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**PRETEND**

PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web.

Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons

PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling.

Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off.

PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC.

© 2026 Creative Babble LLC

[CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]

Latest Episodes:

S810: The Hypnotist part 4 - Alien Abductions and Hypnosis Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

John Mack, a respected Harvard psychologist, uses hypnosis to recover memories of alien abductions.

Alien abductions and hypnosis

Like they say on the X-files, "the truth is out there." Throughout history, people claimed to have seen many unexplainable things. Some have tangible proof, like the leaked U.S. Navy cock pit videos chasing unidentified flying objects. Other experiencers don't have any evidence at all. The only thing they have are their memories. Maybe the answer is buried deep in our subconscious?

In today's episode, we'll introduce you to a Harvard professor who used hypnosis to help people recover memories from possible alien abductions. Sure, there are people out there who claim they encountered beings from another planet just to seek attention. But, others carry these experiences in secret.

John Mac and psychology of alien abductions

John Mack was a respected Harvard psychologist who became fixated with people claiming to have been abducted or encountered alien beings. Ralph Blumenthal recently wrote John Mack's biography titled, "Believer: Alien Encounters, hard science, and the passion of John Mack."

Blumenthal says that at first, Dr. John Mack tried to explain these encounters through other means. First, are these people insane? Are they hucksters looking to make some money? But Dr. Mack found their stories to be credible. Most of his patients never came out publicly with their stories. Instead, they sought his help to grapple with their tormented past. In the 1990s, John Mack conducted hundreds of interviews with men and women of all ages who claimed they had not just one but recurring alien encounters. And one method he used during these interviews was hypnosis.

Alien abductions or sleep paralysis?

Maybe there's a more straightforward medical explanation for all of this. What if some people weren't experiencing an abduction but sleep paralysis? Sleep paralysis is that feeling you get when you're in between sleep and being awake. You're awake, but you can't control or move your body.

Studies have shown that Sleep paralysis is much more common than we think. Studies suggest at least 40 percent or 50 percent of all people experience sleep paralysis at least once. However, John Mack argues that his patients did not experience sleep. Instead, many of his patients experienced encounters in daylight and were wide awake.

Special Thanks to

Kellette Elliott for the custom collage artwork

You can purchase the Hypnotist t-shirt here

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S809: The Hypnotist part 3 - Is hypnosis admissible in court? Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Is hypnosis used in criminal investigations?

Believe it or not, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the US routinely use hypnosis as a form of forensic evidence. And in some states, evidence gained from forensic hypnosis is admissible in court. Even the federal government allows hypnosis under certain circumstances.

What is investigative hypnosis?

When law enforcement hits a dead end, they sometimes rely on investigative hypnosis to solve the case. Specially trained law enforcement officers guide witnesses into a hypnotic trance to better recall a crime. But are the memories they recall even accurate? Medical experts say memories recovered after hypnosis can't be considered fact.

Texas leads the country in investigative hypnosis.

Many states ban the practice because its use leads to wrongful convictions. But one state leads the country in prosecuting citizens using hypnosis as a primary form of evidence. That state is Texas.

The Dallas Daily News reports that at least 11 people in Texas were executed in cases where police used hypnosis. Today, 4 people are on Texas death row because of this practice.

The Memory Room

Dave Boucher and Lauren Mcgaughy are investigative reporters who spent more than a year investigating the story you're about to listen to. Their two-part series is titled "The Memory Room." It's about the case of Helen Barbre, a Texas college student who was savagely attacked in the middle of the night. She couldn't recognize her attacker, so she used hypnosis to identify him.

Here's a link to their series titled "The Memory Room":

https://interactives.dallasnews.com/2020/memory-room-dallas-texas-police-use-investigative-hypnosis-to-convict-life-death-row/

Featured Promo:

Caper - An Original Multilingual True Crime Series

Special Thanks to:

Kellette Elliott for the custom collage artwork

You can purchase the Hypnotist t-shirt here

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https://www.advertisecast.com/Pretend

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S808: The Hypnotist part 2 Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

I got hypnotized to recall a childhood trauma.

In part one of The Hypnotist, I interviewed several hypnotherapists to answer the question: what is hypnosis? The short answer is a trancelike state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject.*

In part two, I try hypnosis for myself to see what all the fuss is about. You see, when I was 8-months old, I pulled the cord of an electric rice cooker and suffered 3rd-degree burns on the left side of my body. I don’t remember a thing. In this episode, I’ll let you listen to my hypnotic regression session. Then, hear for yourself if I was able to recover these lost memories.

Special Thanks to

Kellette Elliott for the custom collage artwork

You can purchase the Hypnotist t-shirt here

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S807: The Hypnotist part 1 Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

I want to undergo hypnotic regression, experience it for myself, and try to unlock memories from my childhood that should probably never resurface. Can hypnosis help me recover that memory?

