PRETEND

Criminals have been impersonating ICE agents, using fake badges to rape, rob, kidnap, and terrorize communities across America. These imposters have conducted workplace raids, street stops, and home invasions. They wear tactical gear, drive unmarked vehicles, and ask "Are you a U.S. citizen?" Our investigation documented 13 cases spanning from 2016 to last week. We also talk with Laura Jadeed, a r...

Patreon supporter Kenito Wills joins Javier to break down the finale of the "Didn't See It Coming" series. They talk through Susanne Wilson calling off the reading at the last minute. Did she know it was a sting? Did she just have a bad feeling? Javier shares a detail that got cut from the episode: Suzanne actually arranged for the fake family to get a reading with another medium in Europe, which...

The sting is set. The bait is in place. Six skeptics are logged into a Zoom call, pretending to be grieving siblings. They've paid $1,400 for a private reading with a medium Susan Gerbic believes is a hot reader. Months of planning have led to this moment. And then... the medium does something no one expected. In the finale of this three-part series, we find out what happened to Operation Banana C...

Patreon supporter Christine Harnos (not the Star Trek actress, the other one) joins Javier to break down Part 2 of the "Didn't See It Coming" series before listening to the finale. They get into the weeds on Susan Gerbic's sting setup: the Facebook accounts she's been maintaining for years, the fake obituary, the hog farm detail. If a psychic mentions pigs, you know something's up. They also discu...

In Part 1, we watched skeptic Susan Gerbic dissect a celebrity psychic's cold reading techniques. But cold reading is the little leagues of the psychic industry. In Part 2, Susan sets her sights on something harder to catch... a hot reader. Hot reading is when a psychic does their homework, researching their clients before the reading even starts. So Susan devises an elaborate sting: fake Facebook...

Longtime Patreon supporter Rebecca Catalfu joins Javier to unpack her firsthand experience going undercover at Matt Fraser's psychic readings. Rebecca went into this investigation as a believer and came out the other side with a very different perspective. In this conversation, she and Javier break down the patterns they observed across multiple readings: the decision tree (grandparent, parent, or...

Skeptic Susan Gerbic invited PRETEND inside one of her psychic sting operations. In Part 1 of this three-part series, we go inside "Operation Gobble Gotcha," a Thanksgiving sting targeting celebrity psychic Matt Fraser. Susan and her team of volunteers infiltrate one of Matt's online group readings to observe his techniques in real time. What they witness isn't a connection to the other side. It's...

PRETEND's first live YouTube AMA, co-hosted by Patreon supporter Katie Watson. The conversation covers listener questions about the making of PRETEND, behind-the-scenes stories, and what's coming next. Highlights include: how Javier knows when a story is worth pursuing (hint: it's like fishing) and his techniques for getting interview subjects to let their guard down. He shares updates on past sub...

A Montana oncologist allegedly treated patients for cancer they never had and made millions doing it. We're re-releasing our two-part investigation into Dr. Thomas Weiner, plus a brand new interview with whistleblower Dr. Randy Sasich on what's happened since. The medical board finally revoked Weiner's license, but criminal charges still loom, a wrongful death lawsuit is underway, and the broken s...

'Tis the season for true crime chaos! Hosts Kristen Seavey from Murder, She Told, Javier Leiva from PRETEND, and Shaun from Sins & Survivors join forces to explore Christmas crimes gone horribly wrong. From a bath salts-fueled home decorator in suburban Ohio to a serial burglar stealing Robert De Niro's wrapped presents right from under his tree, these real-life Grinches prove that the holidays br...

This bonus episode features Kim, a Patreon supporter who connected with the Matthew Fenner story...but not for the reasons you might expect. Kim's been through the criminal justice system herself. She was prosecuted, sentenced, and spent two years in jail. The conversation goes to some unexpected places. Kim discusses how small-town politics can impact a case in ways that seem backward. We talk ab...

What happens when the person responsible for prosecuting your case seems more interested in protecting your attackers? Matthew Fenner has been asking that question for eight years. After a 2017 mistrial in his assault case against Word of Faith Fellowship members, the judge ordered an immediate retrial. It never happened. Instead, DA Ted Bell granted delay after delay to the defendants while refus...

