PRETEND

Ransomware. Does that term ring a bell? Even if you've never heard those words before, trust me, most of us have experienced Ransomware one way or another. If you live on the East Coast, you remember waiting long hours at the gas pump this past May. That's because a hacking group known as DarkSide hacked the Colonial Pipeline. The hackers demanded a ransom for 75 bitcoins which is equivalent to $4.4 million. How did the hackers break into the oil company's system? Easy. Some employees used the same password they used on another account that was previously hacked. And guess what? Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom and the hackers. $4.4. million dollars—gone, just like that. The Justice Department was able to eventually recover half of the money, $2.2 million. When we hear about news like this, we mostly ignore it. Until we run out of gas and everyone panics. But once we were able to fill up our tanks again, we all moved on and put it behind us. We often ignore stories like these because, on the surface, it sounds like hackers are attacking large corporations with tons of cash. They've got the money. But what if I tell you that the real victims here are not just the companies, but really it's you and me. What do you think happens if the company that got hacked decides not to pay the ransom? If the company doesn't cave to the hacker's demands, the hacker will dump the company's data and make it publicly available on the dark web. By the way, the company's data is comprised of your social security number, date of birth, driver's license, and health insurance information... everything an identity thief needs to financially destroy you. In today's episode, we'll talk to a guy whose job is to negotiate with these hackers. We're also going to talk about how you can protect your most valuable information. Today's guests are: Kurtis Minder - CEO and co-founder at GroupSense Eva Velasquez - President and CEO, of the Identity Theft Resource Center Freeze your credit to protect yourself from Ransomware Equifax Online: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/ Experian Online: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html TransUnion Online: https://service.transunion.com/dss/orderStep1_form.page Use a password manager 1Password KeePass Password Want to be my co-host? I want to send a sincere thank you to Rachel Sincere for supporting PRETEND on Patreon. Rachel, you're amazing. Also, as a reminder, I've added a new tier on Patreon. Not only will you get a PRETEND t-shirt and stickers. But these new supporters will get the chance to co-host a Patreon and YouTube episode with me. Like Michael V, who played in the Air Guitar World Championship. People pretending to play guitar! It's apparently a big thing. I'll let you know when that episode is out. So if you want to co-host with me, visit PRETEND on Patreon.com. Cam Cokas Finally, I want to end the show by sharing an indie artist I've been listening to lately. His name is Cam Cokas, and the track is called Don't Quit or Try. Please check out Cam Cokas on Spotify or wherever you get your jams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean David Morton was arrested in 2016 after being charged with more than 50 counts related to filing phony tax documents and bogus government bonds. He was also accused of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. These are similar tactics used by sovereign citizens—but Sean David Mortin doesn't like that label. You see, Sean David Morton's name is synonymous with the sovereign citizen movement. The New York Times wrote a whole piece about him titled, "How Sovereign Citizens Helped Swindle $1 billion from the government they disavow." So, when it comes to Sovereign Citizens, I thought Sean Mortin was the guy. But now he's telling me that sovereign citizens are idiots. Interesting. If you're unfamiliar with this sub-culture, you should check out my episode on Sovereign Citizens. To listen to my interview with Sean David Morton, check out the episode The Sovereign Man where ever you listen to podcasts. Patreon Bonus with Sean David Morton To listen to more of my interview with Sean Morton, check out the FREE bonus episode on Patreon. Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do sovereign citizens go when they need medical attention? Some of them seek help from homeopathic quacks like Rick Van Thiel. Rick Van Thiel is not a surgeon. In reality, he's a porn star operating on people with dirty scalpels, reused needs, surrounded by filth. And the worst part is, he performs his surgeries in the nude. The last episode about sovereign citizens was just exposition for what you’re about to hear. I first learned about this story from Jerri William’s podcast called FBI retired Case File Review. Jerri Williams is a retired FBI agent who interviews other former agents on her show. If you haven’t listened to it, you’re missing out. Her episode haunted me for days. So, I asked Jerri if I can share this story with you. If you thought the last sovereign citizen episode was shocking, wait till you hear this. Disclaimer It’s safe to assume that most PRETEND episodes are not suitable for young children. Unfortunately, this is one of those episodes. In fact, trigger warning, today, we’re going to talk about sexual assault and suicide. This episode is actually pretty disgusting. So, if you have the stomach for it, please proceed. You’ve been warned. Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is a sovereign citizen? American Sovereign citizens believe that the laws of the United States do not apply to them. Therefore, no authority should tell them what to do: not judges, lawmakers, lawyers, or police officers. Oh, and they don't pay taxes either. Sounds crazy, right? It would be crazy if they didn't get away with it so often. ________ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the very first episode I recorded for PRETEND. Hear how a small-time crook went from breaking into houses to running a phony medical clinic. ------- FEATURING: Follow the Truth Podcast Trailer In 1993, James Jordan, father of NBA legend Michael, was murdered in NC. Was the wrong man convicted of pulling the trigger? E1 and E2 release date: 7/22/21 Check out Follow the Truth Podcast: https://t.co/b4grdGjwJp?amp=1 ________ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we revisit one of PRETEND's most popular episodes. It's called the Hijacker and it's a collaboration with my friend Chris Knittel. Hear Martin McNally describe the day he hijacked a plane. ________ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jules Hannaford from the Fool Me Twice podcast joins me to talk about 4 years of PRETEND. ________ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sham vol.1 This week, I turn the mic over to you. Two listeners share stories about their run-in with a con artist. Our first story is from a long-time listener named Paul Schiffbauer Jr. He tells us about the time he learned the truth about the family business. Our second story is about a listener whose con artist husband destroyed her life. Links from the episode: Amusement Only by Paul Schiffbauer Sr. https://amzn.to/3uxsbto Do you have a story to share? Leave me a voicemail 919-444-2800 or email me at [email protected] To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are two sides to Billy. There's Billy, who just wants to do the right thing. And then there's the criminal lurking from within. So which way did he go? Did Billy end up becoming a criminal? Or did he choose to be the good guy in his own story? Well, he decided to do both. If you've listened to this show long enough, you know I go to great lengths to fact-check my episodes. But today is different because it's tough to corroborate Billy's stories. And that's okay. One of my favorite movies is Big Fish with Ewan McGregor. It's about a man who lived an extraordinary life. In the end, it turned out that most of his tall tales were true--but just a little skewed due to time. And that's how I feel about Billy. Some of these stories are too incredible to be real. But they might be. He's always wrestled between being the good guy and the bad guy. And in the end, managed to be both a criminal and a cop. So lean back, relax, and grab your adult beverage of choice. Because