Fraud and deception take many forms — from online scams and fake identities to institutional cover-ups and elaborate financial schemes. These ten podcast episodes dig deep into cases where the truth was deliberately hidden, manipulated, or stolen. Whether it's a cryptocurrency fraudster, a fake military hero, or a hospital infiltrated by an unauthorized doctor, each episode reveals how deception can unravel lives — and how investigators eventually expose the truth.
---
1. Catch Me If You Ken
→ Natalie Robehmed investigates Ken Chew Wen Long's cryptocurrency fraud — click to read about the episode
Journalist Natalie Robehmed pulls back the curtain on Ken Chew Wen Long, a man who ran an elaborate cryptocurrency fraud scheme, deceiving investors and disappearing with their money. This episode examines how digital currencies have become a playground for fraudsters and how victims are left with little recourse. Robehmed's meticulous investigation traces the money trail and the psychological manipulation used to keep victims in the dark for so long.
---
2. Catch Me If You Ken
→ Natalie Robehmed reveals Ken Chew Wen Long's fraud against his cleaning help — click to read about the episode
In this companion episode, Natalie Robehmed exposes how Ken Chew Wen Long's deceptions extended even to the most vulnerable people around him — including his own cleaning staff. The case illustrates how serial fraudsters rarely limit themselves to one victim or one scheme. By targeting people with limited resources and legal knowledge, Chew Wen Long exploited trust on multiple levels, making this a deeply disturbing portrait of calculated exploitation.
---
3. Scam Factory
→ Max and Charlie in the fight against Southeast Asian scam camps — click to read about the episode
This episode takes listeners inside the shadowy world of Southeast Asian scam compounds, where thousands of people are trafficked and forced to run online fraud operations targeting victims worldwide. Max and Charlie investigate the industrial scale of these deception factories, where romance scams, crypto fraud, and impersonation schemes are carried out around the clock. It's a chilling look at how organised crime has weaponised digital communication to defraud millions globally.
---
4. Deep Cover
→ Sarah Cavanaugh's extensive military deception in Rhode Island — click to read about the episode
Sarah Cavanaugh constructed an entirely fictitious military identity, deceiving her community, loved ones, and institutions in Rhode Island for years. This episode investigates how she fabricated service records, medals, and a whole career in the armed forces — and why those around her believed every word. Deep Cover explores the psychology behind military imposters and the devastating consequences when the elaborate lie finally collapses under scrutiny.
---
5. Deceived – The Fake Doctor
→ The Case of the Unauthorized Doctor at Hvidovre Hospital — click to read about the episode
One of Denmark's most shocking cases of institutional deception: an individual with no valid medical credentials managed to practice at Hvidovre Hospital without authorisation. This episode examines how the imposter slipped through the system's safeguards, what motivated the deception, and how the case was eventually uncovered. It raises urgent questions about oversight, accountability, and the human cost when professional fraud goes undetected within a healthcare setting.
---
6. Spotlight: Snitch City
→ Alexander Polson and New Bedford's Corrupt Informant Network — click to read about the episode
In New Bedford, Massachusetts, a network of police informants operated in the shadows of the justice system — manipulating cases, protecting criminals, and deceiving prosecutors and courts. This episode follows the investigation into Alexander Polson and exposes how systemic deception within law enforcement can corrupt entire communities. Spotlight's rigorous journalism reveals how the people entrusted to uphold truth were themselves trafficking in lies for personal and professional gain.
---
7. Spotlight: Snitch City
→ Officer Jorge Santos and the political scandal in New Bedford — click to read about the episode
This episode digs deeper into the New Bedford scandal, focusing on Officer Jorge Santos and the political dimensions of a deception that reached far beyond street-level crime. Santos's story reveals how fraud and corruption within law enforcement can become entangled with local politics, making it nearly impossible for whistleblowers to be heard. Spotlight's investigation exposes the layers of institutional dishonesty that allowed the scheme to thrive for so long.
---
8. Something About Cari
→ Shanna Golyar and the Murder of Cari Farver — click to read about the episode
Shanna Golyar's case is a masterclass in digital deception: after murdering Cari Farver in Omaha, she assumed Cari's online identity for years — sending texts, emails, and social media messages to convince everyone that Cari was still alive. This episode examines how investigators eventually unravelled the deception and what it reveals about identity fraud in the digital age. It's one of the most disturbing examples of a killer weaponising technology to evade justice.
---
9. American Scandal
→ Georgia Tann and Tennessee Children's Home Society — click to read about the episode
Georgia Tann ran what appeared to be a respectable adoption agency in Tennessee — but behind the charitable facade lay decades of systematic child trafficking, fraud, and abuse. This episode chronicles how Tann deceived desperate families, falsified records, and sold children to wealthy clients, all while maintaining a spotless public reputation. American Scandal reconstructs one of America's most audacious institutional deceptions and the long fight to bring the truth to light.
---
10. Stakeknife
→ Freddie Scappaticci and the British Army's most controversial informant — click to read about the episode
Freddie Scappaticci lived a double life as one of the IRA's most feared internal security officers while simultaneously feeding intelligence to the British Army for decades. This episode explores the extraordinary deception at the heart of one of the most controversial espionage operations in modern British and Irish history. Stakeknife raises profound moral questions about the cost of running agents deep inside violent organisations — and who is ultimately responsible for the crimes committed in the name of intelligence.
