Unscrupulous

First Bec (they/them) takes us back to the 90's, and the most famous late night tv psychic Miss Cleo. Equipped with Miss Cleo's melodic invitation to "call me now", the Psychic Readers Network convinced thousands of people to reach out for cosmic support, but they weren't exactly crystal clear with how much they were actually charging callers. Some questions seem to remain unanswered though, like how culpable is Miss Cleo herself? And how much does she believe herself to be an authentic soothe sayer? 

Next Adam (he/him) introduces us to Victor Lustig, a man so charismatic he tricked someone into thinking they were buying the Eiffel Tower ... twice. A man so comfortable with his con that he took it to the high seas. Travelling all over the world, and despite incredibly identifiable physical features, he was able to embody anyone he needed to, to get what he wanted from people, which was usually just lots and lots of money.



Bec's Sources:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/fashion/mens-style/hotline-psychic-miss-cleo-commercials.html
• https://people.com/tv/miss-cleo-how-a-tv-reporter-uncovered-psychic-scam/
• https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-12-16/call-me-miss-cleo-documentary-takeaways
• https://www.advocate.com/politics/commentary/2006/09/25/miss-cleo-comes-out
• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-14-mn-37827-story.html

Adam's Sources:

• Smithsonian - The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

First Adam (he/him) tells us the (at first) horrifying story of Robert Smalls, born into slavery. But don't worry - it gets so much better. Listen along to hear about when Robert commandeers a boat in an effort to free himself and his family.  Robert is not only a badass, but possibly the most gracious person we've ever covered.

Next Bec (they/them) returns us to the Swingin' 60s to teach us all about the 1972 Montreal Art Heist. The largest art theft in Canadian history? Never been solved? Dreams. Taking place in the middle of a tense time for the city and the world, three men somewhat successfully relieve the gallery of some very valuable pieces. And it turns out they were real chatty afterwards, so how have they never been caught?


Adam's Sources:

• Robert Smalls, from Escaped Slave to House of Representatives | African American History Blog | The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
• The Robert Smalls House (U.S. National Park Service)
• The Wheel - the memory palace

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JAC-Fall-2010-eVersion-Final.pdf
• Wiki
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/trail-cold-50-years-montreal-art-theft-1.6573423

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

First Bec (they/them) takes us to the swingin' 60s: Rome, 1973. Paul Getty has been kidnapped. And despite coming from ludicrous amounts of money, he's having a hard time getting his ransom paid. Not knowing if he was in on the whole thing or not, his family drags their feet getting that rescue mission sorted. And even though Paul is eventually freed, he is never the same again.

Then Adam (he/him) tells us about the dumbest criminal, who started as an alleged "good" cop. Even though he was working a case that had their own surveillance set up, plus the cameras from a tv show,  police officer Gareth Suffling exhibits a lot of questionable behaviour behind and in front of the camera.

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020706089.html
• https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a9173861/ -paul-getty-kidnapping/
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/ -paul-getty-iii-kidnapping
• https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/j-paul-getty-iii-exclusive-1974-interview-with-kidnapped-oil-heir-120637/

Adam's Sources:

• 24 Hours in Police Custody: What happened to corrupt police officer Gareth Suffling - Cambridgeshire Live
• How 24 Hours in Police Custody caught a corrupt copper red-handed

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

First Adam (he/him) tells us about a coin theft. You read that right: a coin. A group of debatably reckless thieves steals a loonie the size of a tire, and the weight of a panda. Are they giant Canada enthusiasts? Tune in to find out.

Next Bec (they/them) tells us the tale of a devious drag queen, and yes, this is an excuse to talk about Rupaul's Drag Race. Sherry Pie was living a double life, during the day growing and creating their drag persona, at night, pretending to be a casting director whose favourite note to actors is "less clothing".




Adam's Sources:
The Big Coin Heist | Hazlitt

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.facebook.com/ben.shimkus/posts/10219364037879356
• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/rupaul-drag-race-sherry-pie-catfish-joey-gugliemelli
• https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-sherry-pie-disqualification-charity/
• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/sherry-pie-disqualified-drag-race?bfsource=relatedmanual
• https://ew.com/tv/sherry-pie-tamron-hall-interview/
• https://www.vox.com/2020/3/7/21168226/rupaul-drag-race-disqualifies-sherry-pie-catfishing-sexual-harassment
• https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/sherry-pie-disqualified-rupaul-s-drag-race-finale-over-catfishing-n1151826
• https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siblingrvalry/episodes/The-One-About-Sherry-Pie-ebk4eo
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ebony-and-irony-danny-marandola/id1550044944?i=1000510735529

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

First Bec (they/them) tells us all about how John Darwin disappeared on his kayak but somehow became known as canoe man. John and his wife were under financial pressure, so he does the most soap opera thing he can think of; fakes his death to claim the insurance money and use that on even more purchases only to come back claiming amnesia!