today we're going to spend the next half hour or so chatting with Billy the Liquor Guy. Get a copy of Under Too Long by Billy the Liquor Guy: https://amzn.to/3sWlmjo Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Featured promo for Missing Persons and DNA:ID podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's episode is actually the first episode of my other podcast CRIMINAL CONDUCT. I wanted you, PRETEND listeners to get a sneak peek before it's debut on April 16th. If you like this episode, subscribe to the CRIMINAL CONDUCT feed to listen to the full episode. -------- Criminal Conduct is back with a brand new case. This season, John and Javier investigate a rogue constable in Kentucky who is accused of planting drugs, stealing money, and shaking people down. Like a police officer, a constable can carry a gun, a badge and drive around town with blue lights. However, unlike police, a Constable has all the powers of a sheriff. He answers to no one but the voters on election day. Criminal Conduct season 2 returns April 16th. http://criminalconduct.net/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Doug Williams, the former Oklahoma City police officer who is best known for his crusade against the polygraph industry, teaches an undercover federal agent how to beat the lie detector test. The agent confessed that he had sex with a minor and was smuggling drugs into a prison. Should Doug Williams continue the training? What if Doug William's techniques get into the wrong hands? Watch the undercover sting on YouTube. ________ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva Featured promo for Die-alogue Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to cheat a polygraph test. Ex-cop, Doug Williams, says it's a lot easier than you think. Doug Williams is looking over his shoulder because, since 1979, he's been on a crusade to defeat the polygraph machine. In 1996, he started a website called polygraph.com, offering a handbook and one-on-one training teaching people how to pass the test. "There is no Pinocchio response. Your nose does not grow when you lie." - Doug Williams, polygraph critic According to Doug Williams, a lie detector test is about as accurate as a coin toss. He claims the machine doesn't work, and as a result, innocent people are paying the price. Many innocent people have pleaded guilty and skipped trial because they failed a polygraph during an interrogation. And employers routinely administered polygraph tests as part of their hiring process. If you fail a lie detector test in the US federal government, you're potentially placed on a blacklist and never allowed to apply for that government agency job again. Doug Willams says that the polygraph is just a stage prop used to scare people. How does he know this? Because he spent most of his law enforcement career using it as what he calls a psychological billy club. To him, it was just a tool to beat a confession out of a bad guy. But over the years, he realized that a polygraph test is just that... a test. It can be cheated. And he was going to devote the rest of his life to destroy it. Doug Williams made a career giving people polygraphs exams. Now, he's going to prison for teaching people how to cheat the test. To listen to the undercover tape that led to his arrest. Check out my latest episodes on YouTube: Credits This episode was reported by Javier Leiva. Special thanks to George Maschke with antipolygraph.org Support PRETEND by becoming a member today at pretendradio.org/donate Featured promo for Movie Pitch Challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven't listened to The Prophet series, start here: http://pretendradio.org/the-prophet-word-of-faith-fellowship-revisited/ When I first started this podcast, I reported on a secretive church located in the foothills in western North Carolina called the Word of Faith Fellowship. The church is accused of being a cult and separating families—forcing them to break ties with non-believers. One teenager named Matthew Fenner pressed charges against five church ministers because he said they beat the gay demons out of him. And that's just the beginning. Several former members reported being forced into isolation in what is known as the lower building. Some male congregants say they lived in this makeshift storage unit for over a year. But perhaps they're best remembered for their signature style of prayer. It's known as blasting. As you can hear in this secret audio recording, blasting is a form of deliverance meant to cast out the devil. It has been said that crying babies were often held down and yelled at until the devil released its grip on the child. I've experienced blasting first hand. In 2018, I was personally invited by the church's leader, Jane Whaley, to spend the day at the Word of Faith Fellowship. While interviewing her in her office, Jane Whaley looked me straight in the eyes, opened her mouth, and began shouting. It was terrifying. To this day, I still get chills. It's been 2 years since I finished my 11-part series on the Word of Faith. Since then, I've been flooded with emails asking me to give them an update. They want to know, have there been any new allegations of abuse? Have any of the church leaders faced any criminal charges? Is Jane Whaley still running the church? Today, I plan to answer some of these questions. ______ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale Reference: Covid-19 Timelines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_States_(2020) https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus Threats against Word of Faith church over coronavirus rumor https://www.charlotteobserver.com/article242307531.html Word of Faith church in NC received a PPP loan amid COVID https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article244084852.html Lotz International LLC v. Burnette: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17404523/lotz-international-llc-v-burnette/ Case against Facebook commenters moves to state court: https://www.shelbystar.com/story/special/2020/09/23/case-against-facebook-commenters-moves-to-state-court/43180133/ Former Word of Faith member charged with breaking into minister's home: https://wlos.com/news/local/former-world-of-faith-member-charged-with-breaking-into-ministers-home Word of Faith member reaches plea deal in fraud scam: https://wlos.com/news/local/word-of-faith-member-reaches-plea-deal-in-fraud-scam Trump March: https://youtu.be/yxUksEHZGag?t=350 Trump Rally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7VJtRZBy-M Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tori Telfer, author of Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion joins us to talk about female con artists. Today, we're focusing on one of the women in her book—Bonny Lee Bakley, the wife of Hollywood actor Robert Blake. ______ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode, we're going to take another look at the opioid crisis, but this time from a pharmacist's perspective. But this is not just any pharmacist. Dan Schneider is a vigilante who helped bring down his son's killer, a pill mill, and one of Earth's largest pharmaceutical companies. Watch the Pharmacist on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81002576 ______ Today's episode was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale. ______ Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Today's episode was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A doctor caught trading prescriptions for cash leaves a trail of bodies behind. A respected anesthesiologist ran a pain-management clinic on the weekends out of a basement in Flushing Queens, New York. Each Saturday, Dr. Stan Li saw more than seventy patients a day, writing prescriptions for Oxycontin, Xanax, and other opioids. Today's episode features Charlotte Bismuth, author of Bad Medicine. Links Here's a link to the Birth of a Con Man series. Also, subscribe to the new PRETEND YouTube channel for a chance to win a t-shirt. ——- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johnny Depp played Donnie Brasco in the Academy Award-nominated film. But the real-life story of Donnie Brasco is even more fascinating. Joe Pistone, an FBI agent, went deep undercover as Brasco and spent six years inside the Bonanno and Columbo crime families. The