So, what the hell is hypnosis anyway?

What is hypnosis? Is hypnosis even a real thing? The word "hypno" comes from the Greek word "hypnus," which means sleep. And the suffix "osis" describes a process or state. So, is hypnosis a state of hibernation? Or is it something in between? looked it up.

Webster's dictionary states that hypnosis is "a trancelike state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject." Another dictionary says that hypnosis is "the induction of a state of consciousness." A person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. It makes it sound like the person under hypnosis is some kind of puppet.

But maybe these dictionaries have it all wrong? What if hypnosis was another word for relaxation or meditation? I guess my point is that two freaking dictionaries can't agree on a definition; how are we supposed to know what it really is?

Can regression therapy help you remember a forgotten memory?

Regression therapy is a hypnotic treatment that focuses on recovering lost memories that are getting in the way of our everyday lives.

When I was 8 months old, I burned almost 30% of my body. I'm sure no one really knew if I was going to make it. One study shows that children younger than 48 months with burns on more than 30% of the body surface had a higher mortality rate than adults with identical injuries. But survival rates after a burn have significantly improved over the years. Even children with more significant burns can survive.

I've imagined this accident over and over in my head all of my life. Ever since I can remember, I've wondered what it was like. I know; it's morbid. But I've been curious. So, I contacted a local hypnotherapist to see if he could help me access these lost memories.

But how do you access memories from when you were a toddler? Ask any medical professional or psychologist, and they will tell you that most adults can't remember anything before their third birthday. It's called Childhood Amnesia. That's because the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps us recall life experiences, hasn't fully developed. Another reason is that kids don't start really talking until about three.

This podcast is about deception. Typically, the stories are about someone else pulling the wool over our eyes. But when it comes to hypnosis, is our mind the one playing tricks on us?

Listen to part 2 now on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/hypnotist-part-2-58412331

Have you undergone hypnosis?

Send me a voice memo with your story at javier@pretendradio.org.

Special Thanks to

Kellette Elliott for the custom collage artwork

You can purchase the Hypnotist t-shirt here

Preview Ravi Patil's new podcast Institrve wherever you get your podcasts institrve.com

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S806: The Real Vampires Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

John Browning investigates real blood-sucking vampires—people who need human blood to survive.

In today's episode, we will talk about real people who claim to be real vampires.

Self-harm

You know, we bantered about tapping into veins and arteries from the vantage point of vampires feasting on blood. But if you remove the word vampire from our conversation, it starts sounding like a much more familiar crisis...self-harm.

It's not uncommon for some of us with depression or anxiety to inflict pain on ourselves. The physical wounds hurt, but it's nowhere near as painful as the emotions inside our heads and hearts. So if you're listening to this, there are different places you can seek help. First, talk to a pro. You can use online counselors like BetterHelp, a real-life therapist, or even reach out to a friend. There are also crisis lines where you can text and talk to an actual human for free. Text HOME to 741741, Again text HOME to 741741. I'll have a list of numbers you can text for my international friends in the show notes.

https://www.crisistextline.org/

Get Help
US: Text 741741
CA: Text 741741
UK: Text 85258
Ireland: 50808

Sophrpsyne

Music featured in this episode is from Sophrosyne. Check out their music on Spotify.

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Bonus: Michael plays air guitar Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Michael shreds a mean "pretend" guitar. He's also a PRETEND podcast supporter on Patreon.

If you want to co-host an episode with me, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon/ Patreon Guest Co-host: https://www.patreon.com/pretendradio

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S805: The King of Lies Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Lee King spilled the beans on his family's secret—leading to his father’s arrest.

Hannah’s boyfriend, Lee King, is hiding a big secret; and it’s not just about his multiple fiances. It turns out his father, “Fast” Eddie Maher is an international fugitive.

Fast Eddie, an international fugitive, was on the run for 20 years until his son gave him up.

Today’s episode was brought to us by a long-time PRETEND listener, Kim Evans.

Kim knew her daughter’s new boyfriend was no good. So, she did everything in her power to expose him. It turns out, he was hiding a secret that would eventually lead to the arrest of his father, Eddie Maher.

What’s your PRETEND story?

If you have a story to tell, do what Kim Evans did and send me an email at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org. You never know; your story could make it on the show.

The Christmas Lie

Also, I’m working on a Christmas episode. Do you remember when you learned about the big lie? You know, the one about the big guy who magically squeezes down the chimney at night and leaves gifts for children all over the world? You know which lie I’m talking about. If you have a fun Christmas story, send it my way.

Thank you for your support

Also, I want to thank Alex, Beth Cail and Corey Trevorson for supporting the show. I really couldn’t do this show without you.

Want to help keep PRETEND going? Buy me a coffee or throw a few dollars in the hat, head on over to patreon.com/pretendradio.