Then Adam (he/him) tells us about some shady marketing strategies that are being fed to us without us even knowing! This is another ep where Adam gets real fired up as he bursts every childhood bubble you had about the environmental sciences you learned in school.

Bec's Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Darwin_disappearance_case
• https://web.archive.org/web/20071210151835/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1692989,00.html
• https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvn4zd/john-darwin-canoe-man-true-story
• https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jul/23/canoe.ukcrime

Adam's Sources:

• The carbon footprint sham
• Why do oil companies care so much about your carbon footprint? | Grist
• BP popularised “carbon footprint” to greenwash and guilt-trip. Here's how.
• Big oil distracts from their carbon footprint by tricking you to focus on yours
• Big oil coined ‘carbon footprints’ to blame us for their greed. Keep them on the hook | Rebecca Solnit | The Guardian
• Why Are Oil-and-Gas Companies Developing Lesson Plans for Teachers? | The Walrus
• Who Is Making Money From CBP in Your State? – Sludge
• Ad showing black boy being fed like dog faces no action | CNN
• Ogilvy Apologizes for Shooting Malala Yousafzai in Mattress Ad
• This Transcript Shows How Trump's Border Camps Have Thrown A Top Advertising Firm Into Internal Crisis

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

Pirates of the open road! Asshole comedians in writers rooms! This was the first episode in a while where we couldn't find a theme!

Adam (he/him) tells us about the deathbed confession of Davy "Robber" Lewis, when you're so good at what you do they make your nickname straight to the point. Davy tried to live a straight life, but the allure of heists and deception was too delicious. Seemingly living a seemingly double life of highwayman and, of course, familyman. At the end of his short life he shares the unbelievable stories from his adventures.


Then Bec (they/them) tells us about Hollywood's biggest asshole, Chevy Chase. From his start as a privileged rich kid, to working at National Lampoon, being on the original cast of Saturday Night Live,  an illustrious film career in the 80's, to reinventing himself on Community. Through it all, he stayed true to his roots of being an insufferable, entitled white man.


Adam's Sources:

•  The Confession of Davy “Robber” Lewis, 1820 — Abridged — 2020

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/donald-glover-and-dan-harmon-recall-chevy-chase-s-racist-comments-on-community/ 
• Joel McHale talking about Chevy Chase on Community on Larry King
• Zoom Community Table Read with Pedro Pascal
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/chevy-chase-what-happened-to-the-funniest-man-in-america/GYTL3FJWXSAEQIQX55NPGUJCQI/#:~:text=He%20was%20diagnosed%20with%20alcohol,he%20decided%20to%20just%20quit.
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/community-chevy-chase_n_1393823
• https://www.gawker.com/5899097/hes-not-chevy-hes-an-asshole-a-history-of-chevy-chases-horrific-behavior
• https://deadline.com/2022/02/chevy-chase-doesnt-care-claims-jerk-community-1234932637/

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

Do you like being tickled? Of course you don't, but could you like it for $1500? This is the dilemma Bec (they/them) takes us on as we explore the world of competitive tickling. Going through David Farrier's documentary "Tickled",  we are introduced to a group of young boys who were often filming these videos under false pretences, they are desperate for a bit of cash and the people behind the production company Jane O'Brien Media takes advantage. The deeply internalized homophobia in this is nausiating. If anyone asks for the videos of them being tied down and tickled to be taken off of the internet, they are met with a wall of hate, often doxxed, and their personal lives ruined. All over tickling! And if they say it once, they say it a thousand times, it's not gay!

Next Adam (he/him) takes us to the circus! But don't get too excited, because he pulls back that white and red striped curtain and shows us how awful the whole thing really is. Why is P.T. Barnum sometimes remembered fondly? Is it because we now just associate him with Hugh Jackman? Probably. Get ready to have all romantic notions of circus life set straight. From his humble beginnings of using people and animals as objects to get himself money, to his peak popularity, where he used people and animals as objects to get himself money; we learn about possible arson crimes, what people were really saying about his acts and of course you can't forget the part where he used people and animal as objects to get himself money.  You have never heard Adam so angry on a topic before!