Join hosts Javier from Pretend, Kristen Seavey from Murder She Told, and Shaun from Sins and Survivors for a special holiday crossover episode where three true crime podcasters let their guard down and talk shop. Featured Guests: Kristen Seavey, host of Murder She Told https://open.spotify.com/show/0n9q2IMjGQyrHMMByvnA2H?si=5975eb73d4714d07 Shaun, host of Sins and Survivors https://open.spotify.co...

This is the story of Simple Health Plans, a $150 million health insurance scam that preyed on desperate Americans and left thousands buried in medical debt. We'll meet Dawn, who nearly fell victim to their scheme, and Steven Dorfman, the mastermind who spent over a million dollars on jewelry while his customers discovered their "insurance" was worthless. With Open Enrollment happening right now, s...

Harry spent nearly two years believing the woman he loved was dying of brain cancer. He stood by her for every surgery, organ failure...None of it was real. In this episode, Harry walks us through the emotional fantasy Rachel built. Want the full story? 🎧 Listen to The Rachel Cancer Scam Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Hn5De466DmCIN8Sppw5Ik?si=6ba6b8cee95e4697 Apple Podcast: https://podca...

In this bonus episode, Ali, one of my longtime Patreon supporters, reached out after listening to the Cancer Sympathy Machine series. Ali talks openly about her past with addiction, stigma, Hep C treatment and why some people hide the truth about what they’re really going through. I’m also sharing two listener stories about friends, classmates, and loved ones who faked cancer. Thanks to everyone w...

Why would anyone fake cancer? Money? Sure. Attention? Definitely. But as I learned in this episode… the motives are a lot darker, messier, and more human than you might expect. In Part 2 of The Cancer Sympathy Machine, we go beyond the headline-grabbing scams and into the emotional machinery behind these lies. With the help of cancer-survivor-turned-researcher Bill Petrich, we break down the categ...

Some people fake cancer for sympathy. Others do it for money. But the truth is darker than most of us want to believe. In this episode, we break down the tactics, behaviors, and mindsets of some of the most convincing cancer fakers out there. From Madison Russo’s botched medical props to Elizabeth Teckenbrock’s alleged search history...“Is it illegal to fake cancer?” Um, yeah. Bill Petrich, a real...

Smallville's Allison Mack is out of prison, and she's finally talking. What was NXIVM, and how did Allison Mack become a high-ranking member? NXIVM was a self-help organization that sold leadership training and personal development courses. Beneath the surface, it operated as a coercive group led by Keith Raniere, using control tactics like starvation diets, sleep deprivation, emotional manipulati...

A 32-year-old woman enrolled herself in three Boston high schools and passed as a teenager. She sat in classrooms, made friends with freshmen, and even joined the girls basketball team. She wore number 32 on her jersey, which also happened to be her real age. This is the story of Shelby Hewitt, a state social worker who lived a double life. For two years, she convinced students, teachers, and admi...

Breaking news in the stalker case: Rick Fernandez has pleaded guilty to harassment. Instead of facing trial, he admitted responsibility for a new wave of harassment tied to the book he published while awaiting trial on felony charges. His sentence? 180 days in jail (suspended) along with three years of probation. If Rick contacts the victims directly or indirectly, he risks going to jail and facin...

Listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and may not be suitable for all audiences. In 1964, Winston Moseley stalked and murdered Kitty Genovese. The case became infamous not only for its brutality but also for the silence of neighbors who heard her cries and did nothing. During his trial, Moseley confessed to other killings, including the murder of 15-year...

Tyler Fehrman went undercover for the FBI after his mentor, Ohio GOP chair Matt Borges, offered him a $15,000 check. His recordings helped uncover a $63 million bribery scheme that brought down House Speaker Larry Householder. This is Part Two of State of Corruption from Pretend. Credits: Portions of this episode reference material from the HBO documentary Dark Money Games. Written and Produced by...

Tyler Fehrman went undercover to bring down the Speaker of the Ohio House. He wore a wire. He met with mentors who turned into suspects. He risked everything. This is the story of how one political insider helped expose a billion-dollar corruption scheme at the heart of Ohio politics. Part two will be available on Patreon and PRETEND+ this weekend. Stay tuned Credits: Portions of this episode refe...

If you’re a longtime listener, you probably remember my interview with Joe Pistone, the real Donnie Brasco. But I forgot to ask one important question: Where did the name Donnie Brasco even come from? Turns out, it wasn’t made up. Donnie Brasco is a real person. He’s Joe Pistone’s nephew. And not just any nephew — an undercover FBI agent who followed in his uncle’s footsteps. This story blew my mi...