Diana Safieh co-hosts a true crime podcast with her sister Randa. Check out the Switchblade Sisters Social Club, a podcast where two sisters exploit their worst fears, for your entertainment. In this guest article, Diana talks us through the best financial fraud podcasts to listen to this tax season.
My sis and co-host Randa would say financial crime is ‘BORING!’ But it’s not. TRUST! Ok, maybe someone doesn’t die all the time, but that doesn’t mean it is not seriously twisted! Here are some engrossing podcasts focusing on fraud, crypto-controversies and multi-level marketing schemes to explore while you’re avoiding doing your taxes and other general adulting.
Scamanda
Meet Amanda: part-time blogger, full-time charmer, and an all-around domestic goddess with a flair for the dramatic. With her bubbly personality and zest for life, she's the perfect wife, mummy blogger, and Christian. But Amanda's got a secret. As she chronicles her journey with cancer, she becomes the darling of her community and an online sensation. Tag along with investigative producer Nancy and award-winning journalist Charlie for Scamanda, a wild ride through a world of secrets, surprises, and suburban scandal that'll leave you guessing what's real and what's just really good storytelling.
The Missing Cryptoqueen
This BBC podcast, The Missing Cryptoqueen, explores the deceitful world of Dr Ruja Ignatova and her One Coin cryptocurrency scam. It leaves you wondering whether to invest or investigate. Dr Ruja Ignatova vanished as swiftly as a Bitcoin bubble burst, leaving behind a trail of digital dust and unanswered questions. The hosts navigate the blockchain of bewilderment with a blend of investigative rigour and a sense of humour that appreciates the absurdity of searching for someone who might as well have teleported to the moon.
Bad Blood: The Final Chapter
Once hailed as the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, Elizabeth Holmes swapped her superhero cape for a defendant's chair faster than you can say ‘disruptive technology’. As the founder of the not-so-accurate blood-testing startup Theranos, she's gone from gracing magazine covers to grappling with allegations of colossal fraud, facing a possible 20-year vacation in a place that definitely doesn't resemble Silicon Valley. But don't count her out just yet! With her charm, a defence strategy more unique than a unicorn startup, and some conveniently absent evidence, she might just have the jury seeing through rose-coloured test tubes. Join John Carreyrou on Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, the man who first smelled something phishy at Theranos, as he dives deep into the trial and Silicon Valley's favourite game: ‘Fake It Till the Feds Come Knocking’.
WeCrashed
WeCrashed chronicles the dizzying ascent and vertigo-inducing fall of WeWork, the startup that went from coworking darling to cautionary tale faster than you can say ‘sublease’, and its founders, Adam and Rebekah Neumann. It's a wild rollercoaster ride through ambition, illusion and office kegs, narrated with the kind of zest typically reserved for soap operas and telenovelas. WeCrashed is for anyone who loves a good startup story but appreciates the schadenfreude of a spectacular flameout.
The Opportunist
Ever wonder how a mild-mannered accountant becomes a con artist, or what turns your friendly neighbourhood barista into a cult guru? The Opportunist delves into the stories of individuals who see the world not as a glass half empty or half full, but as a chance to sell the glass to the highest bidder. Hosted by Hannah Smith, this series looks at whether maybe, just maybe, we're all one bad day away from becoming the subject of our very own true-crime episode. It's like attending a masterclass taught by the world's most charismatic scammers, except instead of taking notes, you're taking a moment to appreciate the sheer nerve of it all. Tune in to discover how a sprinkle of chance and a dash of darkness can cook up the most intriguing of life's villains – all from the comfort of your normal, totally not suspicious life.
Exit Scam
Ever heard of a guy who may or may not have faked his own death in India, taking millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency with him to the grave? Or perhaps just to a beach in Aruba? This is where you buckle up for the story of Gerald Cotten and the missing $215 million in Bitcoin. Hosted by Aaron Lammer, Exit Scam is like the true crime meets digital age soap opera we never knew we needed. It's the perfect blend of tech nerdery, conspiracy theories, and good old-fashioned greed!
The Dream
The Dream takes listeners into the controversial world of multi-level marketing (MLM), life coaches and the wellness industry. Narrated with a blend of fascination and scepticism, kind of like if Alice had fallen down a rabbit hole filled with motivational speeches and overpriced leggings, the host Jane Marie guides you through the pyramids (schemes, of course) with the charm of a savvy shopper and the wit of a seasoned cynic, peeling back the layers of the MLM onion until you're both laughing and crying.
The Ponzi Supernova
The Ponzi Supernova is an auditory journey into the astronomical implosion of the most infamous financial fraud in history, led by none other than Bernie Madoff, the maestro of money schemes. This podcast delves into the cosmic chaos of how one man orchestrated a financial black hole so deep that it swallowed fortunes whole. The host Steve Fishman navigates the nebula of deceit with a tone that's half awe, half ‘How in the world did he pull that off?’, making the complicated world of securities seem more like intergalactic intrigue.
It's like a financial whodunit, except we all know whodunit - now we're just trying to figure out how and who else might've been in on the joke.
American Scandal
American Scandal wraps up the juiciest, most jaw-dropping scandals in American history. Plus, there are nearly 275 episodes, so this is perfect for a mega-binge. From political kerfuffles to corporate conundrums, listening to this podcast is like getting a backstage pass to the underbelly of the American Dream, where every story is as deliciously disreputable as it is unbelievably true.
Fraudsters
Coming from The Last Podcast Network, Fraudsters is the podcast where the hosts plunge into the murky depths of history's most outrageous frauds. It's like a guided tour through a museum of mischief, where every exhibit is more unbelievable than the last, and the gift shop sells ‘I Survived the Ponzi Scheme’ T-shirts. Listening to Fraudsters is a bit like attending a magic show if the magician kept pulling lawsuits out of his hat instead of rabbits.
Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime
Submerge yourself deep into the shadowy world of mob bosses, syndicates, and heists that are more complex than your last attempt at assembling IKEA furniture. Deep Dive is like a nature documentary, if the animals were all wearing pinstripe suits and packing heat. Just make sure you remember to come up for air!
