Comedy
**ScamWow**

Scammers, swindlers, con artists: unethical rogues who should be brought to justice? Or brilliant players in the game of capitalism that can help you get a free mattress? Comedian and author Caitlin Brodnick can’t always decide. Each week, join Caitlin and a special guest as they dive into current and historic scams, from skillful mobsters to Real Housewives fraudsters, from MLMs to YouTube grifters. Together, they’ll explore the thin line between swindle and survival, between fleecing an easy mark and just launching a startup. Listen and embrace the art of the dupe with true crime’s less-disturbing sister: the true con.

Latest Episodes:

S01E77. Maybe It’s Maybelline, Maybe It’s Gasoline: Fake Makeup w/ Alex Ford May 07, 2020

Show notes

We’ve got a lot to talk about with Alex Ford. Co-host of Take Me There podcast, Alex brings us to the fascinating scam of counterfeit makeup. Did you know that fake makeup is a bigger industry than drugs? Crazy, right?! Also, PLEASE don’t self-inject Botox. It’s not like cutting your own bangs!

Research:

Visit scamwowpodcast.com for links to our Patreon, Instagram and more.

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E76. Literally Literary Scammer JT LeRoy Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Books? More like scams. Today, we take a deep dive into late ‘90s literary scammer, JT LeRoy. What a trip, people! Keeping up with the number of characters alone demands a CIA-level chart with push pins and red strings everywhere. There’s Laura, there’s Speedie, there’s Savannah, there’s Thor, there’s the Terminator... And they’re almost all made up! We watched multiple movies on this scam and, in the end, things get heated. One thing’s for sure, though, we LOVE TO WEEP!

Research:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/23/nyregion/23writer.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/09/books/the-unmasking-of-jt-leroy-in-public-hes-a-she.html
https://www.laweekly.com/the-lies-and-follies-of-laura-albert-a-k-a-jt-leroy/
The Cult of JT LeRoy https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3756484/
Author: The JT LeRoy Story https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5278462/
J.T. LeRoy https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5460522/
Gawker’s coverage https://gawker.com/tag/jt-leroy

Visit scamwowpodcast.com for links to our Patreon, Instagram and more.

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E75: Like Mrs. Doubtfire, but with Sheep Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Before Anna Delvey, before the Fyre Festival, before the most legendary scams of our time, there were sheep. This week, Caitlin dives deep into a medieval mystery and comes out the other side with some interesting tales of lords and their lambs. Mary had a little lamb, but legendary scammer Robert Carpenter had lots of lambs. Join Sue and Caitlin as they read his translations from Latin and learn how to con your boss.

Research:

C A. F. MEEKINGS, More about Robert Carpenter of Hareslade, The English Historical Review, Volume LXXII, Issue CCLXXXIII, April 1957, Pages 260–269, https://doi.org/10.1093/ehr/LXXII.CCLXXXIII.260
Coss, Peter. (2016). Lost Letters of Medieval Life: English Society, 1200–1250 trans. and ed. by Martha Carlin and David Crouch. The Catholic Historical Review. 102. 153-154. 10.1353/cat.2016.0044.
How to defraud your lord on the medieval manor
Commercial Activity, Markets and Entrepreneurs in the Middle Ages
Lost Letters of Medieval Life: English Society, 1200-1250 (The Middle Ages Series)

England in the Thirteenth Century By Alan Harding

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podapalooza Annoucement! Visit plza.org for tickets! Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Quick annoucement about exciting news!! ScamWow will be contributing to Podapalooza!

Podapalooza is a virtual podcast festival to raise money for COVID relief. Check out our episode out April 25th and find some new favorite podcasts in this incredible lineup. Donate and get your pass here: www.podapalooza.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing All D!ck Is Trash Podcast with Milly Tamarez! Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

Introducing a brand new podcast on he More Banana network, All D!ck Is Trash with Milly Tamarez.

Sue and Caity are taking a much needed beak to ramp up more scam content, but in the meantime, enjoy this new podcast from More Banana featuring another incredible lady from More Banana, Jeena Bloom!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E74. The Bad Beer Scammer Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

Investigative journalist Allen Arthur joines us again to talk about a real dark lager of a scam. Fake brewer, Stephen Foster, has been hopping from brewery to brewery around the world, leaving a trail of gross beer in his wake. Plus, if you accept bearer bonds do you deserve to be scammed? The moral of the story is: don’t get caught in the spider web.

Research:

-Kentucky Sports Radio article- https://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/the-other-stephen-foster-story-kentuckys-craft-beer-con-man/

-Documentary about MTA impersonator: http://www.offtherailsmovie.com/

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E73. The Cutco King: Jack Wyrick Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Who doesn’t love a good deep dive into a scammy little MLM? This week, we’re interviewing Producer Cait’s husband, a former manager and leading Cutco salesman, Jack Wyrick. We debate just who scammed whom: the consumer or the salesman? And it turns out Jack can make roses out of pennies! We’ll hear all about how people of the South trusted little strangers like him to come into their house with knives. What a world it was!

Visit https://morebananaproductions.com/ to see what Jack’s Cutco kingdom has bestowed upon the world.

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April Fools! Pockect Casts Collab - Live From Hollywood Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Check out ScamWow's newsest podcast collab here with Pocket Casts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E72. TIGER KING LIVESTREAM! Mar 28, 2020

Show notes

Hey Scam Fam! Just a quick lil reminder that we're having a Tiger King watch party on Saturday, 3/28 at 9pmEST. We can't wait to talk about this insane documentary with you all! Just go to our Instagram bio @scamwowpodcast, and click on the YouTube link. Then, in the YouTube description, you'll see our Netflix Party link. So, watch us on YouTube, chat with us on Netflix party. It's going to be so much fun! xoxo, Sue & Caity. Or go to this link... https://youtu.be/_cJA3KLZhiE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S01E71. Student Loans Are A Scam w/ Stacy Antoville Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Comedian and art teacher Stacy Antoville joins us in the studio to talk about the scammy elements of the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Program. It’s wild, folks. But what did you expect from our government? The same people who are forcing you to make your own hospital supplies during a pandemic. I digress. Just find your Bridget, everyone. Plus, Caitlin discusses her funny new short film that’s perfect for quarantines. Also, we have a new patreon episode up this week! https://www.patreon.com/scamwowpodcast

Research: