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:

S01E145: Sextortion Scam Club with Josh Gondelman Dec 04, 2021

Show notes

Josh Gondelman joins Caity to discuss the ever popular sextortion scams that are probably sitting in your junk folder as you read this. Josh is a comedian, writer, kind human, and quite possibly the perfect guest. His other credits include being a writer and producer for Desus & Mero on Showtime, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, as a staff writer. He’s earned four Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and three WGA Awards, and has performed on Conan (TBS), Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC) and The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS). Also get yourself an early gift and grab his hysterical book, an essay collection Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results !

RESOURCES:

@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
https://www.hashtaghistory-pod.com/
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E143: Caitlin Comes Clean: How To Scam Yourself With Credit Cards Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Oh geeezzzz this episode is maybe too up close and personal? But Caitlin gets incredibly honest about her current state of financial affairs. Something has to change quickly before she becomes so desperate she creates a new MLM.

Talking about money is so hard, but scammers it’s important to talk about it so you don’t end up like Caity! So after listening to how you can scam yourself into credit card debt (so easy btw) then send us your stories and advice about your own money woes.

RESOURCES:

I wish I had any.

@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E142: Is Horse Therapy A Solution Or A Scam? With Jess Keefe Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

Caitlin is welcomed by Comedian and writer Jess Keefe and they’re talking about scams inside addiction treatment centers. Treatment centers vary wildly between services and prices, but when the bill is 60k a month for “brushing a donkey” could it also be a scam, or the very thing that cures ya? This is a truly personal and heartfelt episode and we hope you enjoy! Also if you are dealing with addiction yourself or know someone who is, check out the resources below to learn about legit treatment options and what to look out for.

RESOURCES:

https://www.treatmentatlas.org/

http://www.sa15.state.fl.us/stateattorney/SoberHomes/_content/SHTFReport2017.pdf

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/15/963700736/as-addiction-deaths-surge-profit-driven-rehab-industry-faces-severe-ethical-cris

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2015/04/27/inside-the-35-billion-addiction-treatment-industry/?sh=1d16e37317dc

https://www.naatp.org/sites/naatp.org/files/StrategicPlan2019-2021FINAL5.19.pdf

https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/07/16/mms-doctors-opioid-treatment-poll

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00378

@caitybrodnick
https://twitter.com/jesskeefe?lang=en
https://jesskeefe.com/
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E141: LulaRich Bitch : A Scam Classic with Sue Smith! Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

That’s right, Sue’s back! And she’s brought an absolute scam classic, the documentary LulaRIch on Amazon Prime. True scammers will know that this was literally the very first episode of ScamWow covered by Sue and Caity ages ago, but now it’s back and fresh with new details. Caity and Sue discuss the best characters from the documentary, analyze the depositions, and talk about the crappy scam tactics by the founders. They also catch up about mommy outfits and that Caity has started putting on makeup to scam herself into feeling hawt!

RESOURCES:

LulaRich on Amazon Prime

@caitybrodnick
@suesmith666
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E140: The Cult of Theranos : Elizabeth Holmes Trial Update with Rebekah Sebastian! Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Little bit of blood but a lotta bit of trouble! Rebakah Sebastian guest on this week’s episode to update us on the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos trial. Caity and Rebekah go over the new evidence, the basis of the case, and the absolutely unbelievable gall of starting a medical company without any background in medicine. Caity shares her own experience with blood testing and genetics counseling and why it’s SO important for accurate, informed work in this industry for the sake of patients. Rebekah and Caity speculate how Elizabeth Holmes used cult-like tactics to scam and misrepresent her company and her investors.

Check out Rebekah’s podcast Die-alogue! And her pod about crime in reality TV, Criminality!

RESOURCES:

Key takeaways from the fourth week of the Elizabeth Holmes trial. - NYT

Elizabeth Holmes trial: Lawyer claims ‘incompetent’ lab chief, not Holmes, to blame - MercuryNews

Ex-Theranos lab director testifies in tense exchange during Elizabeth Holmes trial - Wash Post

RebekahSebastian.com
@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E139: College is a Scam! Operation Varsity Blues Update With Taylor Kay Phillips Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Comedian, writer, Harvard graduate and college prep tutor (YES SHE DOES IT ALL) Taylor Kay Phillips, joins Caitlin to break down the nitty gritty details behind college admissions scams. Taylor and Caitlin revisit the infamous Operation Varsity Blues college admission scam, ane look at in from an entirely new perspective. Move over Aunt Becky, this story isn’t focused on influencer Olivia Jade, but on the details behind college admissions. They discuss unfair rules and NCAA restrictions inflicted on student athletes, new Supreme Court rulings and what makes a great essay. (Hint it might be your bathroom.)

Learn all the specifics that go into a great college application. Plus, Have you looked into Pomona?

RESOURCES:

Netflix Doc

Time: The Varsity Blues Trials Have Started. Here's What's Changed—And What Hasn't—In College Sports Admissions

NPR: The First Trial Has Begun In The College Admissions Scandal

NY POST: Stanford coach in college admissions scandal says he was an innocent pawn

College Admission Bribery Scandal Wiki

A New Admissions Scandal

Los Angeles Times: San Gabriel Valley men charged with rigging admission to U.S. colleges for foreign students

Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California International Admission Scheme

Indictment International Admission Scheme

taylorkayphillips.com
Taylor’s Newsletter
@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E138: Scamspondants Sound Off! It’s a Mailbag Episode! Part 2 Oct 02, 2021

Show notes

Producer Cait is back for the second half of our special mailbag episode. We learn about fraudulent archaeology, creepy kinks, and the power of pig GIFs.

Learn how to protect yourself with cash lending apps like Paypal and the best ways to scam a small pizza shop.

These tips and tricks from our listeners and so much more!

RESOURCES:

@caitmolden
@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E138: Scamspondants Sound Off! It’s a Mailbag Episode! - Part 1 Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

Producer Cait is our special guest this week, and gives all the tips and tricks to avoid your homework! We are having a big catch up, but don’t get too close- one of them unfortunately smells like a hotdog. Did you have a crazy emotional experience during Covid? If so you better share because that is the only way to build a relationship.

Sit back, relax, share all your feelings and emote like crazy so Cait and Caity can become your new best friends. Just think of it as a mental health day, much like the many many days Caity stayed home from school growing up.

Special shout to our Patreon Scammmmers!!!

RESOURCES:

@caitmolden
@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E137: The Man Who Hacked A Game Show w/ Rekha Shankar Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Comedian, writer, and pictionary enthusiast Rekha Shankar, joins Caitlin to discuss the savant who destroyed the Press Your Luck game in 1984. Michael Larson single handedly brought down an entire network by simply being very focused, very obsessed, and very weird. His obsession over Press Your Luck won him $110,237 ($283,000 in today’s dollars) plus trips to the Bahamas, Kauai and a sailboat. Was it a scam, was it great work, or was it just too many TV’s?

Guest Rekha Shankar is currently writing for NBC’s Grand Crew, Animaniacs, and previously wrote on Magic for Humans, Astronomy Club, Aunty Donna’s House, and was selected in Just For Laughs: New Faces- Creators for 2020!

RESOURCES:

The Man Who Got No Whammies

Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal, YouTube

Price is Right Reviews

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/

@rekha_s
Talk Chef
@caitybrodnick
@scamwowpodcast
Scamwowpodcast.com
DISCLAIMER: We are comedians and this is satire. C’mon

Send us your scams!

scamwowpodcast@gmail.com

Or call: 347-509-9414

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

S01E136: Hottie with a Body or Bot with a Twat? Interview with a Professional CATFISH! Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

We’re on the line with Stasia, a former professional catfish! Caitlin asks Stasia about what is was like working for a dating website. The dig into what exactly is the almost mathematical process to capture a heart. There’s vague rules and juicy topics, where you can learn how people were just freely giving away their secrets for a little love (and sexting, let’s be honest). Get up close and personal with an incredibly honest, sweet woman who also happens to be a professional liar.

Sit tight for buckets of foreign currency, sinister Paypal accounts, and why so many catfish come from Sweden? With this incredibly generous guest no question goes unanswered!

Plus an update from the Yellow Deli: they love sprouts, hate vaccines.

RESOURCES:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2021/david-mcclellan-online-dating.html

https://medium.com/@dateaha/dating-sites-enable-catfishing-43dde569cca9

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/how-to-spot-a-catfish/