PRETEND

Technology

PRETEND

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. 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]

100 episodes

EN language

All Episodes

1

I Beg Your Pardon part 1

39:00 Mar 10, 2026

2

Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited

42:40 Mar 3, 2026

3

Update on “The Hand That Held Me”

0:48 Feb 28, 2026

4

The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited

1:21:14 Feb 24, 2026

5

The Pests part 1 & 2 Revisited

1:03:35 Feb 17, 2026

6

State of Corruption: The School That Didn't Exist

39:37 Feb 10, 2026

7

Introducing Everything They Missed

34:47 Feb 6, 2026

8

How to Spot a Fake ICE Agent

33:09 Feb 3, 2026

9

Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming Part 3

16:46 Jan 31, 2026

10

Didn't See It Coming (Part 3)

43:26 Jan 27, 2026

11

Listener Reaction: Didn't See It Coming part 2

25:18 Jan 24, 2026

12

Didn't See It Coming (Part 2)

33:01 Jan 20, 2026

13

Listener Reaction: Didn't See That Coming Part 1

26:52 Jan 17, 2026

14

Didn't See It Coming (Part 1)

39:28 Jan 13, 2026

15

PRETEND Live AMA

1:06:09 Jan 6, 2026

16

Licensed to Kill Revisited

1:16:51 Dec 30, 2025

17

The Real Life Grinch

37:12 Dec 23, 2025

18

Bonus Episode: Listener Reaction - Matthew Fenner vs. Ted Bell

29:42 Dec 20, 2025

19

The Prophet: Matthew Fenner vs Ted Bell

58:41 Dec 17, 2025

20

Off Script: Pretend, Murder She Told & Sins and Survivors Spill the Tea (BONUS)

36:42 Dec 16, 2025

21

Open Enrollment, Open Season for Scammers

28:00 Dec 9, 2025

22

The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 3

41:32 Dec 2, 2025

23

Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine

20:22 Nov 28, 2025

24

The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 2

30:34 Nov 25, 2025

25

The Cancer Sympathy Machine part 1

37:49 Nov 18, 2025

26

Dakota Spotlight: Meanwhile in Mankato

56:03 Nov 17, 2025

27

From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology Behind Allison Mack

43:23 Nov 11, 2025

28

Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relationships (Cracks in the Fandom)

28:05 Nov 10, 2025

29

The Hypnotist - Alien Abductions

39:56 Nov 1, 2025

30

The Haunted Tourist

1:00:29 Oct 31, 2025

31

The Real Vampires

43:00 Oct 30, 2025

32

Cracks in the Fandom part 4

56:21 Oct 28, 2025

33

Cracks in the Fandom part 3

44:53 Oct 21, 2025

34

Cracks in the Fandom part 2

41:55 Oct 14, 2025

35

Cracks in the Fandom part 1

39:13 Oct 6, 2025

36

The High School Hoax Update

32:37 Sep 30, 2025

37

The Stalker: Rick Fernandez’s Guilty Plea

12:25 Sep 23, 2025

38

The Monster

43:58 Sep 16, 2025

39

State of Corruption: Ohio part 2

40:37 Sep 9, 2025

40

State of Corruption: Ohio part 1

36:45 Sep 2, 2025

41

The Real Donnie Brasco - FBI Case File Review

1:11:40 Aug 28, 2025

42

Who’s Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Part 18: The 911 Caller

55:28 Aug 19, 2025

43

Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey part 17

30:08 Aug 12, 2025

44

"Nobody Should Believe Me" — When the Advocate Is the Abuser

52:45 Aug 5, 2025

45

2203: The Playwright part 3

43:52 Jul 29, 2025

46

Listen Now: Business Wars

7:30 Jul 23, 2025

47

The Playwright part 2

39:19 Jul 22, 2025

48

The Playwright part 1

43:55 Jul 15, 2025

49

BONUS: The Digital Trail to Epstein’s Island

13:12 Jul 9, 2025

50

The Pale Faced Lie Revisited

44:50 Jul 1, 2025

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