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.
141 episodes transcribedThe Lottery Lawyer’s luck has run out: Jason Kurland is now behind bars. We revisit how he went from a Long Island real estate lawyer to even...
When Elon Musk bid to buy Twitter for $44 billion, he made headlines for the mess that followed — including flip flopping on the deal and imm...
Jack Abramoff has schemed his way to the top of right-wing politics, skimming off the top of every lobbying deal he makes. But when burned cl...
At a time when we’re debating where policing is going, we’re going to tell you where the police came from. Guided by Peabody award-winning ho...
Jack Abramoff got his start bending the rules while he was still in elementary school… and never stopped. At first, he works to advance right...
Ski-obsessed Bill Stenger has big dreams for his sleepy Vermont mountain town. He pairs with a wealthy businessman to tap into an obscure gov...
Before she became the most infamous dance teacher in America, Abby Lee Miller ran a struggling dance studio in Pittsburgh. Shortly after decl...
Now that Lamor Whitehead has been sent to prison, we return to his Biblical fall from grace. In 2006, Lamor gets arrested while wearing a min...
It’s been more than a year since Hans Niemann’s cheating scandal rocked the chess world and we’re looking back to see if the bad boy of chess...
We’re revisiting the story of prep-girl-gone-bad Danielle Miller now that her jet-setting scamming has landed her in prison. After being humi...
Lance Armstrong’s determination to win helps him survive cancer and become cycling’s biggest star in the early 2000s. But his ruthless desire...
Hysterical investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York. What is causing their sudde...
In the late 90s, the UK Post Office rolls out a new computer accounting system they know is full of glitches. Then, it spends two decades cov...
Ruth Handler is a mom and small business owner when a sex doll gives her inspiration for a toy that will change everything: Barbie. She becom...
After a Texas oil bust forces him into bankruptcy, Allen Stanford looked abroad for a new opportunity: starting an off-shore bank in Antigua...
Maryland Republican Spiro Agnew is a crook. He rose from Baltimore County Zoning Board Chair to Vice President of the United Sates in under a...
Charles and Diana Ingram are an average British couple with a love of pub quizzes who set out to appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? But...
What’s the greatest celebrity notes app apology of all time? Who is Hollywood’s most divorced man? And which society is torturing the poets?...
Rick Singer is a college admissions consultant whose elaborate, secretive network of college coaches and admissions officers can rig the syst...
Steve Madden transforms from Long Island screw-up to fashion icon thanks to an eye for fashionable footwear and an addiction to work. But to...
