PRETEND

True CrimeTechSociety & Culture
Creative Babble, LLC
pretendradio.org
Weekly podcast. Next episode on Tuesday.
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



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303 episodes  •  0 archived  •  
S25 E11
I Beg Your Pardon part 3
S25 E11·
March 24
March 24
36 mins
S25 E10
I Beg Your Pardon part 2
S25 E10·
March 17
March 17
40 mins
S25 E9
I Beg Your Pardon part 1
S25 E9·
March 10
March 10
39 mins
S25 E8
Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey Revisited
S25 E8·
March 3
March 3
42 mins
Bonus
Update on “The Hand That Held Me”
Bonus·
February 28
February 28
48 secs
S25 E7
The Pests part 3 & 4 Revisited
S25 E7·
February 24
February 24
1h 21m
S25 E6
The Pests part 1 & 2 Revisited
S25 E6·
February 17
February 17
1h 3m
S25 E5
State of Corruption: The School That Didn't Exist
S25 E5·
February 10
February 10
39 mins
Bonus
Introducing Everything They Missed
Bonus·
February 6
February 6
34 mins