/pretend  Coupon code is: blackfriday20  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  8. Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relationships (Cracks in the Fandom)

    NOV 10 · BONUS

    Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relationships (Cracks in the Fandom)

    This bonus episode is a chance to step back and make sense of everything that just unfolded in Cracks in the Fandom. If you listened to the series, you saw how an Instagram unfollow spiraled into harassment, infighting, and full-on chaos inside the SVU fandom. This series was petty, confusing , and pretty revealing about how people form attachments online. I wanted to understand why this happens. Why someone can feel personally betrayed by an actor they don't even know. So I reached out to Bradley J. Bond, a professor at the University of San Diego who studies parasocial relationships for a living. He breaks down what these one-sided bonds actually are, why they feel real, and how they can slide from harmless to unhealthy faster than we think. Copyright Takedown Update:My attorney has already filed a counterclaim. Patreon will let me put the episodes back up after the standard 10-business-day window. And Spotify is working on restoring the episodes promptly. I’ll keep you updated. Thank you for supporting the show. Without you, I couldn't fight these frivolous legal challenges. Javier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    28 min
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4.7
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About

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. © 2025 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

Information

  • Channel
    PRETEND+
  • Creator
    Creative Babble, LLC
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    328
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Creative Babble, LLC. All rights reserved 2025
  • Show Website
    PRETEND
  • Provider
    Javier Leiva

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