EP. 157 — The Curious Case of Benja-Scam Button w/ Josh Brekhus

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Josh Brekhus joins the show to discuss, Frédéric Bourdin a serial imposter who took on about 500 identities, convincing many that he was a school age runaway well into his adulthood. Plus, 19-year-old chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann is accused of cheating with vibrating anal beads. Stay Schemin’!

Sources:

https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/chess-cheating-scandal-magnus-carlsen-hans-moke-niemann-anal-beads.html

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/09/16/chess-grandmaster-denies-cheating-by-using-anal-beads

https://www.grunge.com/292562/how-a-fake-cia-agent-convinced-people-to-rob-banks/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/08/11/the-chameleon-annals-of-crime-david-grann

Photos

Recent Episodes

See All

June 19, 2025

EP. 299.5 — Fraud Friday: The Heartbreak Hustler w/ Dexter Mayfield

Guest Dexter Mayfield

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Dexter Mayfield (The Art of Being, Sandy Wexler) to discuss a scammer known by over a dozen names in over a dozen states, all while leaving over a dozen broken hearts in her wake.

Listen

June 16, 2025

EP. 299 — Squid Games & Losing Coins w/ Flawless Kevin

Guest FlawlessKevin

This week, Laci welcomes Kevin Ninh, aka FlawlessKevin (Squid Game: The Challenge), to unpack the story behind the viral cryptocurrency SQUID — a scam that rode the wave of the first season of Squid Game on Netflix.

Listen

June 12, 2025

EP. 298.5 — Fraud Friday: Australia’s Cop Con Artist w/ AJ Gibson & Emile Ennis Jr.

Guest AJ Gibson Emile Ennis Jr.

In this week’s Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by AJ Gibson and Emile Ennis Jr. (Confess Your Mess Pod) to discuss the Australian identity thief who had a clear obsession with conning cops.

Listen