Today we're diving into Wirecard, a fictitious and spurious payment processing company out of Germany. We ask tough questions like "why do all fraudsters wear black turtlenecks?" and "is Kraftwerk just robots?"
Huge thanks to NYT reporter Christopher Schuetze (@CFSchuetze on Twitter) for speaking to us for this episode.
Mar 2021
Sir Gregor MacGregor, his Captain Crunch Army, and a Lotta Lucky Charms
Once upon a time there was a Scottish guy who failed up so hard that he got knighted. Then he sold boat rides to an island civilization populated only by malaria-carrying mosquitos. And because it was a long time ago and no one had phones, he got away with it. Don't believe me? J ... Show More
45m 44s
Apr 2021
Enron Part I – Skilling, Lay, Fastow, and Causey, Four Horsemen of the Energypocalypse
20 years ago one of the largest corporations in the U.S - an energy trading corp. that boasted 750% annual growth – went down in flames. In 24 days it went from the pride of Houston to a stain on the country - pulling millions out of the economy, devastating its employees, and la ... Show More
58m 57s
Apr 2021
Enron Part II –The Blackout Album
In Part II of our final series of the season, we show how a few inordinately bad actors and weak regulation lead to state-wide rolling blackouts and surging energy costs. Special thanks to Harvey Rosenfield, founder of Consumer Watchdog, for walking us through this dark saga. Sub ... Show More
54m 21s
Oct 2025
The Crimes They Don't Want You to Know: Kevin Trudeau
Kevin Trudeau was a born salesman...and an excellent con man. He knew exactly how to rope people in with promises of wealth, health, and all around better lives. But as we all know, if something sounds too good to be true, it is. And it's probably a brainchild of ol' Kev.See omny ... Show More
59m 40s
Mar 2025
Scam Factory, with Denise Chan
<p>It's a harrowing story, often untold in the West: while everyone's tired of scam calls and texts, we rarely ask about the lives of people on the other side of the call. While it's devilishly easy to make light of the scammers and the con artists, the harsh reality is that thou ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2025
Help He Tinkled On My Toes
William attempts a Jolly Joke of the Week, though some censorship may have taken the edge off. Jordan brings not one, but two unwanted bathroom updates (that honestly, we wish he hadn’t). G&Diva dilemmas come in thick and fast, including a communal shower tinkler on the loose, an ... Show More
32m 53s
Dec 2019
E142 MARIJUANA MADE HIM A MILLIONAIRE - IMPAULSIVE EP. 142
<p>Big Mike, aka the King of Weed, is the CEO of Advanced Nutrients, the worlds #1 supplier of the best nutrients to the Cannabis Industry... although he's made hundreds of millions of dollars (while high), he's had to change his identity multiple times, isn't allowed in Canada, ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2024
Fraud Friday: The Fyre Fraud w/ Yassir Lester
<p>It’s Friday, con-gregation! This week, we revisit our episode with Yassir Lester all about the Fyre Festival. Yassir and Laci break down false promises, class action lawsuits, and of course, that infamous “take one for the team” incident surrounding the infamous Fyre Festival. ... Show More
1h 12m