PRETEND

Harassed by a Cyber Stalker Claiming to be the Doctor's Husband: The Strange Story of Claudia and David RodriguezClaudia and David Rodriguez claim they have been the victims of a cyber stalker for the past three years. The person behind the messages claims to be the husband of Claudia's daughter's doctor, a man they've never even met. As bizarre as this situation sounds, it's been a constant source of harassment and anxiety for the Rodriguez family. In this podcast episode, we'll delve into the strange story of Claudia and David Rodriguez, including their ongoing battle with a mysterious cyber stalker and the surprising twist that led to them being accused of stalking.BINGE ALL 10-EPISODESPatreonListen to the first 10 episodes. Plus...Get Member-only bonus episodes, t-shirts, stickers, and more.Support PRETEND on PatreonPRETEND+ on Apple PodcastBinge the entire season with ad-free episodes plus bonus interviews that didn't make it on the showSubscribe to PRETEND+ on Apple PodcastFollow Pretend on social media:TwitterTikTokYouTubePRETEND is consistently in the top True Crime Podcasts about con artists in U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia.It has been featured in the New York Times, the BBC, & New York Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Couple terrorized by a sadistic cyber stalker for yearsFor more than three years, Claudia and David Rodriguez (not their real names) have been the targets of a sadistic cyber stalker. Despite their attempts to involve the police and stop the stalking, it has continued to this day. In fact, the couple has faced accusations from the very detectives assigned to their case. One detective suggests that Claudia may have a split personality and is causing the stalking herself.BINGE ALL 10-EPISODESPatreonListen to the first 10 episodes. Plus...Get Member-only bonus episodes, t-shirts, stickers, and more.Support PRETEND on PatreonPRETEND+ on Apple PodcastBinge the entire season with ad-free episodes plus bonus interviews that didn't make it on the showSubscribe to PRETEND+ on Apple PodcastFollow Pretend on social media:TwitterTikTokYouTubePRETEND is consistently in the top True Crime Podcasts about con artists in U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. It has been featured in the New York Times, the BBC, & Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the story about a Christmas con artist pretending to be Santa Claus.Brian Earl, the host of the Christmas Past podcast, joins me to tell a little-known true-crime holiday story.Christmas PastThe seventh season of Christmas Past is out. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Brian shares the fascinating backstories behind our favorite holiday traditions.Looking for a last-minute gift idea? Buy the Christmas Past book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Prank series inspired the new Netflix documentary series "Don't Pick Up the Phone." This docuseries follows the investigation into a hoax caller who talked managers into strip-searching employees at fast food businesses across the US.Binge the entire series on Netflix starting December 14th:https://www.netflix.com/title/81576846 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry Douglas Jones is not your typical fugitive. He had a wife and three kids. And to be honest, he's not a dangerous man. He became overwhelmed with life and decided to run away.This is the first in a series of stories about fugitives. In season 4, we explore how abandoning your old identity leads to a whole set of complications. How do these criminals assume a new identity? What strategies do they use to avoid getting caught?_______________This episode was 100% funded by you. I was able to travel to Gulfport, MS for this story using funds raised on Patreon. So if you’d like to see me to take the show on the road, consider chipping in a buck or two on our Patreon page. Plus, you’ll get access to early episodes and bonus content. So, thank you so much for the support._______________Lies, lies, and more liesA few seasons ago, I asked you to submit stories about lies. Either lies that you’ve told or lies that have impacted you personally. And boy, was the response crazy! I ended up making a whole episode dedicated to lies. I want to try it again. Email me a voice memo. Chances are your story could make it on the show.-------Story idea? If you have a story to share, email Javier a voice memo or short written description at info@pretendradio.org.For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org.To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When I started this podcast, I reported on a secretive church in the foothills of western North Carolina called the Word of Faith Fellowship.The church, accused of being a cult, separates families—forcing them to break ties with non-believers.A history of documented abuseOne teenager named Matthew Fenner pressed charges against five church ministers because he said they beat the gay demons out of him.And that’s just the beginning. Several former members remember spending weeks and months in forced isolation. Some male congregants say they lived in a makeshift storage unit for over a year. Locals know them best for their signature style of prayer—blasting. As you can hear in this secret audio recording, blasting is a form of deliverance meant to cast out the devil.Word of Faith Fellowship RevisitedThe episode you’re about to listen to is my first 3 episodes rolled into one.To listen to my 11-part series on the Word of Faith Fellowship, start here:https://pretendradio.org/episode/who-is-jane-whaley-word-of-faith-fellowship/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Browning investigates real blood-sucking vampires—people who need human blood to survive. In today's episode, we will talk about real people who claim to be real vampires. Self-harmYou know, we bantered about tapping into veins and arteries from the vantage point of vampires feasting on blood. But if you remove the word vampire from our conversation, it starts sounding like a much more familiar crisis...self-harm.  