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What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week we have comedian Nimesh Patel on to discuss James Hogue, named one of Time’s Top 10 Imposters, this runner turned bike thief fooled an Ivy League school into thinking he was a student but was really a 31 year old con man. Plus, the Red Power Ranger has been arrested by the FBI because of COVID fraud. Stay Schemin’! Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/red-power-ranger-actor-charged-multimillion-dollar-ppp-covid-relief-fr-rcna29813 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/09/03/the-runner https://www.aspentimes.com/news/famed-con-man-who-lived-in-ajax-shack-arrested-again-in-aspen/ https://paw.princeton.edu/article/strange-case-james-arthur-hogue

What’s Poppin’ Congregation? This week, we have comedian Kevin Fredericks to discuss the baddest bitches of pirating to have ever sailed the ocean blue, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Plus, a family of scammers from Queens, New York, who stole a house from a dead man in 2010 are finally caught. Stay Schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt.    Sources: https://queensda.org/family-of-alleged-scam-artists-charged-with-numerous-crimes-including-grand-larceny-identity-theft-tax-fraud/ https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-queens-scammer-family-busted-da-says-20220504-2od542b3ovdh5ndntouziy6rai-story.html https://allthatsinteresting.com/anne-bonny-mary-read https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-pirates-anne-bonny-mary-read-lgbt-statue-b1725018.html https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/if-theres-a-man-among-ye-the-tale-of-pirate-queens-anne-bonny-and-mary-read-45576461/

What’s poppin con-gregration? It’s the iCarly, Scam Goddess crossover we’ve all been waiting for! We got Miranda Cosgrove and Nathan Kress discussing Cassie Chadwick, who at the turn of the 20th century became one of the US’ foremost accomplished fraudsters. Plus, a Florida man is charged with 114 counts of various fraud, after he was caught in an alleged decades-long scheme to defraud Florida State’s Division of Unclaimed Property. Stay Schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt.    Sources:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-high-priestess-of-fraudulent-finance-45/ https://www.wrhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Cassie-Chadwick.pdf https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/11/22/the-turbulent-life-of-cassie-chadwick-the-impostor-who-claimed-to-be-carnegies-illegitimate-daughter/ https://www.wctv.tv/2021/07/13/man-faces-114-charges-alleged-2-million-unclaimed-property-fraud-scheme/

What’s poppin’ congregation? This week, we have the hosts of Not Another True Crime Podcast, Sara Levine & Danny Murphy to discuss Elizabeth Swaney, who proudly made it to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, without doing a single trick in her sport. Plus, the FDA demands Alex Jones stop advertising questionable dietary supplements as coronavirus treatments, threatening legal action if he doesn’t. Stay Schemin!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt.    Sources:https://everything-everywhere.com/elizabeth-swaney-and-the-power-of-just-showing-up/ https://olympics.com/en/news/elizabeth-swaney-unlikely-halfpipe-hero https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/elizabeth https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/21/elizabeth-swaney-olympics-skiing-american-ninja-warrior https://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/mikaela-shiffrin-doesnt-have-anything-to-prove-to-anyone-at-the-beijing-olympics/

What’s poppin’ congregation? This week, Tahir Moore returns to the show to discuss John Darwin, a British man who faked his death and disappearance to avoid a mountain of debt. Plus, a home in Virginia was put on the market with an occupant still living in the basement. Stay Schemin’! Research by Kaelyn Brandt.  Sources:https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-i-exposed-the-curious-case-of-canoe-man-john-darwin-0krwmnlkw https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-37551735 https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2022/04/13/fairfax-squatter-house-under-contract https://www.fox5dc.com/news/fairfax-home-sells-for-more-than-800k-despite-occupant-living-in-basement https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvn4zd/john-darwin-canoe-man-true-story

What’s poppin’ congregation? This week, we have Lady Bunny and Monét X Change discussing Amy Bock, a 20th century con woman who famously disguised herself as a wealthy sheep farmer convincing another woman to marry her. Plus, Goldman Sachs and Ozy Media try to work out their business relationship after someone impersonated an executive during a conference call. Stay Schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt.  Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/26/business/media/ozy-media-goldman-sachs.html  https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2b30/bock-amy-maud https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/black-sheep/story/2018670137/con-artist-the-story-of-amy-bock  https://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/collections/3021/objects/39269/photograph-albion-house-mrs-ottaways-boarding-house-kaka-point  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_asylum https://alchetron.com/Amy-Bock#amy-bock-5027d02e-edbc-447f-81b2-719f6b82d9c-resize-750.jpeg https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/carlos-watson-ozy-media-stays-open-1235024859/

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Jordan Carlos joins us to discuss how during the 1970’s the FBI hired Mel Weinberg, a career conman to tackle some of Washington’s biggest politicians. This story inspired the movie American Hustle. Plus, Late Night Talk Show Host John Oliver is scamming the scammers…Congress that is. Stay schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/last-week-tonight-john-oliver-recap-season-9-episode-7-congress-data-1335598/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/obituaries/mel-weinberg-dead-abscam-informant.html https://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/2013/11/jersey_hustle_the_real-life_story_of_abscam.html https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/abscam https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/expulsion/140HarrisonWilliams_expulsion.htm

What’s poppin’ congregation? This week, content creator La’Ron Hines joins us to discuss how a New York man is scammed by his therapist Dr. Ike Herschkopf, getting caught in a web of entanglement and paying him $3 million in monetary compensation. Plus, the city of Fresno, California lost $600,000 and told no one about it. Stay Schemin’!

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Lisa Gilroy joins us to discuss how Beanie Baby Mania took the 90’s by storm with people collecting and selling Ty Inc. stuffed toys for thousands of dollars. Plus, influencer scammer Caroline Calloway is accused of owing her landlord over $40,000. Stay Schemin’! Research by Kaelyn Brandt. Sources:  https://www.insider.com/influencer-caroline-calloway-accused-of-not-paying-40000-in-rent-2022-3 https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22870250/nft-beanie-baby-price-guide-bubble-princess-value https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather/great-beanie-baby-bubble-went-110000959.html#:~:text=In%201999%2C%20Jeffrey%20White%2C%20a,the%20best%20of%20him%2C%20too. https://thehustle.co/the-great-beanie-baby-bubble-of-99/ https://theweek.com/articles/461977/great-beanie-baby-bubble https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2014/Ty-Warner/ The Great Beanie Baby Bubble by Zac Bissonnette

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Vinny Thomas joins us to discuss Gerry Cotten, the infamous Crypto King. Gerry created the crypto currency exchange, “QuadrigaCX,” later to leave users with no access to their funds after his mysterious and controversial death. Plus, scammers are now using deep-fake technology to impersonate people.   Research by Kaelyn Brandt. Sources:  https://www.newsweek.com/gerald-cotten-wife-where-jennifer-robertson-now-crypto-king-quadriga-1693705 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/11/the-strange-tale-of-quadriga-gerald-cotten https://www.coindesk.com/video/recent-videos/the-story-behind-quadrigacx-and-netflixs-crypto-king/ Netflix’s Crypto King https://cryptonews.com/news/impostors-make-deep-fake-videos-of-ordinary-more-believable-people-promote-crypto-scams.htm

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Chinedu Unaka joins us to discuss how in the 80’s a group of MIT and Harvard students perfected card counting and took to casinos, making over $57 million dollars. Plus, a former British Airways pilot is sentenced to a year in jail after it was discovered he wasn’t actually the pilot he said he was. Stay Schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt. Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20050113100211/https://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,324,00.html https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27519748 https://www.theverge.com/2012/8/10/3223068/mit-mike-aponte-blackjack-card-counting-defcon https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/31/pilot-jailed-lying-flying-experience-get-british-airways-job/ https://www.businessinsider.com/british-airways-pilot-jailed-faked-resume-flying-experience-pressed-button-2022-4 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/race-ethnicity#:~:text=%E2%80%9CRace%E2%80%9D%20is%20usually%20associated%20with,and%20characterize%20seemingly%20distinct%20populations.  

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Danielle Pinnock joins us to discuss Nakesia Washington, a scamming travel agent who specialized in planning trips for the Essence Festival, only to leave clients high and dry. Plus, romance fraud is on the rise and one man sends nearly $500,000 to a love interest he never met. Stay Schemin’!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt. Sources: https://www.blackenterprise.com/travel-agent-arrested-essence-festival/ https://www.nola.com/news/courts/article_1966499c-9d9e-11e9-874b-9b8a792ac22f.html https://www.wdsu.com/article/she-hurt-a-lot-of-people-bbb-says-about-obl-travel-owner-after-getting-45-complaints/22692013 https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/essence-fest-scam-obl-travel-many-claimed-they-have-lost-thousands.1688299/ https://alwaysalist.com/?p=15543 https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/romance-fraud-love-wrong-place-proves-costly-82958741

What's poppin' con-gregation?  This week, Solomon Georgio joins us to discuss Sarma Melngailis, a business woman who went from “Queen of Vegan Cuisine" to the “Vegan Bernie Madoff.” Plus, pet scams have become such a problem in Michigan that the Michigan Attorney General released a video warning residents. Stay Schemin'!   Research by Kaelyn Brandt.Sources:https://people.com/food/bad-vegan-fame-fraud-fugitives-true-story/ https://people.com/crime/fugitive-former-vegan-restaurant-owner-caught-after-ordering-dominos-pizza/ https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/11/how-sarma-melngailis-became-a-runaway-fugitive https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/03/sarma-melngailis-netflixs-bad-vegan-stares-down-her-past-and-future Netflix’s documentary, Bad Vegan https://www.intheknow.com/post/dog-breeder-scam/

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, Traci Thomas joins us to discuss Jamison Bachman, a man who posed as a charming tenant only to victimize his roommates, determined to take their homes from under them. Plus, an elderly woman pleads guilty to helping a Nigerian scammer she fell in love with. Stay Schemin'! CW: Mentions of physical assault and suicide are in this episode. Time Stamps : @ 26:44 CW: Physical Assault & Suicide Warning                          @ 52:30 CW: Murder                          @ 52:52 CW: Suicide Research by Kaelyn Brandt.  Sources: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/jamison-bachman-worst-roommate-ever.html   https://thenetline.com/jamison-bachman-now/   https://www.timesnewspapers.com/webster-kirkwoodtimes/woman-sentenced-after-helping-scam-artist/article_1b2ae9e0-9b02-11ec-bb64-5ff45577d3b2.html   https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/california-squatters-rights#:~:text=A%20squatter%20can%20claim%20rights,ownership%20of%20the%20property%20legally  

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, Jabari Davis joins us to discuss Heather Morgan, a rapping former-CEO who was a part of the largest asset seizure in history, involving over $4 billion in bitcoin. Plus, a Greek Orthodox priest and hedge fund manager participates in a “short and distort” scheme. Stay Schemin'!   Research By Kaelyn Brandt.    SOURCES: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hedge-fund-priest-thou-shalt-make-money-1445918531?mod=mktw https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/jury-sec-case-finds-priest-shorting-biotechs-stock-made-false-statements-2021-11-05/ https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/02/the-many-shifting-sides-of-cryptos-most-notorious-couple.html https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2016/08/03/the-bitfinex-bitcoin-hack-what-we-know-and-dont-know/ https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/02/doj-seizes-usd3-6-billion-in-stolen-bitcoin-arrests-couple.html https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/bitcoin-billionaire-rapper-busted-after-fbi-seized-her-3-9-billion-fortune-183ad0e8cb0 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/nyregion/bitcoin-bitfinex-hack-heather-morgan-ilya-lichtenstein.html

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, Brittani Warrick joins us to discuss how a 19th century Scottish man, convinced people to establish the new country of Poyais, however it didn’t actually exist. Plus, one antique store goes viral after a tik toker exposes the real cost of antique swans. Stay Schemin'! Research By Kaelyn Brandt.  SOURCES: https://www.distractify.com/p/tiktok-goodwill-thrift-shop https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Gregor-MacGregor-Prince-Of-Poyais/ https://allthatsinteresting.com/gregor-macgregor https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-untold-truth-about-poyais-a-dead-land-sold-as-a-mystical-paradise-bf6719715229

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, comedian Frankie Quiñones joins us to discuss how 18 barrels of bourbon went missing from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, producers of the famed Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. Plus, scammers capitalize off of fake high end whiskey being sold in local liquor stores across the nation. Stay Schemin'! Research By Kaelyn Brandt.  SOURCES: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/06/dining/drinks/fake-bourbon.html https://craigcalcaterra.com/blog/the-pappy-van-winkle-heist-that-wasnt2710188/ https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/inside-the-great-pappy-van-winkle-heist https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-06-29/the-pappy-van-winkle-bandit-speaks-and-says-he-didn-t-do-it https://www.grunge.com/450262/the-truth-about-the-pappygate-bourbon-heist/

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, Corinne Fisher & Krystyna Hutchinson join us to get an update on some of our favorite scammers: Anna Delvey, Elizabeth Holmes & The Tinder Swindler. Plus, a Chinese student spends 21 days living a luxurious life for free as part of an art project for her school. Stay Schemin'!   Research By Kaelyn Brandt.    SOURCES: https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html https://www.insider.com/anna-delvey-writes-about-inventing-anna-and-life-in-jail-2022-2 https://www.insider.com/netflix-paid-anna-delvey-sorokin-tv-series-victim-fund-2021-1 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/13/elizabeth-holmes-sentence-september-fraud https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/tech/elizabeth-holmes-verdict/index.html https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-founder-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-life-story-bio-2018-4#it-was-during-high-school-that-holmes-developed-her-work-ethic-often-staying-up-late-to-study-she-quickly-became-a-straight-a-student-and-even-started-her-own-business-she-sold-c-compilers-a-type-of-software-that-translates-computer-code-to-chinese-schools-5 https://www.etonline.com/tinder-swindler-simon-leviev-joins-cameo-signs-with-manager-inside-his-hollywood-plans-179407 https://www.insideedition.com/exclusive-alleged-tinder-swindler-simon-leviev-speaks-on-money-romance-and-allegations-in-1st-sit https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a38819028/tinder-swindler-netflix-true-story-simon-leviev/ https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a38955743/tinder-swindler-simon-leviev-true-story-where-is-he-now/ https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/17531724/simon-levievs-bodyguard-peter/ https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/04/verdict-reached-in-michael-avenatti-fraud-trial-over-stormy-daniels-book-money.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10289325/Student-stays-Beijing-three-weeks-without-spending-penny-disguising-socialite.html

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, Bridger Winegar joins us to discuss Sergei Mavrodi, the man behind one of the world’s largest Ponzi schemes. Plus, a 73-year old Long Island woman helps the NYPD catch a scammer. Stay Schemin!   Research By Kaelyn Brandt.    SOURCES: https://www.nbc15.com/2022/01/22/watch-grandmother-helps-catch-scammers-fun/ https://qz.com/1259524/mmm-and-bitcoin-russian-ponzi-mastermind-sergei-mavrodi-is-dead-but-his-legacy-lives-on-in-crypto/ https://www.rbth.com/history/332261-mmm-fraud-mavrodi https://historyofyesterday.com/sergei-mavrodi-the-man-who-left-30-million-people-broke-2bbd03a9cd82 https://112.international/society/give-us-our-money-back-how-the-world-will-remember-the-mmm-financial-pyramid-founder-sergei-mavrodi-27224.html https://www.forbes.ru/biznes/359219-hozyain-piramid-sergey-mavrodi-kak-simvol-lihih-90-h

What's poppin' con-gregation? This week, comedian Brian Simpson joins us to discuss how a group of British OG's successfully stole about $19.4 million from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company. Plus, we learn how a Japanese KFC owner popularized fried chicken as the main dish during Christmas time in Japan. Stay Schemin'!   Research By Kaelyn Brandt.    SOURCES: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9139718/hatton-garden-robbers-where-diamond-wheezers/ https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/world/europe/london-hatton-garden-heist.html https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/23/one-last-job-inside-story-of-the-hatton-garden-heist https://www.grunge.com/360175/britains-notorious-great-train-robbery-explained/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-35126667 https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/features/how-we-got-our-hatton-1.66197 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-53581840 https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/the-hatton-garden-criminals https://blog.gaijinpot.com/the-true-story-of-why-people-in-japan-eat-kfc-at-christmas/