Free Daily Podcast Summary
PRETEND: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Creative Babble, LLC
PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons. PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling. Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC
Latest Episodes
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- Yesterday36 min
How Edward Smog Scammed a Retired Nurse Out of $150K
My friend Joe sells real estate. He called me about one of his clients, a retired nurse who was selling her house, because something about her story wasn't sitting right with him. She'd lost her savings to a man named Edward Smog. Found her online, quoted her scripture, told her he was her way out of debt. By the time I got involved, she was out a hundred and fifty grand. Now a new scammer is coming after her. She believes he's an offshore oil rig worker, and they're going to get married. I'm trying to stop him before he takes any more of her money. If you or someone you love is being targeted, here's where to go. To report it, the FBI runs the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and the FTC takes reports at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you want to talk to a real person for free, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline run by the Department of Justice at 833-372-8311, seven days a week, 6am to 11pm Eastern. You can also reach the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. Tips for your elderly parents: No real grant, agency, or lottery ever asks you to pay a fee to get money. Gift cards, wire transfers to strangers, and crypto are how scammers get paid. Full stop. If you've never met someone in person on a live video call, assume you don't know who they are. Ask for that video call right now, not later. Take a screenshot of their photos and run a reverse image search. The excuses will tell you everything. And before any money moves, tell one person who loves you. Out loud. The scam only survives in the quiet. Resources If you or someone you love is being targeted, here's where to go. To report it, the FBI runs the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and the FTC takes reports at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you want to talk to a real person for free, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline run by the Department of Justice at 833-372-8311, seven days a week, 6am to 11pm Eastern. You can also reach the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. Tips for your elderly parents: No real grant, agency, or lottery ever asks you to pay a fee to get money. Gift cards, wire transfers to strangers, and crypto are how scammers get paid. Full stop. If you've never met someone in person on a live video call, assume you don't know who they are. Ask for that video call right now, not later. Take a screenshot of their photos and run a reverse image search. The excuses will tell you everything. And before any money moves, tell one person who loves you. Out loud. The scam only survives in the quiet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago32 min
The Greatest Footballer Who Never Played Revisited
We've covered a lot of PRETENDers on this show. But the guy in this one might take the prize. Carlos Henrique Raposo, better known as Kaiser, fooled the entire professional soccer world in Brazil for 26 years. He signed with more than 30 clubs. He partied with George Michael. He got protected by Rio's most dangerous crime boss. He once punched a fan in the face rather than actually step on the field. And through all of it, he barely played a single real game. This week we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations: an interview with Louis Myles, director of the 2015 documentary "Kaiser! The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football." Myles and his team spent 18 months in Rio chasing down the truth, or something close to it, behind Brazil's greatest football legend who never actually played football. Watch the documentary: "Kaiser! The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football" (2015) is streaming on Amazon Prime. Also from Louis Myles: "Mighty Penguins," following the Brentford Penguins, a football team made up of players with Down syndrome, as they prepare to serve as guard of honour at a Premier League match. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023 and is currently on the festival circuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago28 min
Chain of Command: An Inside Man Speaks
Darnell Emanuel spent years inside Rony Denis's inner circle at the House of Prayer Christian Church. His name is on documents. His credit was used to buy houses he never lived in. But when the fraud finally caught up with the church, Darnell wasn't indicted. In this bonus, Darnell walks us through the burner phones, the code names, and how the whole scheme worked. Plus, an update on Marjorie Denis. And what's happening at NTCC since the series aired. The next two episodes are available right now on Patreon and PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Follow @pretendpod: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pretendpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago25 min
Javier Stops by the Hot Mess Happy Hour Podcast 🍸
This week, Javier stops by the Hot Mess Happy Hour Podcast and it didn't disappoint. It was a hot mess! About Hot Mess Happy Hour: Are you always running late? Do you leave things on top of your car and drive off? You might be a hot mess too so this podcast is for you! Laugh along as we share crazy hot mess stories during our weekly happy hour with yours truly. We'll also share tips and tricks for those affected by ADHD like your host, Susan Cokas! So grab a cocktail and get ready to laugh! It's Hot Mess Happy Hour! Check out the Hot Mess Happy Hour: https://hotmesshappyhour.buzzsprout.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 4 weeks ago40 min
Introducing: 'Hardcore Con' with Johnathan Walton
My friend Johnathan Walton just launched a new show called Hardcore Con, and I had to share it with you. Each episode, he breaks down a con story and the specific psychological tactics scammers use to pull it off. And this episode gets at something I think about a lot: it doesn't matter how smart you are. Subscribe to Hardcore Con on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mXtr05OjD4wk4M8JrvLPy Or search "Hardcore Con" wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Jun 23, 202640 min
Chain of Command part 7
Federal prosecutors say the man known as Rony Denis isn't Rony Denis at all. The arrest finally came in the fall of 2025. Three years after the FBI raids. But the church is still operating. So my friend Jared Smith from the Heliocentric YouTube channel and I drove down to Fayetteville to attend a Sunday service and see what's left of the House of Prayer Christian Church. And the whole sermon, it turned out, felt aimed at two specific people in the pews. This is the final chapter of the Chain of Command series. But it ain't over yet. Watch Jared's Atheist Church Audits on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeliocentricOfficial Written and Produced by Javier Leiva Edited by Puneeth Shenoy | Podcast Pundits https://www.podcastpundits.com/ Music by Joe Basile | thechicken.net Get early access and bonus content PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio © 2026 Creative Babble LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Jun 16, 202633 min
Chain of Command part 6
In Part 6, the FBI comes knocking. Rony Denis and his top associates allegedly defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and military veterans out of more than $23.5 million. The House of Prayer Bible Seminary looked like a school. Veterans used their GI Bill benefits to enroll, paying the church hundreds of dollars a month for classes that led nowhere and credits worth nothing outside these walls. Rony Denis is still a free man. But not for long. Written and Produced by Javier Leiva Edited by Puneeth Shenoy | Podcast Pundits https://www.podcastpundits.com/ Music by Joe Basile | thechicken.net Get early access and bonus content PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio © 2026 Creative Babble LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Jun 9, 202630 min
Chain of Command part 5
Rony Denis wasn't just the spiritual leader at the House of Prayer Christian Church... He was their god. In Part 5, former members start connecting the dots on how Rony Denis consolidated control, and it's worse than you think. He ordered members to smash their own phones in front of the congregation. He commanded public confessions. And when he set his eyes on something he wanted, whether that was another man's wife or a ten-year-old boy, he found a way to take it. Written and Produced by Javier Leiva Edited by Puneeth Shenoy | Podcast Pundits https://www.podcastpundits.com/ Music by Joe Basile | thechicken.net Get early access and bonus content — join on Patreon or try PRETEND+ free on Apple Podcasts. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 © 2026 Creative Babble LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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About PRETEND
PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons. PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling. Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC
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PRETEND publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
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PRETEND covers topics including Technology, True Crime, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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