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 storyt ...
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Creative Babble Podcasts
Welcome to Casual Babble, the podcast where creativity, entrepreneurship, and culture come full circle. Hosted by BC Babbles, Casual Babble goes beyond surface-level business advice to explore how creative ideas spark entrepreneurial ventures, how those ventures shape culture, and how culture fuels the next wave of innovation. Each episode delivers actionable insights, candid founder stories, and trend-driven discussions designed for creative entrepreneurs, startup-minded professionals, and ...
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Criminal Conduct is an investigative true-crime podcast series hosted by John Taylor and Javier Leiva. Season 1: The hosts look into the death of Michelle O'Connell, picking up the investigation where the murdered sleuth, Eli Washtock, left off. Season 2: The investigation of a rogue constable in Kentucky who is accused of planting drugs, stealing money, and shaking people down. Season 3: An American Serial Killer in Paradise: The story of serial killer William Holbert, aka "Wild Bill," and ...
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2404: Open Enrollment, Open Season for Scammers
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28:00
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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 wort…
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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…
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Listener Reaction: The Cancer Sympathy Machine (BONUS)
20:22
20:22
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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…
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The Art of Harnessing AI | Casual Babble Episode #66 Ft. Dr. Angela Mulrooney
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25:36
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In this conversation, Dr. Angela Mulrooney, known as the arsonist, discusses her journey in identity architecture and how she harnesses AI to enhance creativity and entrepreneurship. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's niche of genius, the need for adaptability in business, and the significance of self-identity in navigating the ev…
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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-turne…
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Art, Entrepreneurship, and Overcoming Challenges | Casual Babble #65 Featuring Katherine Klimitas
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In this conversation, Katherine Klimitas shares her inspiring journey as an artist and entrepreneur, discussing her experiences with a genetic bone disease and how it shaped her perspective on art and life. She delves into her early passion for art, the challenges she faced, and how she turned her creativity into a successful business. Katherine al…
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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 illeg…
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On PRETEND, we tell stories about people who build false identities and hide the truth in plain sight. This week, we are featuring a case that fits right into that world. It is the newest season of Dakota Spotlight, titled “Meanwhile in Mankato.” In 1965, an 18-year-old gas station attendant named Ray Dahm was murdered during an overnight shift at …
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2309: From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology Behind Allison Mack
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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 starvat…
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Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relationships (Cracks in the Fandom)
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This bonus episode is a chance to step back and make sense of everything that just unfolded in Cracks in the Fandom. If you listened to the series, you saw how an Instagram unfollow spiraled into harassment, infighting, and full-on chaos inside the SVU fandom. This series was petty, confusing , and pretty revealing about how people form attachments…
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Alien abductions. Hundreds of people say it’s happened to them. They’re not looking for fame or attention. Some keep it a secret...haunted by memories they can’t explain. In Day 3 of PRETEND’s Halloween Marathon, we meet Dr. John Mack, a Pulitzer Prize–winning Harvard psychiatrist who risked his reputation to study these so-called abductees. Using …
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Building Teams, Battling Doubt & Owning Your Growth | Casual Babble Episode #64
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In the final installment, Alan reveals how he and his partner bootstrapped their company from zero to six figures and an 18-person team—without outside investment. We discuss delegation, global hiring, and why fear of success can be as paralyzing as fear of failure. The episode closes with Alan’s top three daily habits for growth and mental clarity…
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It’s Day 2 of my Halloween Marathon, and today we’re diving into The Haunted Tourist. I’m joined by Brandon Schexnayder, host of Southern Gothic and Fear Daily—two shows that live and breathe ghost stories. Together, we pull back the curtain on haunted tourism: the ghost tours, the myths, and the money that fuels them. From fake cemeteries built fo…
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Hey, it’s Javier. Quick update: Meghan Walsh, the subject of my Cracks in the Fandom series, has filed copyright complaints on every major platform. As a result, Spotify and Patreon have temporarily taken down the series. My attorneys are already on it, and we expect everything to be restored soon. In the meantime, it’s Halloween weekend — so let’s…
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Decoding Greatness — Systems, Consistency & the Path to Mastery | Casual Babble Episode #63
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16:30
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In Part 2 of our conversation with Alan Lazaros, we shift into the how: What does it take to build real momentum? Alan breaks down the systems he created—drawing on his engineering and MBA background—to study greatness, implement discipline, and build a business (and mindset) that lasts. From 2,000+ podcast episodes to a team of 20+, you’ll get beh…
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Important Update on “Cracks in the Fandom” Meghan Walsh, the subject of my latest series, filed a copyright infringement claim with all major podcast platforms. As a result, Patreon and Spotify have temporarily removed the episodes pending review. The good news? You can still listen to the entire series on Apple Podcasts. https://itunes.apple.com/u…
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BC Babbles thanks his listeners, lets you know how you can get more involved with the community and announces the release of the Alan Lazaros Entrepreneur Spotlight Series!By BC Babbles
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Casual Babble Episode #61 | Alleged Debt — The Language of Power, Law, and Control
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In part two of our series with Tommy Kilpatrick, we explore the deeper philosophy behind his argument: that “law is language and language is law.” Tommy breaks down why he insists on calling credit card balances “alleged debt,” and what happens when everyday consumers start paying closer attention to the fine print. 🎧 In this episode: Why language …
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Casual Babble Episode #60 | The $85,000 Awakening - Taking on the Banks
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When a business deal left him buried in $85,000 of credit card debt, Tommy Kilpatrick didn’t declare bankruptcy — he went to court. In this opening episode, Tommy shares the story of how one lawsuit led to an awakening that changed his understanding of credit, law, and the banking system itself. We dive into the emotional toll, the turning point th…
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Cracks in the Fandom — Part 3 (Edited Copyright Cut) PRETEND: Stories about real people pretending to be someone they’re not Michelle Ivey has been painted as the villain. Meghan Walsh calls her a stalker, a criminal, a threat to her life. She’s warned not to contact her. But in this episode, I do just that. I talk to Michelle. And what I find is s…
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Meghan Walsh says she is being stalked by three people. One of them is Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay. Sounds impossible, right? But she’s not the only one saying it. In this episode, we meet Lauren. She claims to be the biological mother of Mariska’s adopted daughter. Her story begins with a supposed secret adoption, and spirals into accus…
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Casual Babble Episode #59 | Unlocking Creativity: The Final Product Approach
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By BC Babbles
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