movie, if you remember, starts with Joe Pistone immediately infiltrating with the mob. In today's episode, we will talk about everything that happened before the movie even begins. What was Donnie Brasco's backstory? Where did he come from, and how did he earn money? The FBI needed to figure out every single detail about this fictional character before Joe Pistone ever made the first contact with the mafia. They decided that Donnie Brasco was going to be a jewel thief. That required Pistone to learn how gemology, how to break into safes, and how to disable alarms. In this episode, you will hear from Joe Pistone himself. You'll even get to listen to a real wiretap recording between Donnie Brasco and his associate Lefty Ruggiero. If you want more, check out the new podcast "Deep Cover-The Real Donnie Brasco," Joe Pistone shares the true stories of his time with the mob to his friend and host actor Leo Rossi. PRETEND is on YouTube Make sure to subscribe to the PRETEND YouTube channel. I will pick 10 subscribers at random and mail them a screen printed PRETEND t-shirt. "Fuhggedaboutit" ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian Earl with the Christmas Past podcast shares a Christmas story you’ve probably never heard before. In the early 1900s, children’s letters to Santa Claus never made it to the North Pole. They landed in the dead letter office and were eventually destroyed. But along came John Gluck, a hustler who took these letters to Santa and turned it into an opportunity to get rich and famous. It’s the strange and true story of government agents, spies, an art thief, U.S. presidents, and gun-toting boy scouts. Check out “My Dear Santa” with Brian Earl from the Christmas Past podcast My Dear Santa: A True Crime Christmas Caper ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember when we used to go out to parties? Well, since you can't really go out these days, today we're going to celebrate together. In this episode we're talking about party crashers. Act 1: How to crash a party Our first story is about the art of crashing a party. What do you need to do to attend a party you weren't invited to without ever getting caught? Megan Gillikin a wedding planner and the host of the Wedding for Real Podcast shows us how. Act 2: The White House party crashers Our second story, is about the greatest party crasher story of all time. The date was November 24th, 2009. Two Washington D.C. socialites were on their way to the White House state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the stars of the Real Housewives of D.C., crashed the White House State Dinner. How were they able to crash the most secure party on Earth? Act 3: A party crasher's confession We end the show with stories from listeners like you about a time you crashed a party. Oh, and by the way, just a warning. Some parts of this episode are not suitable for young children. Just want to put that out there. -------- Have you ever crashed a party? Do you have a party crashing story you would like to share? Leave me a voicemail at (919) 867-1871. Or email me javier [at] pretendradio [dot] org. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A real-life Indiana Jones? The word on the street is that Michael Torres is Ph.D. by day and a treasure hunter by night. Torres claims he has an aeronautical engineering degree from Duke University. Don’t believe him? He has a photo of his diploma. Michael Torres also claims to have taught at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He has the library card to prove it. When he’s not in the classroom, Torres is out looking for treasure. He claims he raided catacombs in Turkey, he’s recovered one of Sir Francis Drake’s sunken ship. And most recently, he discovered what he believes is a pre-Incan Peruvian burial mask off the eastern coast of Florida. But like unlike Dr. Indiana Jones, some have accused him of stolen valor by exaggerating his military career. They say Torres falsely represented himself as a war hero with two Purple Heart medals. His critics say not to believe a word he says. For instance, Michael Torres says he discovered a mass Jewish mass grave in Savannah, Georgia. Is he a serious treasure hunter or just a hack who makes up stories in order to gain attention? As a spectator in the world of fraud, I allow myself to get sucked in towards the center of the storm of lies. I do this with great caution. The closer I get, the more believable the stories get. And unlike victims, who are emotionally and financially invested, it's easier for me to circle just outside the hurricane's eye wall. In today’s episode, I’ll let you be the judge. Is Michael Torres a war hero/treasure hunter? Or is he a con artist? ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Michael Torres discovers "a mass Jewish grave." But is it what he thinks it is? And I talk to the CEO of Seafarer Exploration to figure out why he hasn't found a single treasure in 13 years. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A modern-day pirate Michael Torres is a self-proclaimed pirate. He says his most recent finds include the crown jewels of a pre-Incan civilization, a missing colonial settlement, and a desecrated Jewish burial site at Bonaventure cemetery. These larger-than-life discoveries have come into question. In today’s episode, we’ll follow the evidence to separate fact from fiction. Seafarer Exploration Michael Torres is currently being sued by Seafarer Exploration, a treasure salvage company. The company says Torres lied about his credentials and has set them back financially. Today, we take a closer look at Seafarer Exploration to understand how this company stays afloat. After all, they’ve been around for 13 years, have millions of dollars in debt, and have yet to find a treasure. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Florida treasure-hunting CEO says he was tricked by a conman. Seafarer Exploration, a treasure salvage company, has spent the last 13 years trying to find a 300-year-old Spanish galleon sunken off the coast of Florida. A galleon is a large sailboat, with multiple leveled decks, and 3 or 4 masts. These ships were designed to carry large treasures found in the new world and bring them back to Spain. Lost treasure In 1715, a Spanish fleet loaded up with silver departed from Havana, Cuba. Seven days later, a hurricane off the east coast of central Florida swooped in and took down eleven of the twelve ships. Hence, the reason they call this part of Florida the treasure coast. But as you can imagine, trying to find the mother load buried underneath the ocean is like finding a needle in a haystack. If Seafarer Exploration has any chance of finding this treasure, they are going to need to find someone who can build a ship that is powerful enough to scan the ocean floor. Imagine a giant floating metal detector that can capture high-resolution images of the seabed. That's when Kyle Kennedy, CEO of Seafarer Exploration, met a man who said, "Sure. I can build you this machine." His name was Dr. Michael Torres. Kyle Kennedy claims that Michael Torres presented himself as an aeronautical engineer who graduated with a doctorate degree from Duke University. Torres also said he taught at MIT Draper labs and represented the NSA while also working on multiple classified government contracts. Kyle Kennedy couldn't believe it. This Dr. Michael Torres guy was perfect! And on top of an unbelievable resume, Kennedy says that Dr. Torres was a wounded war hero, who served two tours in Afghanistan. He was even awarded the Purple Heart medal. The lawsuit Fast-forward a few years later, Kyle Kennedy is now suing Michael Torres for fraud. He says Michael Torres is a con artist who faked his credential. So, who is this guy? Dr. Michael Torres? I'm going to track him down to find out if he really is who they say he is. It turns out that the conman in this story is not who you would expect. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A man says his best friend scammed him out of almost $100,000. Now, he's getting revenge. Jonathan Walton fell for the oldest trick in the book. He said, “It wasn't some Nigerian Prince emailing me in my spam folder. It was a living, breathing, lovable woman.” That lovable woman’s name is Mair Smyth. She’s also known as Marianne Smyth, or Marianne Andle, or Marianne Welch. She has 23 known aliases. The way Johnathan Walton describes her, Marianne Smyth is a gifted con artist who brilliantly juggles lies with ease. Each lie gracefully circles in the air, passing through her hands, without ever getting caught. But when she decided to rip off Johnathan Walton, she picked the wrong mark. You can learn more about this story by visiting https://johnathanwalton.com/ Bonus episode Historical Cons - The man who sold the Brooklyn Bridge Patreon exclusive episode This is the first in a series of new Patreon only episodes. The series will focus on historical con artists. Today's episode is about the man who sold the Brooklyn Bridge. This week, I'm joined by Rebekah Sebastian with the Die-alogue podcast and the Yellowtape true crime trivia show. Listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42197195 ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Confessions of a former identity thief Dartanyon A. Williams stole his parents' identities at the age of 15. Unfortunately, they weren’t his last victims. Dartanyon, who also goes by DAW, claims he has stolen thousands of identities. So many that he lost count. How to steal someone’s identity How did he do it? He had many tactics. But the most proven technique was paying off employees at restaurants, car dealerships, and tax preparation companies. These employees served as double agents. When no one was looking, they would collect customer social security numbers and smuggle them to DAW. Today, DAW’s life of crime is behind him. He’s currently running for congress this November for the U.S. House to represent Louisiana's 6th Congressional District. How to protect your identity These days, it’s just as easy to steal your identity from a breached database. Everything an identity thief needs to steal your identity is already online. What can you do to protect yourself? Click here to see if your email has been involved in a breached database: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Freezing your credit and setting up a fraud alert I’ve taken the extreme step of freezing my credit. It’s actually not really that extreme. In fact, it’s quite easy. In this episode, you’ll hear how simple it is to lock down your credit so that no one can assume your identity. Michael Bazzell, a privacy consultant, walks me through the credit freeze process. For more details, download his step-by-step guide. Essentially, get a free credit report from one of the credit bureaus, then ask them to freeze your credit. This way, no one can open a line of credit under your name. If you ever need to unfreeze your credit, it’s easy. Just unfreeze your credit by going online or with a quick phone call. Equifax Online: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/ Experian Online: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html TransUnion Online: https://service.transunion.com/dss/orderStep1_form.page Michael Bazzell To learn more about Michael Bazzell, check out his website IntelTechniques.com and listen to his podcast The Privacy, Security, & OSINT show. I also recommend you buy a copy of Extreme Privacy: What it takes to disappear. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the last two episodes, you heard from Michael Bazzell a privacy expert whose job is to make people disappear. But who is he? Why is he so passionate about privacy? And how exactly does he make people disappear? I'm going to do my best to figure him out. It turns out Michael Bazzell eats his own dog food. He's pretty much an invisible man. I have no idea where he lives or what he looks like. I've spent hours talking to Michael these past few months hoping that he will slip up and let out some detail about his private life. Nope. This guy is locked down and takes his privacy seriously. If you want to disappear, here is a checklist of things you’ll need to get started: First, you’ll need a copy of Michael Bazzell’s book titled Extreme Privacy: What it takes to disappear. A secure VPN to protect your location. Michael Bazzell says that a VPN is probably the single most important item on this list. A Faraday bag for your smartphone like this one. For more resources, make sure to visit inteltechniques.com. And make sure to check out Michael Bazzell’s podcast The Privacy, Security, & OSINT Show. It's time to reevaluate your digital privacy. Everything you need to know in order to live off the digital grid. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the last episode, we talked about the wrong way to disappear. Faking your own death rarely works. But did you know that there are real people out there who legitimately need to fade away into society? Who needs to disappear? There are many reasons to live anonymously. However, we’ve broken it down to four different archetypes: the executive, the celebrity, the victim, and the government employee. The executive CEOs and business executives are easy targets. They take all the credit when things go right. But they’re also responsible any time something goes wrong. And when that happens they have to minimize the threat. It could be a disgruntled employee, or they'be a target because of their wealth. Recently, a Silicon Valley CEO was kidnapped and murdered by two former employees. Hear tactics executives use to live privately. The celebrity Today’s celebrities are more accessible than ever. Stars like Taylor Swift, Eminem, and UFC fighter Anthony Smith have had their homes broken into. Alison Sweeney, from Days of our Lives and the Biggest Loser, talks about balancing the limelight with basic privacy rights. The victim Often times, domestic violence victims need to disappear in order to survive. Hear the story on how one victim fled her attacker. The government employee Judges and prosecutors are often targets of intimidation and death threats. And police are targets too due to the heightened attention on police brutality and racial profiling. Learn how government employees eliminate the threat by making themselves impossible to find. This series is a collaboration with Michael Bazzell. In the next few episodes, we’re going to show you to successfully vanish from society. You too can live undetected. It’s not just for wealthy CEOs. For more than 20 years, Michael Bazzell worked on behalf of the US government investigating computer crimes. He was also a consultant on the hacker show Mr. Robot. He no longer works for the government. These days, Michael Bazzell helps people disappear. ---- Get Michael Bazzell's book: Extreme Privacy: What it takes to disappear Affiliate link disclaimer. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Olivia Newton-John’s Former Boyfriend Fake His Own Death?Faking your own death is almost always a bad idea. Hear the story of Patrick McDermott, Olivia Newton John’s boyfriend, who many believe staged his own death. The wrong way to disappear People have been playing dead since the beginning of time. There’s really no way of knowing for how long this has been going on. But I can imagine that the illusion of dying is closely correlated with the concept of debt. If you owe someone lots of money, you have two options: either pay it or run away. Patrick McDermott, Olivia Newton-John’s missing boyfriend, had every reason to run away. His film work had dried up and he owed his ex-wife thousands of dollars in back child support. It took 10 days for anyone to realize he was missing. Olivia Newton-John wasn’t looking for him because they had just recently broken up. It wasn’t until he didn’t show up to pick up his son that his ex-wife noticed something was wrong. But people can’t just run away without leaving behind clues. Patrick McDermott was last seen after going on an overnight fishing trip. Was McDermott lost at sea or was he just on the run? The truth is, no one wanted to find out. His ex-wife filed a claim on his life insurance. And Olivia Newton John wanted the whole thing put behind her. When the manager of the marina was asked about McDermott’s whereabouts, he said that Patrick McDermott’s name was indeed on the ship’s manifesto. And there was something else. He left behind his tackle box. Inside, they found his wallet, driver’s license, and car keys. Why would anyone want to fake their own death? I haven’t seen any real study on this topic but I can imagine that there are many reasons why someone would want to leave their own life behind and start fresh. It could be forbidden love like in Romeo and Juliet. Or it can be greed—like someone trying to cash in on their own life insurance policy. When it comes to dying, people have many different motivations. How to disappear with Michael Bazzell This series is a collaboration with Michael Bazzell, a privacy consultant and host of The PRIVACY, SECURITY, & OSINT Show. We’re going to show you the wrong way and the right way to disappear. Buy the book: Extreme Privacy: What it takes to disappear by Michael Bazzell: https://amzn.to/2XFm4of A special thanks to Philip Klein. If you want to read more about Patrick McDermott’s disappearance, check out the book “Lost at Sea: The hunt for Patrick McDermott.” Buy the book: Lost at Sea https://amzn.to/3ihMjcf Affiliate link disclaimer. