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, an and based in the United States, 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. [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]
| Title | Date published | ||
| BONUS: The Digital Trail to Epstein’s Island | 2025-07-09 | ||
| The Pale Faced Lie Revisited | 2025-07-01 | ||
| 2111: The Stalker - New Charges part 21 | 2025-06-24 | ||
| 2110: Cocaine Air | 2025-06-10 | ||
| 2109: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 4 | 2025-06-03 | ||
| 2108: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 3 | 2025-05-28 | ||
| 2107: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 2 | 2025-05-20 | ||
| 2106: The Internet Saves the Bachelor part 1 | 2025-05-14 | ||
| 2105: The Man Who Stole 200 Million Identities | 2025-05-10 | ||
| 2104: The Digital Pickpocket Revisted | 2025-05-06 | ||
| 2103: LaDonna's Easter Egg Hustle | 2025-04-29 | ||
| 2102: Faking Insanity | 2025-04-22 | ||
| 2101: My Wife, the Ponzi Schemer | 2025-04-15 | ||
| 2013: I Married a Narcissist part 3 | 2025-04-08 | ||
| 2012: I Married a Narcissist part 2 Listener Reactions | 2025-04-01 | ||
| 2011: I Married a Narcissist part 1 | 2025-03-25 | ||
| 2010: The Keepsake Scandal | 2025-03-21 | ||
| 2009: The Gambler Revisited | 2025-03-11 | ||
| 2008: Licensed to Kill part 2 | 2025-03-04 | ||
| 2007: Licensed to Kill part 1 | 2025-02-25 |