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PRETEND

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. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

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Episodes

329 episodes

  1. The Stalker: Fit to Stand Trial? Part 24 27:00
  2. The Prophet: A Word of Faith Fellowship Minister Back in Court, 13 Years Later 39:57
  3. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 10 55:51
  4. Nobody Should Believe Me: The Case of Dr. John Cox 43:43
  5. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 9 37:17
  6. BONUS: How Doctors Diagnose Medical Child Abuse 35:16
  7. BONUS: Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Partner Ken Urker Has Died 15:01
  8. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 8 40:19
  9. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 7 42:36
  10. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 6 41:27
  11. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, part 5 42:58
  12. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 4 39:32
  13. The Stalker: Shelbey Fernandez Speaks, Part 23 25:24
  14. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 3 37:22
  15. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 2 42:18
  16. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Part 1 35:44
  17. The Gypsy Rose Obsession, Official Trailer 2:41
  18. The Stalker: Police Say They Found Who Was Sending the Messages, Part 22 42:18
  19. He Turned His Own Father In. Then Built a Career Catching Con Artists. 31:49
  20. How Edward Smog Scammed a Retired Nurse Out of $150K 36:48
  21. Chain of Command: An Inside Man Speaks 28:28
  22. The Greatest Footballer Who Never Played Revisited 32:35
  23. Javier Stops by the Hot Mess Happy Hour Podcast 🍸 25:40
  24. Chain of Command part 7 43:32
  25. Chain of Command part 6 33:10
  26. Chain of Command part 5 30:15
  27. The Lottery Curse with Murder: True Crime Stories 5:02
  28. Chain of Command part 4 42:33
  29. Chain of Command part 3 34:24
  30. Chain of Command part 2 31:57
  31. Chain of Command part 1 39:03
  32. Operation Cockblock Revisited 54:56
  33. The Greatest Podcast Episodes Ever Made (Bonus) 45:57
  34. I Beg Your Pardon part 6: The MAGA Granny 48:23
  35. I Beg Your Pardon part 5 29:23
  36. I Beg Your Pardon part 4 25:50
  37. I Beg Your Pardon part 3 36:03
  38. I Beg Your Pardon part 2 40:39
  39. I Beg Your Pardon part 1 38:30
  40. Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited 42:40
  41. Update on “The Hand That Held Me” 0:48
  42. The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited 1:21:14
  43. The Pests part 1 & 2 Revisited 1:03:35
  44. State of Corruption: The School That Didn't Exist 39:37
  45. Introducing Everything They Missed 34:47
  46. How to Spot a Fake ICE Agent 33:09
  47. Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming Part 3 16:46
  48. Didn't See It Coming (Part 3) 43:26
  49. Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming part 2 25:18
  50. Didn't See It Coming (Part 2) 33:01