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic is a conman’s Super Bowl. In times like these, when there's so much uncertainty, snake oil salesmen are ready to promise you a cure. In this episode, you'll hear from a woman who takes one of these miracle drugs. I ask her why she takes it. Special thanks to: Joe Terrell with Instrument of Mercy https://instrumentofmercy.com/ A Concerned Citizen and host of Swindled Sources: https://www.who.int/csr/don/2011_11_24/en/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20170722143956/https:/www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm184087.htm https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/what-can-coronavirus-tell-us-about-conspiracy-theories/610894/ https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/may/holy-spirit-empowered-christian-global-pentecostal-study.html ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

COVID-19 Scams I wasn’t expecting to be back with a new PRETEND episode so soon. In fact, I’m still wrapping up the final episodes for my new show called CRIMINAL CONDUCT. But the world around us has changed. And scammers are on the prowl. If you live in the US, chances are you probably received your stimulus payment. It went either straight into your bank account through direct deposit. Or some of you may have cashed the check that you received in the mail. We’re talking about much-needed money for tens of millions of Americans out of work due to the Coronavirus. $1,200 for individuals and $3,400 for a family of four. The IRS has sent out 150 million payments so far since the time of this recording… but more payments are still expected to still arrive through the end of June. And if you haven’t received your check, you’re probably wondering what’s the hold-up? Unfortunately for some, your money is probably gone and in the hands of thieves. Today, I’m going to show you exactly how easy it is for scammers to steal your money. In fact, I’ve challenged a privacy expert to try and hack into my private information. I was really shocked at what he was able to find. Resources: Password managers 1Password.com (User-friendly and secure) Bitwarden (More secure cloud-based password manager) KeePassXC (More secure computer-based password manager) Search to see if you’re password is exposed in a breached database https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Credit freezes Credit Freeze Tutorial (Full Workbook) Annual Credit Report (Free credit report to detect fraud) Enable 2-factor authentication on all platforms that support it https://twofactorauth.org/ Online removal workbook https://inteltechniques.com/data/workbook.pdf Additional resources Michael Bazzell’s website Intel Techniques Eva Velasquez Identity Theft Resource Center ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

//Criminal Conduct debuts on March 23rd.// Get an inside look into the making of the new podcast. Thank you to Jerri Williams from FBI Retired Case File Review for helping us with this bonus episode. You can listen to the episode one now on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/posts/34832524 Subscribe to Criminal Conduct now so you won't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 2nd, 2010, 24 year-old Michelle O’Connell broke up with her boyfriend, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy, Jeremy Banks. Minutes later, she was dead. The St. Johns Sheriff’s Office quickly ruled the case a suicide, without examining crucial forensic evidence or interviewing any key witnesses. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, yet other investigations failed to gain traction. Her boyfriend, Deputy Jeremy Banks was never charged and is still working as a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy. Years later, an amateur sleuth named Eli Washtock winds up murdered after investigating Michelle O’Connell’s death. What did he find out? ‘Criminal Conduct’ is an investigative true crime podcast series hosted by John Taylor and Javier Leiva. The hosts retrace the footsteps of Eli Washtock, the slain sleuth; picking up the investigation where he left off. ‘Criminal Conduct’ will be released in the spring of 2020. Subscribe now on all podcast platforms. criminalconduct.net Apple Podcast https://apple.co/2S4KaoG Google Play http://bit.ly/CriminalConGoogle Stitcher http://bit.ly/CriminalConStitcher Spotify https://spoti.fi/2S0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Joe Schmo Show is a real-life Truman Show—where everyone is an actor except one unsuspecting guy. It’s a reality show within a reality show. The series everyone watched on SPIKE TV was called The Joe Schmo show. But the show Matt Kennedy Gould thought he was participating in was called The Lap of Luxury—a Big Brother style television show. He had no idea that the people he was living with were all actors. The series was created by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool). It was hosted by Ralph Garman and written and produced by J. Holland Moore. Season one starred a young Kristen Wiig who played a quack psychiatrist. I must warn you. This show did not age well. It would not survive in today’s #metoo movement. Despite what it lacks in sensitivity, it makes up for in its ingenuity and heart. In this episode, Melissa with Moms and Murder and I talk with Chase Rogan, season three’s Joe Schmo, to find out what it’s like to be the star of television’s biggest hoax. Credits Today’s episode was written and produced by me and Melissa. Original music was provided by thechicken.net Additional music by Blue dot sessions All clips in this podcast were used in compliance with the US copyright act for fair use exemption, for criticism and commentary ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A con artist save Christmas Brian Earl with the Christmas Past podcast shares a Christmas story you’ve probably never heard before. In the early 1900s, children’s letters to Santa Claus never made it to the North Pole. They landed in the dead letter office and were eventually destroyed. But along came John Gluck, a hustler who took these letters to Santa and turned it into an opportunity to get rich and famous. It’s the strange and true story of government agents, spies, an art thief, U.S. presidents, and gun-toting boy scouts. Check out “My Dear Santa” with Brian Earl from the Christmas Past podcast ------- Credits Today’s show was written and edited by Javier Leiva. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Podington Bear. ------- Support for this episode is brought to you by Detective Trapp Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs — as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/PretendDT ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PrankNet is a network of online terrorists who performed crank calls which caused thousands of dollars worth in damages. These cruel prank phone calls created anxiety and fear for anyone who picked up the phone. PrankNet victims destroyed hotel rooms, set off fire alarms, and flooded rooms by damaging the sprinkler system. In part 3, you heard actual Pranknet prank calls. In part 4, you’ll hear from a former prank caller who says she was one of the architects behind Pranknet’s most despicable hoax. It involved two female KFC employees in Manchester, New Hampshire. The two employees were convinced to strip naked in the freezing cold and urinate on each other. Hear how Jeri Batsford says she helped Pranknet orchestrate some of their most twisted pranks. Credits Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Molly Brock. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear. Support for this episode is brought to you by Detective Trapp Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs — as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/PretendDT ------ References http://www.onpointnews.com/docs/hoax.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysSgG5V-R3U https://www.wmur.com/news/18803151/detail.html ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When does a prank call go too far? When it leads to sexual abuse and thousands of dollars worth of destruction. PrankNet The punks at Pranknet are believed to be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars worth in damages. They often called restaurants making employees set off sprinklers systems and fire alarms. Sometimes they would even call hotel guests directly and convince them to shatter hotel windows. An ESPN reporter falls for a Pranknet hoax Nobody is safe from PrankNet's mayhem. Even Elizabeth Moreau, an ESPN reporter, was persuaded to swing a toilet seat across her Hilton Garden Inn window in the middle of the night. She thought there was a gas leak in the building. All of these calls were recorded and posted on Youtube. You can hear the desperation in her voice during the call. Who is behind PrankNet? The mastermind behind PrankNet is allegedly a Canadian man who goes by the name of Dex. Dex, who’s real name is Tariq Malik, is clearly proud of his work. However, when exposed by an internet blog, he vanished without a trace. A prank caller confesses I wanted to learn more about PrankNet and how they operate. The question is, could I get one of them to talk with me? Fortunately, Jeri Batsford, a former PrankNet member, deflected from the group. Listen to part 3 of The Prank Call on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. ----- Credits Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear. ----- Support for this episode is brought to you by Detective Trapp Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs -- as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/PretendDT ---- References http://www.onpointnews.com/docs/hoax.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysSgG5V-R3U https://www.wmur.com/news/18803151/detail.html ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A prank call leads to a 2-hour strip-search at a fast-food restaurant A prank caller posing as a cop calls a manager at a Hardee's Restaurant in Rapid City, South Dakota. He tells the store manager that one of his employees stole money from a customer. Instead of calling the real police, the manager decides to strip search the employee. This prank call went on for more than 2 hours. I spoke with the manager of that restaurant to find out why he obeyed the prank caller's every demand. Searching for David Stewart—the prank call suspect Victor Flaherty is now the Cheif of Police in West Bridgewater police department in Massachusetts at the time in 2004, he was a detective sergeant searching for the notorious fast-food prank caller. Many police stations across the United States tried to locate the perpetrator—and all of them failed. It turns out that tracing the calls back to the source proved to be nearly impossible. Listen to the lengthVictor Flaherty went through to find the suspect named David Stewart. If you want to start from the beginning, listen to part 1 here. Credits Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Molly Brock. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear. References: Rapid City Journal Courier Journal MSNBC ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Disclaimer: We will be talking about sexual abuse and other disturbing topics. Listener discretion is advised. Strip-search hoax A prank caller pretending to be a police officer instructed fast-food managers to strip-search female employees forcing them to jog naked, do jumping jacks and perform other humiliating acts. He made more than 70 of these calls in the United States over a 12-year period. Why do we obey? Some of the managers were charged with rape and kidnapping as a result of these pranks. How could they fall for such a prank? The truth is, humans are programmed to respect authority. But why do we obey? In this episode, you'll hear real audio from Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience and authority. The results are shocking. Bonus episode Donna Summers, the manager from the McDonalds restaurant in Mount Washington, sued McDonald's for failing to warn her about the previous hoaxes. She asked for $50 million. She was awarded $1 million in punitive damages and $100,000 in compensatory damages. Listen to my conversation with her attorney Wendy Wagner. The Pranks part 1 BONUS (McDonalds Lawsuit) https://www.patreon.com/posts/pranks-part-1-30952858 Links and sources https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2005/10/09/a-hoax-most-cruel-caller-coaxed-mcdonalds-managers-/28936597/ https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/man-on-trial-for-kidnapping-rape/article_faeff508-246c-54db-8a66-15d121c5112d.html https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2005/10/09/a-hoax-most-cruel-caller-coaxed-mcdonalds-managers-/28936597/https://web.archive.org/web/20090325234639/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15504125/ Credits Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Molly Brock. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear. Support for this episode is brought to you by HempFusion Use promo code PRETEND for 20% off of your first order and free shipping at hempfusion.com. Get HempFusion shipped anywhere in the US. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The most bizarre cyberstalking story you’ll ever hear Susan Fensten is a victim of cyberstalking. Distant family members and ex-cons bombarded her with harassing emails. She felt cornered and there was nothing she could do about it. Rapists and Stalkers and cannibals, oh my. Two ex-cons convicted of raping a woman were sending her threatening emails. They even invited her to the Fall Slaughter an event hosted by a cannibalistic cult from upstate New York. The plan was to eat her alive. It was all a hoax None of this was real. All these threatening messages were fake. And worst of all, the people Susan thought she was interacting with weren’t real either. Today’s story focuses on the search for this cyberstalker. Who was targeting Susan? And why did they want her to suffer? Subscribe to PRETEND on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. Check out Susan Fensten’s Memoir based on this story titled, “You have a very soft voice, Susan.” Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Molly Brock. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear. Bonus episodes: Susan Fensten shares a story that didn't make it in her book. The full interview with FBI Special Agent Brandon Waller Support for this episode is brought to you by HempFusion Use promo code PRETEND for 20% off of your first order and free shipping at hempfusion.com. Get HempFusion shipped anywhere in the US. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is not your typical internet stalker story. Susan Fensten's tale is one of torture, rape, bondage, cannibalism, and murder. It’s just plain cruel. It all started when Susan began looking for distant family members on a genealogy site. While trying to fill the gaps with her family tree, she found herself tangled in a web of lies. Her newfound cousin, Leonard Nachman, bombarded her with pornographic emails and a picture of himself masturbating while wearing nylon bodysuits. It was disturbing. But I don't want to give away too much of the story. After you’re done listening to part one, get an early preview of part two on Patreon. Also, check out Susan Fensten’s Memoir based on this story titled, “You have a very soft voice, Susan.” Subscribe to PRETEND on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale. Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alan Canty spent most of his lunch breaks rendezvousing with an 18-year-old sex worker named Dawn Spens in the seedy streets of downtown Detroit. His wife Jan Canty had no idea he was living a double-life. A real-life Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde saga Alan Canty was a prominent psychologist but to Dawn, and her pimp John “Lucky” Fry, he was known as Dr. Alan Miller. He developed an alter ego in order to protect his two worlds from colliding. However, secrets can’t last forever. One day, Alan Canty’s love affair came to a tragic end. Links and sources: If you enjoyed the story, check out Lowell Lowell Cauffiel’s book titled Masquerade To read Jan Canty’s memoir visit Amazon or www.jancantyphd.com Credits Today’s episode was edited by Bear Beat Productions and additional editing by Molly Brock Our Theme is Music by Joe Basie with theChicken.net And additional music by Blue Dot Sessions ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1980s Prostitution in the Streets of Detroit Back in the 1980s, Mark Bando was a Detroit police officer working the streets of Detroit. His assignment was to keep tabs on women forced into prostitution, their pimps, and the sugar daddies who kept them in business. Dawn Spens was one of those women. We follow their interlaced story. Dawn’s sugar daddy was a prominent psychologist named Alan Canty. He would meet her for sex during his lunch break. This relationship went on for two years. Meanwhile, his wife Jan Canty didn’t know what was really going on. This rendezvous didn’t last forever. Hear how Alan Canty’s double life was exposed. Meet the characters The Sugar Daddy- Alan Canty The Sex Worker- Dawn Spens The Pimp- John “Lucky” Links and sources: If you enjoyed the story, check out Lowell Lowell Cauffiel’s book titled Masquerade To read Jan Canty’s memoir visit Amazon or www.jancantyphd.com This is part one of a two-part series. Subscribe to Patreon to listen to part two right now Credits This episode was written and produced by Javier Leiva Edited by Molly Brock Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear Theme music by Joe Basile and thechicken.net ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Norco Security Pacific Bank heist was just the beginning. The thief in the night George Smith and his friend Chris Harven decided to rob a bank in Norco, California. And just like in the movies, these bank robbers charged into the bank and demanded all the money. Except, it was a Friday afternoon, and the vault was pretty much empty. In part one of The Norco Bank Heist, we left off as the bank robbers blasted away the Sheriff Deputies arriving at the scene. Doomsday Peter Houlahan, author of the book “Norco ‘80” says that “There were over 500 rounds fired—200 of them shot at [Deputy Glyn] Balasky alone. They hit his vehicle 46 times, wounding him badly in the elbow. All three of the responding deputies had their vehicle struck multiple times. There were bullets in citizens cars, in houses, in the storefronts. Everything in that intersection was hit with gunfire. Five civilians had been injured.” The Riverside County Sheriff's deputies were completely overwhelmed in the firefight. They never really stood a chance. The pursuit George Wayne Smith and his buddies managed to flee the scene and are on their way to get the cold cars parked a few miles away. But how did this chaotic chase end 60 miles east in a remote canyon heading towards the Mojave desert? ------ Norco ’80 Buy a copy of Norco ’80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan on Amazon or wherever you get your books. ------ Support for this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Is there is something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Sign up today with discount code “PRETEND” to get 10% off your first month. Betterhelp.com/pretend ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the story of the 1980 Norco bank robbery—one of the most violent bank heists in U.S. history. Remarkably, only three people died. However, 30 police cars and one helicopter were torn apart by bullets. In this episode, you’re going to hear from some of the people who were there that day at the Security Pacific Bank. This wasn’t your typical bank robbery. George Smith, the mastermind behind the heist, believed the rapture was coming. His gang of bank robbers was armed with military-grade weapons. The police never stood a chance. I mean, it was a downright war zone. Why would George Smith go to such extremes just to rob a bank? We’re going to spend the next two episodes trying to get inside the mind of George Wayne Smith. Who was he? And what motivated him to orchestrate such an insane bank robbery? And how did they finally catch him, the following day in the canyons, heading to the Mojave Desert? Buy a copy of Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan on Amazon or wherever you get your books. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate This episode was written and produced by Javier Leiva Edited by Molly Clay Music by Blue Dot Sessions Theme music by Joe Basile and thechicken.net Support for this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp Is there is something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Sign up today with discount code “PRETEND” to get 10% off your first month. Betterhelp.com/pretend Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan Gerbic says that psychics are grief vampires—taking advantage of our broken hearts. She asks, “Why isn’t anybody doing something about this?” Susan Gerbic is just like you and me. She has a normal job working as a baby photographer. But at night, she is a badass vigilante hunting psychics. Susan says, “One of my favorite things to do is try to expose people we call grief vampires. People who claim to speak to the dead.” Her motivation is not to settle a vendetta. In fact, she says she’s never really been the target of a psychic. Susan simply doesn’t like them and the way they profit off of people’s grief. The US market for psychic services is worth about $2 billion annually according to IBIS World, a market research firm based in Los Angeles California. On this episode of Pretend, Susan attempts to capture psychics lying on tape. These psychic hunters spent months setting up fake Facebook pages, hoping that a so-called psychic uses the falsified information during a psychic reading. It took a few tries, but she finally got one on tape. Links: Silvia Browne gets punked by skeptic Mark Edward Tim Braun (psychic) Chip Coffey (psychic) Thomas John (psychic) New York Times article: Inside the Secret Sting Operations to Expose Celebrity Psychics - The ...https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/magazine/psychics-skeptics-facebook.html Support for this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Is there is something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Sign up today with discount code “PRETEND” to get 10% off your first month. Betterhelp.com/pretend ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate This episode was written and produced by Javier Leiva Theme music by Joe Basile with thechicken.net Additional music by Glad Rags Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1979, two high school kids claiming to be psychic managed to fool parapsychology researchers at Washington University using simple magic tricks and sleight of hand. Little did the scientists know, these kids were just amateur magicians pulling a fast one on them. Today, these kids are grown. Their names are Steve Shaw, who now goes by the stage name Banachek, and Mike Edwards. But back in 1979, they were seen as boys with exceptional abilities. They were planted in the parapsychology research study by the magician and skeptic James Randi. They coined this stunt Project Alpha. The parapsychology lab at Washington State University was called the McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research. The lab ran a long series of experiments ranging from moving objects in sealed glass domes to controlling clocks and creating images appear on unexposed film. Banacheck and Edwards say they received no training from James Randi. They had to rely on their instincts and come up with illusions on the fly. During their time at the McDonnell research institute, they followed one rule—always tell the truth if you’re ever asked whether they were faking the results. They kept this ruse going for almost three years. This