January 10, 2022

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

January 3, 2022

What’s poppin con-gregation? This week, Mitra Jouhari joins the show discussing Christian Gehartsreiter aka Clark Rockefeller who spent 30 years passing himself off as an educated, wealthy aristocrat while taking advantage of people. Plus, three political operatives are accused of defrauding $3.5 million from PAC scams. Stay Schemin’!

Research By Kaelyn Brandt 

SOURCES:

https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/54cc01740a5930502f5f4667/master/w_1600,c_limit/image.jpg

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2008/08/08/the-little-town-and-life-rockefeller-left-for-fame/l20Zs5ZzVbgic07Sf0MB6M/story.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/the-four-faces-of-rockefeller-6910914.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/us/politics/pac-operator-charges.html?searchResultPosition=3

December 20, 2021

What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, we have Larry Owens discussing John Duval Gluck, the conman who popularized writing letters to Santa Claus in the beginning of the 20th century. Plus, investors in an NFT project titled “Evolved Apes”  learn that the world of NFTs isn’t immune to scams. Stay Schemin’!

Research By Kaelyn Brandt 

SOURCES:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3dyem/investors-spent-millions-on-evolved-apes-nfts-then-they-got-scammed

https://nypost.com/2015/09/20/meet-the-con-artist-who-popularized-writing-to-santa-claus/

https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/the-con-man-who-saved-christmas/

https://ny.curbed.com/2015/11/30/9895926/the-strange-story-of-nycs-santa-claus-building-that-never-was

November 29, 2021

What’s poppin con-gregation? This week, we have Dexter Mayfield discussing a scammer known by over a dozen names in over a dozen states, all the while nearly leaving over a dozen broken hearts in her wake. Plus, an influencer gets in trouble for promoting a skincare line claiming protection from blue screen light. Stay Schemin’!

Research By Kaelyn Brandt 

SOURCES:

https://gamerant.com/valkyrae-rflct-youtube-controversy-skincare-brand-misinformation-misleading-research/

https://gamerant.com/valkyrae-rflct-studies-hidden-comments-video-clip/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/serial-con-artist-swindled-victims-abandoned-her-children-n936936

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dana-lawrence-confidence-woman-aliases-scams-fbi-declassified/

https://filmdaily.co/news/dana-lawrence-con-artist/

https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-dana-lawrence-now/