EP. 120 — The Scammer Hood of the Traveling Wigs w/ Fortune Feimster

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Fortune Feimster joins us to discuss Laura Albert, an author who published a book under the pseudonym JT LeRoy. It wasn’t discovered until years later that JT never really existed. Plus a 63-year-old Mississippi man is accused of being involved in a footbath scheme resulting in over $10 million in fake claims. Stay Schemin’!

CW: There is mention of sexual assault, abuse and suicide in this episode.

Research By Kaelyn Brandt.

SOURCES:

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2006/04/jtleroy200604

https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/14718/

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/230831/jt-le-roy-true-story-movie-literary-scam-hoax

https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2001/7/strange-innocence

https://www.savannahknoop.net/

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/north-mississippi-podiatrist-indicted-foot-bath-scheme-water-valley-medicare-fraud/522-d92da935-ce2f-47e8-9ffa-33a44a182eba

Recent Episodes

See All

May 1, 2025

EP. 292.5 — The HiStudio Hype House with Chris Gethard

Guest Chris Gethard

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Chris Gethard (The Special Without Brett Davis, Don’t Think Twice) to discuss how a CEO created a Hype House style podcasting network that led to lawsuits, trash and fallout.

Listen

April 28, 2025

EP. 292 — Balancing on Booboo Bogus Bracelets w/ Jon Gabrus

Guest Jon Gabrus

Nobody was tripping in 2010, and maybe that was because all the cool people in the zeitgeist were wearing bracelets that claimed to harness the power of holograms to make you stronger, faster, more flexible, and possibly sexier, too.

Listen

April 24, 2025

EP. 291.5 — Fraud Friday: The Real Hustlers behind Hustlers w/ Mo Heart

Guest Monique Heart

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Mo Heart (RuPaul’s Drag Race) to help us break down the real-life story that inspired the 2019 hit film Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu.

Listen