Bec's Sources:

• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tickled-movie-david-farrier-tickling_n_5768203fe4b015db1bca0aa7
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K88xF9mOUjc
• https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/19-06-2017/life-after-the-tickle-kings-death

Adam's Sources:

• Contemporary New York Times article about the fire at Barnum's American Museum in 1865
• 150 Years Ago, a Fire in P.T. Barnum's Museum Boiled Two Whales Alive | Smart News
• P.T. Barnum Isn't the Hero the 'Greatest Showman' Wants You to Think | History| Smithsonian Magazine
• 150 Years Later: Who Burned Down P. T. Barnum’s American Museum? | ASHP/CML
• P. T. Barnum - Wikipedia
  • Phineas Taylor Barnum, P.T. Barnum

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

Did Meatloaf's ballad speak to you? Would you do anything for love? This is what Julian Buchwald was banking on when he and his young girlfriend Carolynne Watson were kidnapped and left to survive in the Australian outback. Adam (he/him) tells us all about how the pair were left by a supposed Satanic cult with only a backpack to survive. Julian thinks that the solution to their dilemma is to ... get married? Hmmmm this is a real men are going to men tale.

Then Bec (they/them) tells us about the life and crimes of Mother Teresa. Nobel Peace Prize winning Catholic saint. Early in her life Teresa knew she wanted to dedicate her life to the church, but does this perhaps once noble quest lead her to become a money hungry, entitled, hypocrite?  You can decide. We seem to think it's a hard yes. Known for helping "the poorest of the poor" (just ask, she'd be the first to tell you) throughout her lifetime,  the nun did receive criticism before her death in 1997, but not enough to stop her from becoming a household name and wrongly associated with selflessness, kindness and being pious.

Adam's Sources:

• Teen and Her Boyfriend Were Abducted by a Satanic Cult And Left In The Woods Or Were They?
• Gippsland man appeals kidnap sentence - ABC News
• Missing couple planned marriage at year's end

Bec's Sources:

• https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-dark-side-of-mother-teresa-b8b9f93df835
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/world/asia/mother-teresa-critic.html
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/mother-teresa-saint

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

Wouldn't it be great if someone offered to wave a magic wand to make all of your problems go away? This is pretty much what Rose Marks, sometimes going by Joyce Michaels, offered to her desperate clients and Bec (they/them) tells us all about it. The matriarch of a criminal enterprise of fortune tellers, they somehow didn't foresee the years long investigation the FBI was running.

Then Adam (he/him) makes us super hungry for pastries as he talks about the Collins Street Bakery.  We meet boring, bland Sandy Jenkins who decides he and his wife deserves a more lavish lifestyle than that of an accountant at a bakery. He discovers an oversight in the computer system and starts cutting himself quite a large piece of the pie. One car turns into several, frequent trips turn into private jets, flaunting lavish jewellery, and would you know it, none of it made him any more interesting, but it did get him charged with embezzlement.  


Bec's Sources:

• Tori Telfer’s book Confident Women and Podcast episode Criminal Broads
• Wiki

Adam's Sources:

• Just Desserts - Texas Monthly
• The Sandy Jenkins Embezzlement Scandal | Collin Street Bakery

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]

We inadvertently hit on an incredible theme of women using fake accents.

First Adam (he/him) gives us the timeline of how a Bostonian named Hillary Hayward-Thomas, raised in a home with parents who loved Spanish culture eventually became Hilaria Baldwin; wife to actor Alec Baldwin, and proven fake Spanish person. Adam takes us through every public fact that the world can't decide if they're upset over or not.  

Did you know that for a couple of tense weeks mystery author Agatha Christie disappeared? Bec (they/them) tells us the real life tale that sounds like it's right out of the pages of her novels. Leaving in the middle of the night, an abandoned car on the side of the road, letters left behind. And the shocking tie between both stories? An alleged fake foreign accent. Did Agatha pull the original Gone Girl, or did something more sinister happen?

Adam's Sources:

• A complete timeline of Hilaria Baldwin's contradictory and misleading public life, and how it all blew up

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/books/agatha-christie-vanished-11-days-1926.html
• https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Curious-Disappearance-of-Agatha-Christie/
• https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/literary-musings/the-1926-disappearance-of-agatha-christie/
• https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/agatha-christie-disappearance-mystery-facts-poirot-miss-marple-detective/

Make sure to follow us on instagram @unscrupulouspod and send us an email at [email protected]