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 | ||
| Trailer: The Real Catch Me If You Can | 2022-07-04 | ||
| S1004: The Man Who Wears Many Hats part 2 | 2022-06-21 | ||
| S1003: The Man Who Wears Many Hats part 1 | 2022-06-07 | ||
| S1002: The Sperm Donor | 2022-05-24 | ||
| S1001: The Dadbot | 2022-05-10 | ||
| S908: The Deepfake | 2022-04-19 | ||
| S907: The Forensic Musicologist | 2022-04-05 | ||
| PRETEND's 100th Episode | 2022-03-22 | ||
| Javier Interviews a Serial Killer — Criminal Conduct Season 3 | 2022-03-08 | ||
| S905: The Business of Cults part 3 | 2022-02-22 | ||
| S904: The Business of Cults part 2 | 2022-02-14 | ||
| S903: The Business of Cults part 1 | 2022-02-08 | ||
| S902: Cons, Scams, and Flim-flams | 2022-01-25 | ||
| S901: The KGB Agent | 2022-01-11 | ||
| S811: The Truth About Santa | 2021-12-24 | ||
| S810: The Hypnotist part 4 - Alien Abductions and Hypnosis | 2021-12-21 | ||
| S809: The Hypnotist part 3 - Is hypnosis admissible in court? | 2021-12-07 | ||
| S808: The Hypnotist part 2 | 2021-11-23 | ||
| S807: The Hypnotist part 1 | 2021-11-09 | ||
| S806: The Real Vampires | 2021-10-26 |