Episodes
The Summer of Scam Movies starts strong with this week’s scam movie of choice: The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Hysterical comedian and writer, Corinne Caputo joins Caitlin this week to explain this film, or do their best to try. While discussing many scams inside and around this movie, they cover prosthetic cheeks, puppets,and the men Tammy should be having sex with. This episode is full-joy-10 and the most fun you can have while discussing exploitive religious organizations, manifesting with glasses...
Published 04/14/22
This week is about actions we can take to help others. Caitlin has gathered a ton of resources for supporting and donating to people in or fleeing Ukraine. She has combed through organizations and charities to find the ones that will directly benefit those in need. Has the fear of scammy charities or misused funds prevented you from giving? Now you can rest assured that your help will make a difference.  You will be saved from scams in this episode… unless you are in the black market for...
Published 04/01/22
Sit down and grab a cozy beverage and cuddle close with Caity and her special guest, her sister, McKenzie Brodnick! Join two sisters having the best time ever so you might need to slow down to 1/2x because the JOY is coming at ya FAST!  And thanks to our incredible listeners we have more scams to pack in one episode then ever before. Caity reads your emails that run the gamut of scams with everything from fruitcake to tax prep.  And hot tip: if you are bad at flipping houses don’t sign...
Published 03/24/22
Do you know what isn’t resolved yet? Caitlin’s credit card debt!! But Producer Cait comes to the rescue this week to share all the tips, tricks, and phone numbers you need to help you get out of credit card chaos. Which organizations can you turn to for help, and what scams are keeping you in debt? And how does someone go from being 35K in debt to becoming a homeowner? All of this and more as Producer Cait shares her receipts, and shows us how it’s possible! Plus find out how Producer Cait’s...
Published 03/18/22
Trigger Warning: This episode covers sexual assault, consent, and sexually explicit situations.  This week Caitlin and comedian Molly Thomas continue the conversation about con artist Frank Abagnale. Their conversation in part one focused on the scams and lies told by the Catch Me If You Can author, and quickly to the effect his scams and stories must have had on the women in his life. Caitlin and Molly shine a bright honest light on what the women of that era must have felt and struggled...
Published 03/10/22
This week comedian Molly Thomas joins Caitlin to discuss liar extraordinaire Frank Abagnale.  Remember the book and hit movie Catch Me if You Can? Turns out most of it is fake and we can’t trust anything this scammer has proudly reported. He conned people into thinking he conned people. It’s a nesting doll of cons! Molly brings copious notes about fake stewardesses and summer camps.  We have a special two part episode because there is just too much con to cover in one...
Published 03/04/22
Welcome to all of our new listeners! On today’s very special episode, the incredible Kate Spencer, from the award-winning podcast Forever35, is our guest. We briefly discuss the Netflix hit, The Tinder Swindler but then the conversation takes a turn to run the gamut from Kristen Stewart’s Oscar nomination, Olestra chips, and the weaponization of romance novels. Join us on this wild ride where we unpack toxic friendships, Instagram influencers, and pampering ourselves.  Also, Kate’s debut...
Published 02/24/22
New York State probably won’t email you a holiday card or ask you to share a stimulus opportunity with 10 of your family members to get paid. Journalist Rommel Ojeda from Documented digs into a story (co-reported with Telemundo) about how scammers target immigrants with fake government benefits in WhatsApp chat groups and chains. Caity’s husband and journalist Allen Arthur (a Documented alum) joins into find out just how these spread so easily and how they exploit genuine confusion around...
Published 02/17/22
Investigative journalist and VICE contributor Sarah Berman joins Caitlin this week to talk about Keith Raniere and NXIVM. Sarah has been at the forefront of this story since the beginning, but she’s here to discuss another surprising side to the saga for the first time. It’s creepy, it’s convoluted, it's acapella.   It’s also the subject of an episode of the HBO show How To with John Wilson, titled How to Appreciate Wine.  Caitlin and Sarah unpack the messy story involving a cult leader,...