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S804: The Ransomware Negotiator Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Ransomware. Does that term ring a bell?

Even if you've never heard those words before, trust me, most of us have experienced Ransomware one way or another.

If you live on the East Coast, you remember waiting long hours at the gas pump this past May. That's because a hacking group known as DarkSide hacked the Colonial Pipeline. The hackers demanded a ransom for 75 bitcoins which is equivalent to $4.4 million.

How did the hackers break into the oil company's system? Easy. Some employees used the same password they used on another account that was previously hacked.

And guess what? Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom and the hackers. $4.4. million dollars—gone, just like that.

The Justice Department was able to eventually recover half of the money, $2.2 million.

When we hear about news like this, we mostly ignore it. Until we run out of gas and everyone panics. But once we were able to fill up our tanks again, we all moved on and put it behind us.

We often ignore stories like these because, on the surface, it sounds like hackers are attacking large corporations with tons of cash. They've got the money.

But what if I tell you that the real victims here are not just the companies, but really it's you and me. What do you think happens if the company that got hacked decides not to pay the ransom?

If the company doesn't cave to the hacker's demands, the hacker will dump the company's data and make it publicly available on the dark web. By the way, the company's data is comprised of your social security number, date of birth, driver's license, and health insurance information... everything an identity thief needs to financially destroy you.

In today's episode, we'll talk to a guy whose job is to negotiate with these hackers. We're also going to talk about how you can protect your most valuable information.

Today's guests are:

Kurtis Minder - CEO and co-founder at GroupSense

Eva Velasquez - President and CEO, of the Identity Theft Resource Center

Freeze your credit to protect yourself from Ransomware

Equifax

Online: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/

Experian

Online: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html

TransUnion

Online: https://service.transunion.com/dss/orderStep1_form.page

Use a password manager

1Password

KeePass Password

Want to be my co-host?

I want to send a sincere thank you to Rachel Sincere for supporting PRETEND on Patreon. Rachel, you're amazing. Also, as a reminder, I've added a new tier on Patreon. Not only will you get a PRETEND t-shirt and stickers. But these new supporters will get the chance to co-host a Patreon and YouTube episode with me. Like Michael V, who played in the Air Guitar World Championship. People pretending to play guitar! It's apparently a big thing. I'll let you know when that episode is out. So if you want to co-host with me, visit PRETEND on Patreon.com.

Cam Cokas

Finally, I want to end the show by sharing an indie artist I've been listening to lately. His name is Cam Cokas, and the track is called Don't Quit or Try. Please check out Cam Cokas on Spotify or wherever you get your jams.

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S803: The Sovereign Man Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Sean David Morton was arrested in 2016 after being charged with more than 50 counts related to filing phony tax documents and bogus government bonds. He was also accused of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. These are similar tactics used by sovereign citizens—but Sean David Mortin doesn't like that label.

You see, Sean David Morton's name is synonymous with the sovereign citizen movement. The New York Times wrote a whole piece about him titled, "How Sovereign Citizens Helped Swindle $1 billion from the government they disavow." So, when it comes to Sovereign Citizens, I thought Sean Mortin was the guy. But now he's telling me that sovereign citizens are idiots. Interesting.

If you're unfamiliar with this sub-culture, you should check out my episode on Sovereign Citizens. To listen to my interview with Sean David Morton, check out the episode The Sovereign Man where ever you listen to podcasts.

Patreon Bonus with Sean David Morton

To listen to more of my interview with Sean Morton, check out the FREE bonus episode on Patreon.

Story idea?

If you have a story to share, email Javier at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org.

For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org.

To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate

Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva

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S802: The Naked Sovereign Surgeon Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Where do sovereign citizens go when they need medical attention? Some of them seek help from homeopathic quacks like Rick Van Thiel.

Rick Van Thiel is not a surgeon. In reality, he's a porn star operating on people with dirty scalpels, reused needs, surrounded by filth. And the worst part is, he performs his surgeries in the nude.

The last episode about sovereign citizens was just exposition for what you’re about to hear. I first learned about this story from Jerri William’s podcast called FBI retired Case File Review. Jerri Williams is a retired FBI agent who interviews other former agents on her show. If you haven’t listened to it, you’re missing out. Her episode haunted me for days. So, I asked Jerri if I can share this story with you. If you thought the last sovereign citizen episode was shocking, wait till you hear this.

Disclaimer

It’s safe to assume that most PRETEND episodes are not suitable for young children. Unfortunately, this is one of those episodes. In fact, trigger warning, today, we’re going to talk about sexual assault and suicide. This episode is actually pretty disgusting. So, if you have the stomach for it, please proceed. You’ve been warned.

Story idea?

If you have a story to share, email Javier at javier@pretendradio.org.

For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org.

To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate

Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva

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