EP. 239 — Mission Im-Ponzi Scheme w/ Kate Willett

What’s Poppin’ Con-gregation? This week comedian Kate Willett joins the show to discuss Sam Israel III, who ran a hedge fund that “accidentally” turned into a scam with Sam “accidentally” finding himself in the plot of a spy movie. Stay schemin’!

This was originally recorded on Tues. April 16, 2024.

Pre-Order Laci’s book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes.” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

Check out Kate Willett’s Comedy Special entitled “Loopholes” coming out April 23rd on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Follow on Instagram:

Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

Laci Mosley: @divalaci

Kate Willett: @kate.willett

Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

Sources:

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-big-sell-20120806-23op3.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26560577#.V0MHDryMB0s

https://www.cnbc.com/2010/01/27/Suicide-is-Painless:-The-Fall-of-Samuel-Israel-III.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20220712132642/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-samuel-israel/bayou-hedge-funds-samuel-israel-who-ran-big-ponzi-scheme-fails-to-win-freedom-idUSKBN1YD2E3

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2185981/Samuel-Israel-Staged-murders-bogus-London-traders-million-dollar-deals.html

Photos

Recent Episodes

See All

July 17, 2025

EP. 303.5 — Fraud Friday: The Rogue Runner of Princeton w/ Nimesh Patel

Guest Nimesh Patel

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Nimesh Patel (Thank You China) 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.

Listen

July 14, 2025

EP. 303 — Charmed & Robbed by The Shadiest of Shamans w/ Jennifer Welch

Guest Jennifer Welch

This week, Laci welcomes Jennifer Welch (I’ve Had It Podcast) to explore Juliette D’Souza, an ordinary British woman who masqueraded as a healer with a secret connection to a source of power deep in the Amazon rainforest.

Listen

July 10, 2025

EP. 302.5 — Fraud Friday: The Best Basic Olympian w/ Sara Levine and Danny Murphy

Guest Sara Levine Danny Murphy

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Sara Levine & Danny Murphy (Not Another True Crime Podcast) to discuss Elizabeth Swaney, who proudly made it to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, without doing a single trick in her sport.

Listen