is part of my series on Psychics. Part 1 features my conversation with Uri Geller. ------------- Links EXPLORATORY RESEARCH WITH TWO NEW PSYCHIC METAL BENDERS Transcribed from Research in Parapsychology (1981), pp. 144-146 Peter R. Phillips and Mark Shafer† (Washington University) http://www.aiprinc.org/documents/PS.pdf McDonnell Laboratory press release after the revelation http://www.aiprinc.org/documents/CIA_on_Randi.pdf Parapsychological Weapon - NSA Memo Project STARGATE https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/nsa-rdp96x00790r000100030042-9 ------------- Written and Produced by Javier Leiva Theme music by Joe Basile with thechicken.net Additional music by Podington Bear and Glad Rags Additional audio provided by Banachek's Brain podcast ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Support for this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Is there is something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? Connect with your professional counselor in a safe and private online environment. Sign up today with discount code "PRETEND" to get 10% off your first month. Betterhelp.com/pretend Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2017, The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released more than 12 million pages of declassified documents online. Some of these documents pertained to the self-proclaimed psychic spy Uri Geller. The documents revealed a CIA funded study at the Stanford Research Institute revolving around psychokinesis. Psychokinesis is the ability for someone to move objects with the power of their minds. Why in the world would the CIA, arguably the world’s most elite spy agency, want to study psychics? I interviewed Uri Geller about his time at the Stanford Research Institute. We spoke about his childhood, discovering his supernatural abilities, his involvement with spy agencies like the Israeli Mossad, and many other unbelievable events. You have to remember, this all took place in the 1970s. Governments were more open to exploring the supernatural. Even the Soviet Union reportedly hired psychics to spy on their enemies. But not everyone was eager to seek the help of psychics. Johnny Carson invited Uri Geller on The Tonight Show and it was a total disaster. Uri Geller could not perform his most basic tricks. What happened? Uri Geller says it was a hit job. To learn more about Uri Geller, check out The Secret Life of Uri Geller. It's a fascinating documentary. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Theme music by The Chicken Additional music by Podington Bear, Glad Rags, Blue Dot Sessions Written and produced by Javier Leiva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Saltarelli is a bounty hunter who also happens to be a former fugitive. In part one of the Bounty Hunter, a judge sentenced Jack to 20 years in prison for a drug offense. After failing to appeal the judge’s decision, Jack decided he wasn’t going back to prison. Instead, Jack Saltarelli moved to Pennsylvania and started cooking meth in a mountainside cabin. When he wasn't cooking meth, Jack was hiding in plain sight on national television. He was volunteering as a search and rescue crew members looking for victims of the Atlanta Monster, serial killer Wayne Williams. This is a wild story, so I don't want to spoil it for you. Hear how the FBI finally caught up to him. Special thanks to former agent Jerri Williams with the FBI Retired Case File Review podcast for introducing me to Jack. I would also like to thank former FBI agent Judy Tyler and Jack Saltarelli for sharing their stories. Jack Saltarelli with agent Judy Tyler and the FBI[/caption] ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Credits Pretend is produced by Javier Leiva Theme music by The Chicken Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Promos this week for A Date with Dateline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Saltarelli is a bounty hunter. His job is to hunt down fugitives. Any given day, he’s going after rapist, murderers, and people who skip court. Most bounty hunters carry lethal weapons, but not Jack. He goes door-to-door carrying a stun gun and a training revolver that fires rubber bullets. You may be asking yourself what’s the difference between a cop and a bounty hunter? First, bounty hunters have more authority than local police. Cops have jurisdictions, and they need warrants in order to enter your home. Bounty hunters, on the other hand, can hunt you down anywhere, and they can even barge into your homes if they have to. How can they get away with this? Simple. Let’s say you get arrested and sign a bail bond contract to get out of jail. The moment you sign that contract, you’re waiving your constitutional rights. I met up with Jack at his bail bonds office in Gulfport, Mississippi. Let’s just say that Jack isn’t your ordinary bounty hunter. His story is much more complicated than that. Find out the secret Jack Saltarelli has been hiding for more than 30 years. Part 2 is available right now for my Patreon supporters. Retired FBI Agent Jerri Williams You know, people always ask me, “Javier, where do you find these stories?” The answer is all sorts of places. But not this one. I learned about this story from my podcast from my friend Jerri Williams. Jerri is a retired FBI agent who has a podcast called FBI Retired Casefile Review. You may remember Jerri from the episode with the telemarketing con artist named Carl. If you haven’t check out FBI Retired Casefile Review, do yourself a favor and subscribe. Jerri is on every week featuring real former FBI agents describing their case. She is the real deal. You can listen to Jerri's interview with Jack Saltarelli and retired FBI agent Judy Tyler here. Also, you should check out her new book, it’s called FBI Myths and Misconceptions: A Manual for Armchair Detectives. Jerri debunks clichés and misconceptions about the FBI in books, TV, and movies. And thank you to you for helping me fund this story. If it weren’t for my Patreon supporters, I couldn’t be able to support the flight down to Gulf Port, MS, or the rental car and hotel. Seriously, this story was great because I was able to be there with Jack. If you want to hear more stories like this, please consider donating one dollar to the show. It really goes a long way. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Credits Pretend is produced by Javier Leiva Theme music by The Chicken Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Promos this week for Beyond the Obituary and Spy Stories Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every night, Marie Walsh had the same nightmare.If only she could roll over and tell her husband the truth. But she can’t. Tonight, she’s going to have to suffer alone. Marie says, "I had a dream where they were chasing me and chasing me." But one night, Marie's nightmare was different. "I finally got away. I was finally free, and they wouldn't be able to catch me. And I woke up feeling really happy. After all those years of being a nightmare, I'd finally gotten away." But what was Marie running from? After all, she was just a middle-aged suburban mom who lived an unremarkable life. "I was a middle-aged mother of three in a suburb of San Diego, California. I was a soccer mom. That's kind of what I did." Every day revolved around her kids. "It was not that glamorous or exciting." It was just this very average life. An average life that she’s worked so hard to keep. But one night, her recurring nightmare returned. Except for this time she was wide awake. Find out the secret that kept Marie running for more than 30 years. After the episode, make sure to read the book: A Tale Of Two Lives: The Susan LeFevre Fugitive Story _______________ Lies, lies, and more lies A few seasons ago, I asked you to submit stories about lies. Either lies that you’ve told or lies that have impacted you personally. And boy, was the response crazy! I ended up making a whole episode dedicated to lies. I want to try it again. Email me a voice memo. Chances are your story could make it on the show. ------- Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at [email protected]. For more episodes like this visit pretendradio.org. To get early releases and bonus episodes go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices