Scam Goddess

Con-gregation! In a special What’s Hot in Fraud, comedian Mano Agapion returns to discuss our favorite CON-gressman George Santos being indicted. Also, Laci and Mano discuss Garrison Kenneth Courtney, a former government official who pretended to be a spy and scammed nearly $4.5 million. Plus, conservative media figurehead Alex Jones found himself the victim of an AI prank call. Stay Schemin’! 

Scam Goddess Live @ the Elysian Theatre on Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Los Angeles. Get your tickets HERE.

Research by Kaelyn Brandt

SOURCES

https://gizmodo.com/alex-jones-ai-tucker-carlson-fox-news-infowars-1850410076

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sandy-hook-alex-jones-tucker-carlson-prank-call-b2333520.html

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-fake-cia-spy-garrison-courtney-fooled-everyone-and-swindled-millions

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/garrison-courtney-fraud/2020/10/28/c033d122-fc4d-11ea-b555-4d71a9254f4b_story.html

https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/garrison-courtney-convicted-of-wire-fraud-in-elaborate-spy-ruse

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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/

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What’s Poppin’ Con-gregration? This week, Naomi Ekperigin & Andy Beckerman join us to discuss the film Landscape of Lies. Filmmaker Paul Knight was approached to do to the project not knowing it was created for fraud. Plus, fashion influencers have been accused of embezzlement and failure to pay suppliers and employees. Stay Schemin’! 

Research by Kaelyn Brandt 

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-irish-actor-the-iraqi-producer-and-the-gangster-film-scam-1.2506809

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/24/landscape-lies-blockbuster-tax-scam

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a42199292/something-navy-business-is-failing/

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/movie-news/bonnie-and-clyde-aoife-maddens-landscape-of-lies-34388601.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298937/A-Landscape-Of-Lies-Fraudsters-conned-Loose-Women-host-Andrea-McLean-3million-tax-scam-jailed.html

https://pagesix.com/2022/12/07/something-navy-ceo-denies-arielle-charnas-husband-embezzled-money/

Shout out to TikTok account @BullishStudio for reporting on Arielle Charnas.

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What’s poppin’s con-gregation? This week, actor and comedian Carl Tart joins the show to discuss Artur Samarin, an immigrant college student who pretended to be a teenager and attended high school in hopes of achieving his NASA dreams. Plus, a 26-year-old has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after stealing $1.2 million from at least 50 people in an elaborate fraud scheme. Stay Schemin'!

Research by Kaelyn Brandt 
https://news.yahoo.com/texas-grifter-j-nicholas-bryant-041102482.html

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/05/artur_samarin_asher_potts_harr.html

https://www.gq.com/story/the-great-high-school-impostor

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Scam Goddess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

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What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer join the show to discuss Lady Bandit Pearl Hart, one of the wildest bandits in the Wild West. Plus, an investor attempted to purchase Manhattan’s iconic Flatiron Building for $190 million. Stay Schemin’! 

Research by Kaelyn Brandt 

https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2023/03/24/meet-the-mysterious-buyer-of-the-flatiron-building/

https://time.com/4575757/pearl-hart-stagecoach-robber/

https://nypost.com/2021/10/30/the-wild-life-and-death-of-old-west-feminist-bandit-pearl-hart/

https://lithub.com/the-true-story-of-pearl-hart-straight-shooting-poetry-writing-woman-bandit/

Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West’s Most Notorious Woman Bandit by John Boessenecker

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What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, TV writer Kara Brown joins the show to discuss Threatin, a made up heavy metal band that toured 10 cities across Europe and eventually gained a cult following. Plus, an Italian man has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for a crime that has plagued the book publishing community for years. Stay Schemin’!

Research by Kaelyn Brandt 

SOURCES

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-fraud-4832c57101d507d427ac4516d525e752

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/threatin-metal-tour-fake-ticket-sales-hoax-767580/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/style/threatin-fake-band-tour.html

https://www.metalsucks.net/2018/11/09/l-a-band-threatin-faked-a-fanbase-to-land-a-european-tour-no-one-attended/

https://www.metalsucks.net/2021/09/28/new-documentary-the-rise-and-fall-of-threatin/

Anomaly Documentaries' mini-doc: This Band Faked an International Tour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XG2ZmiBHQA&t=1148s

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What’s poppin’ congregation? This week, actor Matt Shively joins the show to discuss the Antwerp Diamond Heist, in which a group of Italian thieves attempted to break into the world’s most impenetrable safe filled diamonds and jewels. Plus, the city of Newark, New Jersey was reportedly scammed into becoming a “sister city” with a fake Hindu nation. Stay Schemin’! 

Research By Kaelyn Brandt 

SOURCES:

https://www.wired.com/2009/03/ff-diamonds-2/

https://thecinemaholic.com/leonardo-notarbartolo-now-where-is-antwerp-heist-mastermind-today/

https://nbc24.com/news/nation-world/newark-nj-admits-it-fell-for-sister-city-scam-after-holding-official-ceremony-for-fake-country-kailasa-ras-baraka-swami-nithyananda

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/newark-sister-city-scam-kailasa/

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Allison Raskin joins the show to discuss Crazy Eddie, a businessman who became popular during the 1970’s and 80’s for his outlandish commercials selling discount electronics. Eventually, he was exposed as the King of Fraud. Plus, a popular social media photographer recently confesses to using AI technology to gain followers. Stay Schemin’!

Research by Kaelyn Brandt

SOURCES:

https://petapixel.com/2023/02/21/popular-instagram-photographer-revealed-as-ai-fraud/

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/viral-instagram-photographer-has-a-confession-his-photos-are-ai-generated/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/remembering-crazy-eddie-his-prices-were-insane

https://nypost.com/2022/09/10/retail-king-crazy-eddie-antar-led-an-even-crazier-real-life/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/books/review-retail-gangster-gary-weiss.html

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Amanda Montell & Isa Medina, host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, join Laci to discuss Danielle Miller, a former New York socialite turned influencer-scammer, who got mentored by Anna Delvey during her time at Rikers. Plus, a new way to scam takeout customers out of their Thai food and dollars. Stay Schemin’!  

Research by Kaelyn Brandt

Sources: 

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/danielle-miller-scammer.html

https://nymag.com/news/features/45592/

https://thecinemaholic.com/danielle-miller-where-is-the-con-artist-now/

https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article267793432.html

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/miami-woman-indicted-wire-fraud-and-identity-theft-related-covid-19-pandemic

https://nypost.com/2022/02/15/horace-mann-con-artist-danielle-miller-looking-for-a-roommate/

https://nypost.com/2023/02/25/cory-doctorow-duped-by-fake-thai-restaurant-scam/

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Scam Goddess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Langston Kerman and David Gborie join the show to discuss James Stunt, a flashy, royalty-worshipping ex-billionaire who involved the now King of England in a multi-million-dollar art forgery scandal. Plus, a 69-year-old Californian woman has found herself short of $250,000 after being scammed by online romance scammers, twice. Stay Schemin’!

Langston and David host the podcast My Momma Told Me, which is part of Will Ferrell’s and iHeartMedia’s Big Money Players Network. 

Research by Kaelyn Brandt

Sources: 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11533341/James-Stunt-faces-retrial-266m-dirty-money-scam.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-11603927/As-Tony-Tetro-discovered-fortune-forging-art-caught.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-64432146

https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2020/4/the-prince-the-flash-and-the-forger

https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/greater-la/holidays-art-radio-race/tony-tetro

https://bestlifeonline.com/news-woman-romance-con-artists/

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Scam Goddess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.