The Binge Cases: Denise Didn't Come Home - Introducing: The Greatest Scam Ever Written

Episode Date: July 25, 2024

What would you do if one handwritten letter promised to change your life forever? All of us want magic, to feel like there is some sort of exterior force guiding our next steps, to believe our fate is written in the stars. This is the story of 1 million hopeful Americans, the global scam that took $200m from them, and the mastermind who managed it all by sending out thousands of letters a week. Investigative journalist Rachel Browne takes us through the facts of the fraud, from its brilliantly simple conception to the revelation and imprisonment of the fraudster themselves. Speaking through letters from behind bars, the con artist maintains their innocence, saying:  ‘Maybe it's not moral, maybe it's bullshit, but it doesn’t mean it's fraud.’ And that is the question at the heart of The Greatest Scam Ever Written: What happens if you want to believe that sending $50 to a psychic will change the course of your destiny? Are you a victim, or a willing participant? Unlock all episodes of The Greatest Scam Ever Written, ad-free as soon as they drop on August 1st by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, you'll get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month, every month -  thats all episodes, all at once, all ad-free. Just click subscribe on the top of the Smoke Screen show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access. An ITN Productions & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If somebody says the right words, promises the right things, anybody can become a victim. It's just unheard of. Crimes like this don't exist. When was the last time you received a letter in the mail? Think about it. A real, handwritten letter from someone who knows you, really cares about you. Since the early 2000s, millions of handwritten letters were landing at people's doors all across America. Each one offering the receiver a tailored reading into their future. I got this letter in the mailbox addressed to myself personally from Maria Duval. For just a small fee, you could have the life you always dreamed of.

All you had to do was believe. She truly believed that somehow this was going to save her mind from going further into the depths of dementia. They gave you the return envelope that was pre-printed, ready to go. Put your check in it and mail it back to them. All you have to do is grasp the hand of friendship. We are holding out to you, your devoted friend, Maria Duval. Maria Duval. But who really was the French psychic Maria Duval. Maria Duval. But who really was the French psychic Maria Duval?

And did she know her letters were part of a multi-million dollar scam defrauding people from all across the world? It was an out-and-out scam. They'd been without water for two months or they couldn't afford to get their groceries. All they wanted in return was whatever it was that Maria Duval was promising them. But when you add up the volume, we never in our wildest dreams thought that these schemes were at this scale. This has got to be one of the worst crimes in all of history. I'm investigative journalist Rachel Brown, and I'm going to tell you the story of a scam unlike anything I've ever seen. 1.4 million unique Americans were victimized. Now, there's 330 million people in the United States, so that is one out of every 300 men, women and children walking down the street.

The whole operation raked in almost $200 million and found its way from Canada, the United States, all across Europe and even to Australia. It's a story of a shape-shifting mastermind who evaded capture for more than 20 years, and the victims, vigilantes, and law enforcement around the world bringing them to justice. They're the archetypal larger-than-life characters that have no conscience in what they do. What happens if you want to believe

that sending money to a psychic will change the course of your destiny? Are you a victim or a willing participant in your own deceit? The greatest scam ever written, coming August 1st. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts.