Danny is back for the final time to cover Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow—an event organized by a company called House of Illuminati that gave more Fyre Fest than Pure Imagination . Danny gets into it all, from the AI-generated, spelling-error-riddled poster to the off-brand character of The Unknown (a terrifying masked figure who “lives in the walls”), and an Oompa Loompa who looked like she wished she were literally anywhere else. Event attendees complained that they didn’t quite get w...
Feb 10, 2026•30 min
This week, writer and comedian Josh Gondelman joins the show to cover a story from his hometown of Boston: the still-unsolved Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. In 1990, two thieves dressed as police officers entered the museum in the middle of the night and carried out what remains the largest property theft in history, stealing 13 paintings valued at approximately $500 million. Despite several mob-affiliated suspects over the years, the stolen works were never recovered, and the case event...
Feb 10, 2026•45 min
Danny is back to cover the self-proclaimed “Jeffrey Dahmer of fraud,” Steve Comisar. First, there’s a personal scam story involving a recent Uber Pool trip that went completely off the rails. Then, the episode dives into the extensive grifting résumé of Beverly Hills conman Steve Comisar, who shilled everything from solar-powered clothes dryers to diet pills to oil wells—and even scammed an 84-year-old man out of $500,000. After several prison stints and failed attempts at becoming a Hollywood a...
Feb 10, 2026•49 min
This week, Danny covers the viral story from The Cut ’s financial advice columnist Charlotte Cowles, who became the unlikely victim of a scam that cost her $50,000. The episode breaks down Cowles’s article, which details how, over the course of a single day, scammers posing as Amazon employees and FTC agents convinced her she was the victim of extensive identity theft, with multiple warrants out for her arrest for cybercrimes, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Cowles ultimately withdrew an...
Feb 10, 2026•44 min
Danny is joined by Emmy Award–winning television host, veteran journalist, and bestselling author Tamron Hall to discuss the latest book in her Jordan Manning series, Watch Where They Hide . Tamron shares the real-life cases that inspired the novel, how she identifies with the character of Jordan, and the emotional process of writing the book. They also dive into the media phenomenon of Missing White Woman Syndrome and how crime reporting has evolved since the start of Tamron’s career, particula...
Feb 10, 2026•39 min
This week, Danny covers the civil fraud case of Denver pastor Eli Regalado and his wife, Kaitlyn, who claimed they were directed by God to sell millions in fake cryptocurrency through the Kingdom Wealth Exchange. The couple is accused of pocketing $1.3 million to fund an extravagant lifestyle that included a Range Rover, vacations, luxury handbags, and more—in what a Denver District Court judge called “a case of just unmitigated greed.” SOURCES: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/01/23/c...
Feb 10, 2026•38 min
Danny is back this week with another con artist from Down Under: Samantha Azzopardi. The episode digs into her innumerable fake identities—including a 14-year-old girl and the actress Dakota Johnson—and traces her path from the Sydney suburbs to Dublin, Calgary, and prison, before returning to Australia, where she once again ran into trouble with the law. SOURCES: https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/samantha-azzopardi-true-story/ https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/international-con-art...
Feb 10, 2026•36 min
Danny is joined by Sky Borgman, director and producer of the new documentary series The Truth About Jim , now streaming on MAX. The documentary follows 32-year old Sierra Barter, as she investigates whether or not her step grandfather, Jim Mordecai, was a serial killer. Skye shares her storytelling approach, how Jim might have flown under the radar for so long, and why there was such a serial killing spike in the Bay Area at that time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...
Feb 10, 2026•28 min
This week, Danny covers the mysterious story of Australian conwoman Melissa Caddick. After falling victim to a romance scam in her early 20s, she pivoted to becoming a scammer herself, cheating friends and family out of millions. As the law began to catch up with her, Melissa mysteriously disappeared, only for a disembodied foot matching her DNA to wash up on the beach months later. Danny gets into the ins and outs of Melissa's scams and disappearance, as well as the theories about whether or no...
Feb 10, 2026•40 min
Betches News Director Amanda Duberman joins the show to unpack the second season of MAX’s docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace , which centers on Natalia’s side of the story. The episode covers Natalia’s traumatic experiences with the Barnett family, what unfolded with her new family, the Mans, the “twist” ending, and why this style of docuseries can feel so manipulative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 10, 2026•38 min
Ahead of Netflix’s American Nightmare , dropping January 17, we’re taking a look back at Danny’s interview with Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, the subjects of the three-part docuseries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2026•26 min
Danny is back with some top-of-the-year crime updates. First, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is out of prison after eight years and making waves on social media with comments about her husband, Ryan. Next, the first batch of long-awaited court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein have been released, naming several high-profile individuals. Finally, Andy Cohen claps back at Jen Shah’s Instagram post from prison. SOURCES: https://www.eonline.com/news/1392322/gypsy-rose-blanchard-defends-husband-ryan-anderso...
Feb 10, 2026•29 min
Ahead of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks , dropping tonight on MAX, here’s a look back at Danny’s recap of the previous six-part series from 2023. The Curious Case of Natalia Grace explores the Barnett family and the unusual events that unfolded—from Natalia’s adoption and suspicions about her age, to police involvement, her birth family in Ukraine, and the child abandonment trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 10, 2026•48 min
Danny is back with some holiday scams to watch out for: gift cards, QR codes, “smishing,” ChatGPT, and a pyramid scheme gift exchange. SOURCES: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2023/12/11/gift-card-scam-card-draining-holiday-shoppers-christmas/71876923007/ https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/scammers-hide-harmful-links-qr-codes-steal-your-information https://www.axios.com/2023/12/12/beware-chatgpt-holiday-scams https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/newbritaintwppd/34878/post/g...
Feb 10, 2026•41 min
Danny is joined by Ashley Randele, co-host of the new podcast Smokescreen: My Fugitive Dad . At 38, Ashley discovered that her father, Thomas Randele, was a bank robber and fugitive known as Ted Conrad. She shares her experience creating the docuseries, what it was like investigating her own father’s past, and what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2026•34 min
This week, Danny dives into the world of housing disputes. First, the story of a pair of bamboccioni (aka “big babies”) in Italy, whose 75-year-old mother took them to court for freeloading. Next, an Italian Supreme Court case from 2020 about parents financially supporting their adult children. Finally, the story of Elizabeth Hirschhorn—aka the “tenant from hell”—who refused to leave (or pay for) her LA rental mansion for over 500 days, after previously pulling a similar stunt in Oakland. SOURCE...
Feb 10, 2026•46 min
Today, Danny shares a special episode of one of his favorite podcasts: Pop Crime with host Kiki Monique. Kiki breaks down the ongoing saga of Kanye West, as multiple lawsuits and allegations threaten his cultural empire. Danny joins to discuss whether this could be the end for Yeezy. Tune in to NATCP on Monday for a deeper dive on the Donda drama, featuring Kiki! @thetalkofshame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 10, 2026•57 min
This week, Danny covers James Hogue, a champion runner–turned–con man, who stole everything from trophies to bikes to gemstones—all while posing as a teenage student, even though he was nearly 30. SOURCES: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/09/03/the-runner https://paw.princeton.edu/article/strange-case-james-arthur-hogue#:~:text=As%20it%20turned%20out%2C%20Alexi,for%20possession%20of%20stolen%20property. https://areomagazine.com/2022/04/08/the-curious-case-of-a-scholar-who-didnt-exist/ htt...
Feb 10, 2026•41 min
In Part 2 of Sara and Danny's deep dive on Barry Minkow, Barry is released from prison and rebrands himself as a pastor, starts a for-profit investigative firm dedicated to uncovering business frauds., and his church parishioners raise funds for a film about his life. But Barry's compulsion for scamming was far from over, and he had to face the legal system once again. SOURCES: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-19-me-37107-story.html https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/san...
Feb 10, 2026•26 min
Danny is back with a deep dive on Barry Minkow, a man with a relentless entrepreneurial spirit for cons and scams. In Part 1, he covers Minkow’s early start as a child telemarketer and how his adolescent carpet-cleaning business, ZZZZ Best, led to credit card fraud, stock fraud, ties to the mob, and prison. Come back next week for Part 2, where Barry becomes a born-again Christian. SOURCES: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-19-me-37107-story.html https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fiel...
Feb 10, 2026•33 min
Danny is joined by Kiki Monique, host of fellow Betches podcast Pop Crime , to do a deep dive on the saga of Ye’s K-12 school, Donda Academy. They cover it all—from bizarre rules about color palettes and staircases, to $10,000 sushi and racial discrimination lawsuits. Kiki Monique: @thetalkofshame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2026•51 min
Journalist Mandy Matney, host of The Murdaugh Murders Podcast , joins to discuss the current state of journalism, her new book Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty , how systemic sexism helped enable Alex Murdaugh, and what it was like covering that unbelievable trial. Guest: @mandy_matney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2026•30 min
Danny catches up on the latest RHOSLC drama before diving into this week’s story: aspiring actor-turned-scammer Zachary J. Horowitz, aka Zach Avery. Avery was charged with wire fraud after using his company, 1inMM Capital LLC, to collect $650 million through fraudulent regional distribution agreements for various streaming platforms. SOURCES: https://ew.com/celebrity/zach-avery-20-years-in-prison-ponzi-scheme/ https://people.com/crime/actor-zach-avery-arrested-for-running-allegedly-multi-million...
Feb 10, 2026•37 min
Attorney Rex Chatterjee joins to explain why the FTX case is actually simpler than it seems. He walks Danny through the basics of wire fraud, how this kind of trial works, Sam Bankman-Fried’s strategy of blaming his attorneys, and why venture capitalists keep funding narcissists who “move fast and break shit.” Note: This episode was recorded before the verdict was announced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 10, 2026•51 min
Danny's flying solo this week with another roundup of recent newsworthy scams. First up, a Massachusetts family defrauds the lottery out of $20 million. Then, an Australian woman is the latest victim of an employment scam, losing her life savings. And finally, striking actors are being recruited for AI research that may end up replacing them in the future. SOURCES: https://nypost.com/2023/10/25/news/how-a-massachusetts-family-scammed-the-lottery-out-of-20-million/ https://www.news.com.au/finance...
Feb 10, 2026•39 min
Journalist, NYT bestselling author, and Pulitzer finalist Tom Wright joins to talk about his podcast Crypto Kingpins . The podcast explores the rivalry between two crypto titans: Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX and Changpeng Zhao of Binance. Tom explains how Bankman-Fried presented himself as the “good boy of crypto,” how his rivalry with CZ began, and where things stand with crypto now. With Bankman-Fried currently on trial for fraud and billions of dollars at stake, there’s still more to come in this...
Feb 10, 2026•42 min
Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe join to talk about their new HBO documentary BS High , which covers the high school football scandal that made headlines in 2021. The Bishop Sycamore Centurions—a football team for a school that doesn’t exist—shocked the internet after a humiliating loss to IMG Academy, televised on ESPN. Travon and Martin share how they got involved with the story, what it was like interviewing self-proclaimed liar Roy Johnson, who orchestrated the scam, and where some of the ...
Feb 10, 2026•35 min
This week, Danny recaps some recent celebrity news. First, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis faced backlash after their letters to the judge in Danny Masterson’s rape case were made public. Ashton subsequently resigned as Chairman of the Board at Thorn, the sex trafficking organization he co-founded with Demi Moore in 2009. Iggy Azalea also faced criticism last month when her letter of support for Tory Lanez regarding the Megan Thee Stallion shooting became public. Finally, Russell Brand has been ac...
Feb 10, 2026•31 min
Documentary filmmaker Sam Lipman-Stern joins to talk about his three-part HBO docuseries Telemarketers . This two-decades-long project began when Sam first started working at the Civil Development Group, where he began recording the bizarre goings-on at the office for entertainment, all while unwittingly participating in a massive scam. Sam shares how everything unfolded, the journey to getting the project funded and made, and what he’s working on now. Check out our latest promo codes here: http...
Feb 10, 2026•37 min
Danny bids a sweaty farewell to summer with a roundup of recent festival fiascos—and one on the horizon. First, Burning Man, the week-long Nevada desert festival where participants erect (and dismantle) Black Rock City, faced extreme rainfall this year, creating disastrous mud and trapping 70,000 people who were forced to shelter in place. Next, NYC’s Electric Zoo festival became a massive organizational nightmare, leaving thousands of ticket holders stuck in endless lines. Finally, Billy McFarl...
Feb 10, 2026•49 min