Published 02/10/22
A fake boarding school that wanted to be a high school football powerhouse??! What could go wrong? This week, journalist and Caity’s husband Allen Arthur brings a scam hot off the ESPN broadcast! That’s right, even Disney can get in the scam game. Allen covers the fraudulent school and sports program, Bishop Sycamore. He'll talk about the fake school's distant connection to a real church, how many helmets they had (not enough), and the bounced checks to hotels the kids were put up in. This...
Published 02/03/22
This week is the 2nd half of our Crypto, shmipto, bipto episode. This episode is about NFTs and how to make them, sell them, and become obsessed. Are NFTs the new answer to financial stability as an artist? Do you trust yourself with a digital wallet? And can your automatic password be actually a foreboding sign to: STOP AND WALK AWAY! Sabra and Stephen Boyd share their own digital creation, video game worlds, and how they are navigating the arbitrary value of an NFT.  And if you’re already...
Published 01/20/22
Did you know that you can buy a 600k dollar invisible yacht? The incredibly kind, brilliant, and generous Sabra and Stephen Boyd join Caitlin Brodnick today to explain cryptocurrency and NFTs! Bitcoin. Ethereum. Crypto ATMs? Hear this explanation for the lay-woman and Caitlin finally understanding the world of scamming fake money. What is a crypto? How to not be scammed by a crypto-bro? Where is my password?! Keep up with the crypto-NFT-moneylaundering breakdown of the confusing and vast...
Published 01/13/22
Happy New Year from Caitlin Brodnick and Ellen Haun. Ellen joins Caitlin to discuss the trial of Real Housewife of Salt Lake City, Jen Shah. They discuss the Hulu documentary, The Housewife and the Shah Shocker, and all of the court transcripts they can get their hands on. Find out about how many companies Jen Shah is tied to, how she screams at her employees, and the influence of mormon perfectionism.  Also is Whitney a secret detective/ true-crime junky we should all be listening...
Published 01/06/22
Caity is off living her best holiday life, celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, and time with family. Producer Cait is stepping in to reminiscence about the last year of scams and great scam episodes. Producer Cait reads bad reviews AND supportive messages from our scam family. Then she plays some of her favorite clips from the most popular episodes and best scams of the year. Have a quick listen for some holiday cheer and check out our long and incredible catalog of great episodes. Also, let us...
Published 12/23/21
This week Caitlin is joined by Scamspondant , resident Magician, and friend of the pod, Kevin Smith! Kevin shares his experience as a salesperson at a noted cell phone provider store, and all the cons involved. They discuss how a sales team is trained to lead the shopper into certain purchases and the emotional connection that gives each sales pitch an “X-Factor!” YUCK.  It’s interesting, it’s creepy, and it is probably going to save you a lot of money next time you need an upgrade.  Plus...
Published 12/16/21
Happy holiday shopping season! Have no fear that with the many ways you can be bamboozled in shopping this year, ScamWow is here to guide you down the right path. Author and comedian Carrie McCrossen is here to discuss book scams! Covering everything from publishing to promotion, Caitlin and Carrie go over the hottest romance novel scams to ever hit your tablets and the drama behind #CockGate. Why are romance novel readers so angry about a court case involving cocky doctors and cocky...
Published 12/09/21
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...
Published 12/04/21
A revolution, mistaken identities, a lost princess, this story has everything. Caitlin is joined by the hosts of Hashtag History Podcast, to cover the woman who claimed she was the long lost daughter of the last Tsar, Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia.  They discuss the con artist, Anna Anderson, who spent most of her life believing she was in fact of royal birth and the many who followed her story. Was she scamming countless followers or just giving them a bit of fan fiction they so...
Published 11/19/21
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...
Published 11/11/21
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...
Published 10/29/21
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...
Published 10/21/21
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...
Published 10/15/21
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...
Published 10/07/21
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...
Published 10/02/21
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,...
Published 09/30/21