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 | ||
| S1208: The Stalker part 8 | 2023-02-21 | ||
| S1207: The Stalker part 7 | 2023-02-14 | ||
| S1206: The Stalker part 6 | 2023-02-14 | ||
| S1205: The Stalker part 5 | 2023-02-07 | ||
| S1204: The Stalker part 4 | 2023-01-31 | ||
| S1203: The Stalker part 3 | 2023-01-24 | ||
| S1202: The Stalker part 2 | 2023-01-17 | ||
| S1201: The Stalker part 1 | 2023-01-10 | ||
| S509: The Santa Claus Man Revisited | 2022-12-20 | ||
| S505: The Prank Revisited (featured on Netflix Don’t Pick Up the Phone) | 2022-12-06 | ||
| S401: The One Who Got Away Revisited | 2022-11-22 | ||
| S101: The Prophet Revisited - Word of Faith Fellowship Cult | 2022-11-08 | ||
| S806: The Real Vampires Revisited | 2022-10-25 | ||
| S1108: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 8 (finale) | 2022-10-11 | ||
| S1107: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 7 | 2022-09-27 | ||
| S1106: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 6 | 2022-09-13 | ||
| S1105: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 5 | 2022-08-30 | ||
| S1104: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 4 | 2022-08-16 | ||
| S1103: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 3 | 2022-08-02 | ||
| S1102: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 2 | 2022-07-19 |