Curated Listening Guide
Scams, Hoaxes & ConsScams, Hoaxes & Cons Podcast Episodes
Frauds • Hoaxes • ManipulationFrauds • Hoaxes • Manipulation
Start with essential scams and hoaxes episodes, then jump through fraud, cons, and media deception.Meet con artists, fraudsters, hoaxers and public manipulators whose lies fooled audiences, institutions, and entire communities. Start with essential picks, then jump by deception style.
Start Here
3 Essential Scam & Hoax Episodes
Start with these three episodes for range: a rigged promotional empire, a wellness fraud built on false illness claims, and a high-profile identity hoax.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
McMillions: When America’s Biggest Game Stopped Being a Game
For years, McDonald’s Monopoly looked like a harmless fast-food gimmick: peel, hope, lose, repeat. But behind the little stickers was a quietly industrial fraud, with stolen winning pieces, fake victors, and one security...
Ep 151 • 1h 14m • 17 February 2026
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Belle Gibson: The Fake Cancer Survivor Who Built a Wellness Empire
In this episode of The Compendium, we tell you about the jaw-dropping true story behind Netflix’s new mini series Apple Cider Vinegar. Belle Gibson’s real-life scandal is dubbed the woman who fooled the world and shook u...
Ep 97 • 1h 16m • 04 February 2025
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Tania Head: The 9/11 Survivor Who Wasn't There
In this episode of The Compendium , we uncover the crazy story of Tania Head: the 9/11 survivor who wasn’t there. Once considered a symbol of resilience, Tania captivated the world with her vivid, heartbreaking details o...
Ep 96 • 1h 5m • 28 January 2025
Browse by Subtopic
Jump to the deception style you want first
Use these jump links to move between fraud, social grifts, public hoaxes, and high-stakes bluffs.
Curated Collection
Corporate Fraud & Institutional Deceit
Where trusted systems and professional authority were used to sell lies at scale.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Elizabeth Holmes: Silicon Valley's Greatest Fraud
In this episode of the Compendium, we're re-exploring the wild rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. Discover how Holmes, decieved investors with false promises and turned...
Ep 126 • 1h 30m • 26 August 2025
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Knoedler Gallery Scandal: The Greatest Art Fraud of the Century
In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the Knoedler Gallery Scandal, a tale of deception that rocked the art world. We dive into how Glafira Rosales, Pei-Shen Qian, and Ann Freedman played key roles in the infamou...
Ep 82 • 1h 19m • 22 October 2024
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Dr. Donald Cline: Conceived in Deceit, the Infamous Fertility Scandal
In this episode of the Compendium, Adam tells Kyle all about the fascinating yet slightly scandalous world of Dr. Donald Cline. Trust us, this isn’t your everyday story of a fertility doctor; it’s a riveting tale of hidd...
Ep 45 • 55m • 06 February 2024
Curated Collection
Con Artists & Fake Identities
Personal grifts built on invented status, manufactured trust, and social engineering.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Anna Delvey: From Rags to Riches to Rikers, New Yorks Fake Heiress
In this episode of the Compendium, we are diving into part two of our female scammer series where I tell Adam all about Anna Delvey, New York's infamous fake heiress. Originally born Anna Sorokin in Russia, Anna set out...
Ep 62 • 1h 16m • 04 June 2024
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Cassie Chadwick: Carnegie's Imaginary Heir, Queen of the Con
In this episode of the Compendium, we're looking up Cassie Chadwick, the woman who walked so that Anna Delvey could run. Dubbed Carnegie's imaginary heir, Cassie Chadwick's scam is a story of deception, ambition, and the...
Ep 61 • 1h 20m • 28 May 2024
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Rudy Kurniawan: The Man Who Duped the Elite with Fake Fine Wines
In this episode of the Compendium, we're heading into the intoxicating and deceitful world of Rudy Kurniawan, the charasmatic mastermind behind one of the most sensational wine fraud stories in history. Kyle tells Adam h...
Ep 47 • 1h 16m • 20 February 2024
Curated Collection
Hoaxes, Media Hype & Public Belief
Stories where attention cycles and viral narratives turned deception into mainstream spectacle.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Balloon Boy Hoax: The Viral Media Circus That Spiraled Out of Control
In this episode of The Compendium , we’re unpacking the Balloon Boy Hoax , the bizarre moment in 2009 when the world was glued to their screens, watching a silver helium balloon soar across the Colorado sky—supposedly wi...
Ep 108 • 1h 10m • 21 April 2025
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
A luxury music festival in the Bahamas collapses into chaos, leaving celebrity hype, empty promises, and bewildered guests in its wake. This episode unpacks the rise and ruin of Fyre Festival, from Billy McFarland’s glos...
Ep 139 • 1h 26m • 25 November 2025
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
JT LeRoy: Gender, Deception, and the Ultimate Hoax
On this week’s episode of the Compendium, we dive into the wild world of JT Leroy, a name that took the literary scene by storm before turning it on its head. Join us as we pick apart how Laura Albert and Savannah Knoop...
Ep 36 • 1h 7m • 05 December 2023
Curated Collection
Heists, Bluffs & High-Stakes Scams
Brazen operations where planning, performance, and nerve mattered as much as the crime itself.
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
Millennium Dome Diamond Heist: The Plot to Steal the Worlds Most Flawless Diamond
In this episode of the Compendium, we uncover the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist: The Plot to Steal the Worlds Most Flawless Diamond. We follow the trail of a notorious criminal gang featuring Lee Wenham, Ray Betson, Will...
Ep 107 • 1h 5m • 14 April 2025
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
The Santa Claus Bank Robbery Blunder
In this episode, we're unwrapping a Christmas tale that's more shocking than charming - The Santa Clause Bank Robbery. We voyage back to Christmas, 1927 in Texas, a time of joy and celebration, When a bizarre story of ho...
Ep 38 • 54m • 19 December 2023
Scams, Hoaxes & Cons
D.B. Tuber: The Most Ridiculous Robbery in American History
We’re exploring the absurd and brilliant story of Anthony Curcio AKA D.B Tuber—a former football star turned true crime comedy icon. What started off as a well-planned armored truck heist soon unravels into chaos involvi...
Ep 112 • 1h 4m • 19 May 2025
WHY THIS PAGE WORKS
Why this hub is worth exploring
These episodes trace how deception is constructed, sold, and defended, then what happens when the story collapses.
- A deliberate mix of financial frauds, identity cons, and public hoaxes
- Stories that show both individual grifters and institutional failures
- Clear narrative arcs from buildup to exposure to fallout
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start on this page?
Start with the three featured episodes at the top. They give you a quick spread across corporate fraud, wellness deception, and identity hoax storytelling.
What kinds of deception stories are covered?
You will find fraud cases, fake-identity cons, media-driven hoaxes, and stories where public belief or institutional trust gets exploited.
Does this include corporate, criminal, and media hoaxes?
Yes. The page spans all three, from executive fraud and gallery scams to viral hoaxes and narrative manipulation.
What should I listen to after this hub?
Open the full scams archive, then branch into True Crime, Pop Culture & Entertainment, or History for adjacent stories of motive, influence, and fallout.
Related Topics
Keep exploring adjacent stories
If you came for manipulation, motive, and fallout, these hubs are the strongest next steps.
Keep Listening
Browse all scams, hoaxes and cons episodes in one place
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