It's not uncommon for some of us with depression or anxiety to inflict pain on ourselves. The physical wounds hurt, but it's nowhere near as painful as the emotions inside our heads and hearts. So if you're listening to this, there are different places you can seek help. First, talk to a pro. You can use online counselors like BetterHelp, a real-life therapist, or even reach out to a friend. There are also crisis lines where you can text and talk to an actual human for free. Text HOME to 741741, Again text HOME to 741741. I'll have a list of numbers you can text for my international friends in the show notes. https://www.crisistextline.org/ Get Help US: Text 741741 CA: Text 741741 UK: Text 85258 Ireland: 50808 SophrpsyneMusic featured in this episode is from Sophrosyne. Check out their music on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 12, 2022, Frank Abagnale was honored with a Heroes in Ethics award at Xavier University. An ethics award for a conman!Unlike the general public, who were spellbound by the myth surrounding Abagnale's life, Xavier University knew precisely who they were honoring that night. They can't claim ignorance because I wrote the University and told them they had the wrong guy. Frank Abagnale doesn't deserve an ethics award. He lied about his entire life story. Was Malala busy that week? She deserves an ethics award. But despite knowing the truth, Xavier University went along with their little ethics ceremony anyway. Xavier University's mission is built on moral and ethical responsibility- that's what it says on its website. And out of all the people in the world making a difference, they chose to honor a guy who ripped off his girlfriend and is accused of feeling up college girls pretending to be a doctor-slash pilot recruiter. But, seriously, did they even read this guy's Wikipedia page?Picture a room full of business students, professors, lawyers, accountants, and even current members of the FBI eagerly awaiting Frank Abagnale's Heroes in Ethics acceptance speech. Little does Frank Abagnale know that Jim Grinstead, host of the Scams and Cons podcast, was in the audience. Jim planned to confront Frank Abagnale during the Q&A portion of the ceremony.Get Member-only bonus episodes, t-shirts, stickers, and more.Support PRETEND on PatreonListen to ad-free episodes and bonus interviews that didn't make it on the showSubscribe to PRETEND+ on Apple Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if I told you that Frank Abagnale wasn't the only con artist in his family? His older brother used multiple aliases, faked his career as a therapist, and was even accused of kidnapping a 7-year-old girl.This episode reveals the dark and puzzling secrets of Frank Abagnale's family history.Correction: In the episode, I mention that Susan was married to Roy Abagnale from 1970 to 1978 - but it was actually 1978 to 1992.  __________Bonus episodesSleepover with Leo:https://www.patreon.com/posts/sleepover-with-71435815?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creatorPernilla busted the Tinder Swindler. Hear her thoughts on Frank Abagnalehttps://www.patreon.com/posts/pernilla-busted-72501591?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator __________Have you followed PRETEND on TikTok and Instagram? Help me start a trending sound. Use this sound of Frank Abagnale denying writing his book, movie, and Broadway play: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod/video/7145467873979338030?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1Here are some examples:https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod/video/7145483295080385835?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod/video/7145536351801462062?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod/video/7145816794819841326?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This series is not just a story about a con man who lied about his past experiences. No, it's much bigger than that. This series is about correcting history. For decades, we've celebrated Frank Abagnale's life. He's invaded our living rooms in countless tv interviews. He's had Leonardo DiCaprio play him in a movie. John Williams even scored his superhero theme song. And his life has even been turned into a musical that one reviewer wrote: "is an amazing true story with a happy ending we all need."But it turns out that America's favorite con man is really just another petty criminal who's never really repaid all the money he stole. But if we zoom out, this is the story of the spread of misinformation. Where politicians and other grifters have taken a page out of Abagnale's book and learned that if they repeat multiple lies over and over, most people won't question it. And they can get away with it.Frank claims he evaded the FBI for five years. They couldn't catch him even if they tried. Sure, he admits he finally got arrested, but in his version of the story, he's the hero working undercover for the FBI.I may not believe his account, but I think he won in the end. The guy is in his mid-70s, lives in a multi-million-dollar island home, and makes a pre-school teacher's annual salary every time he takes the stage. He made it! And besides his alleged victims, no one seems to question his success. He fooled us all.And he would have gotten away with too, if it weren't for this meddling kid and his scrappy friend from Belfast. (The Irish guy is Alan Logan, the author of The Greatest Hoax on Earth.) We're on a mission to set the record straight. So that when you ask someone if they know who Frank Abagnale is, Instead of it being based on a true story, they'll tell you that he made it all up.Abagnale may have been on the run for the last 50 to 40 years, getting away with his biggest lie. But guess what?We caught him.Listen to part 6 of The Real Catch Me If You Can, then send me a voice memo with your thoughts on this series. Your audio could make it on the show. Email me at javier@pretendradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices