What’s Poppin’ Con-gregation? This week, comedians Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos join us to discuss Victor Lustig, a con artist of the 1920s who's notorious for selling the Eiffel Tower, twice. Plus, a German photographer has rejected an award from the Sony World Photography Awards after winning with an AI-generated “photograph.” Stay Schemin’!
 
Research by Kaelyn Brandt 
 
SOURCES:
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ai-photo-win-sony-scli-intl/index.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-smoothest-con-man-that-ever-lived-29861908/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/man-who-sold-eiffel-tower-twice-180958370/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/147064321/
https://www.casino.org/blog/lustigs-money-machine-scam/

The Smooth Talking Swindler of the 1920s w/ Michelle Buteau & Jordan Carlos

“Scam Goddess is a podcast dedicated to fraud and all those who practice it! Each week host Laci Mosley (aka Scam Goddess) keeps listeners up to date on current rackets, digs deep into the latest scams, and breaks down historic hoodwinks alongside some of your favorite comedians! It's like true crime only without all the death! True fun crime!”

Comedy

What’s poppin’ con-gregration? Are you enjoying your Memorial Day weekend? Well today, we’re revisiting our episode with comedian Blair Socci! We discuss Michael Larson, the man who went on CBS’s game show, “Press Your Luck” and scammed them out of over $100,000. Plus, a man is accused of double-dipping employment as a principal of two different schools hundreds of miles apart. Stay Schemin'!
 
This episode was originally recorded Jan. 18th 2022.
 
Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press
 
Follow on Instagram: 
Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod 
Laci Mosley: @divalaci 
Blair Socci: @blairsocci
 
Research By Kaelyn Brandt. 
 
SOURCES:
https://theretronetwork.com/big-money-no-whammies/
https://www.damninteresting.com/who-wants-to-be-a-thousandaire/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/
https://nypost.com/2019/06/10/press-your-luck-game-show-scandal-back-in-the-spotlight/
https://steemit.com/story/@winstonwolfe/the-story-of-michael-larson-and-the-press-your-luck-gameshow-scandal
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/claims/archive/pleasuretime.htm#:~:text=On%20March%2013%2C%201995%2C%20the,action%20against%20Pleasure%20Time%2C%20Inc.&text=The%20SEC%20alleged%20that%20the,and%20the%20Group%20Dynamics%20Downline
https://www.newsweek.com/man-accused-simultaneously-working-principal-two-schools-located-400-miles-apart-1656001
https://medium.com/@hannah.fluxgold/the-confused-math-lady-meme-bd97530b1885

Re-Release: The Game Show Gangsta w/ Blair Socci

Good Friday, con-gregation! We revisit our episode with Lilan Bowden where we break down the hipster who started scamming before it was cool. Plus, remember when Soulja Boy was up in that copyright infringement? Stay schemin’! 
 
This episode was originally released Nov. 03, 2020. 
 
Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press
 
Follow on Instagram: 
Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod 
Laci Mosley: @divalaci 
Lilan Bowden: @yourfriendlilan
 
Research by Sharilyn Vera. 
 
Sources: 
https://observer.com/2009/04/the-hipster-grifter/
https://www.nylon.com/articles/nyfw-refinery-29-scammer-hipster-grifter
https://twitter.com/kariferrell?lang=en
https://www.thedailybeast.com/catching-up-with-the-hipster-grifter
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/01/01/soulja-boy-soulja-game-copyright-infringement/

Fraud Fridays: The Hoodwinking Hipster w/ Lilan Bowden

What's Poppin' con-gregation? Singer-songwriter and actor Luke James joins the show to continue our discussion of scam rappers. These rappers dedicate their art to bragging and giving instructions to their fans on how to commit a variety of scams and frauds. Stay Schemin’!  

This was originally recorded on April 23rd, 2024.  

Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press 

Check out Luke James Season 2 of the hit television series “THEM” on Amazon Prime and Lena Waithe’s hit drama series “THE CHI” on Showtime.
 
Follow on Instagram: 
Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod 
Laci Mosley: @divalaci 
Luke James: @wolfjames

Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

Sources:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nielaorr/drake-city-girls-summer-scammers-period
https://pitchfork.com/news/city-girls-jt-released-from-prison-drops-new-song-jt-first-day-out-listen/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/11/magazine/scam-rap.html
https://www.wired.com/story/teejayx6-scam-rap/
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/03/07/feds-throw-shade-indicted-detroit-rapper-selfmade-kash/3091388002/
https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/teejayx6-shittyboyz-and-rise-scam-rap/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/kz4qn9/what-is-scam-rap-detroit-teejayx6-selfmade-kash
https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/city-girls-on-scamming-drake-and-jt-going-to-prison.html
https://www.thecut.com/2018/09/city-girls-are-more-like-you-than-you-think.html
https://www.foxla.com/news/edd-rapper-who-bragged-about-unemployment-fraud-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison
https://www.ksl.com/article/50983549/rapper-youngboy-arrested-near-huntsville-in-large-scale-prescription-fraud-ring

Crimes of the Heart w/ Luke James

Aye... It's Friday con-gregation! We re-visit our episode with Langston Kerman to unpack how an associate professor thinks white is the new black. No tanks, boiiiiii. Stay schemin! 
 
This was originally released October 20, 2020. 
 
Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press
 
Follow on Instagram: 
Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod 
Laci Mosley: @divalaci 
Langston Kerman: @langstonkerman 
 
Research by Sharilyn Vera 
 
Sources: 
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/03/us/jessica-krug-gwu-black-trnd/index.html
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/gw-professor-resigns-after-falsely-claiming-black-identity/2414247/
https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/10/911391817/george-washington-professor-resigns-after-scandal-over-fake-racial-identity

Fraud Fridays: The Perfidious Professor w/ Langston Kerman

What's Poppin' con-gregation? Comedian Tony Baker joins the show to discuss the gambling scandal surrounding Dodgers baseball player Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. Unbeknownst to Shohei, Ippei allegedly stole around 16 million dollars from him! Stay Schemin’!
 
This episode was originally recorded on April 22, 2024.   

Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

Follow on Instagram: 
Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod 
Laci Mosley: @divalaci  
Tony Baker:@tonybaker

Research by Kaelyn Brandt.  

Sources:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTC7vbAxwP8
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-everything-know-rcna144445
https://www.latimes.com/sports/shohei-ohtani-news-conference-ippei-mizuhara-investigation-123
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-20/gambling-story
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/who-is-orange-county-bookie-who-received-millions-of-dollars-from-shohei-ohtanis-account/3369779/
https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-mizuhara-d6e795d085a28656e1701f7fa5c6df52
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/11/sport/ippei-mizuhara-shohei-ohtani-investigation/index.html
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39963548/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-american-players-japan-gambling-scandal
https://slate.com/culture/2024/04/shohei-ohtani-translator-indictment-gambling-theft-ippei-mizuhara.html

The Smooth Talking Swindler of the 1920s w/ Michelle Buteau & Jordan Carlos

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