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.
150 episodes transcribedJim and Tammy Faye Bakker get their start in Christian broadcasting in the early 1960s and quickly become television superstars. As their fam...
When Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid signed up to promote a scorching new music festival, they had no idea the flaming mess th...
After starting his own law firm in the early 1990s, David J. Stern gains a reputation for churning out foreclosure cases. His biggest payday...
It’s hard to know what to believe about George Santos’ wild origin story. Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, a...
In the second part of this two-part rerun from last December, journalist Christie Smythe wants to dig deeper into the man who’s become the fa...
Wouldn’t you love to be a famous? Money. Red carpets. Adoring fans. Did we mention the money? But you’re also on a tightrope. Because when ev...
With a number of fraud trials in the news, we thought we’d revisit one of the cringiest fraud cases we’ve ever covered: Martin Shkreli’s. In...
When some of the wealthiest, most famous teams announce their plan to break away from Europe’s biggest football competition in April 2021, it...
Melissa Caddick has always dreamed of doing big things. When she becomes a high-powered financial planner, she’s finally able to buy a huge h...
RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. We cover everything from big time serial killers (and those you ma...
Jho Low, a Malaysian-born businessman, will do anything to climb the social ladder. After attending Wharton business school, he establishes h...
Rose Marks runs a fortune telling business that attracts people with big problems and even bigger wallets. In the early 1990s, she reels in o...
Follow MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the first 8 episodes, early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Do...
Rod Blagojevich is an ambitious son of immigrants who knows how to win over a crowd. After marrying the daughter of a powerful alderman, he r...
Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi present themselves as eccentric, free-spirited art dealers. Most alluringly, they seem to have incredible acce...
In Quebec, maple syrup is tightly regulated by a government-backed federation. It controls syrup prices – and profits. When a group of outlaw...
Carlos Watson is a Stanford Law School graduate with big Silicon Valley connections and even bigger dreams. When he pitches investors on his...
In the finale to this two-part series, which originally aired last fall, Alex Guerrero comes under scrutiny from the FTC, but Tom Brady stand...
Football season is kicking off again, and we’re celebrating by returning to this two-part series on one of the NFL’s biggest stars. Tommy Bra...
There’s a lot that’s happened to Jen Shah since this episode originally aired in August 2022. The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star wa...
