logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
15m 17s

Archive Episode: The Hidden World of Psy...

AARP
About this episode

In Part 2 of this 2019 episode, after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend in the same day, a distraught Debra pays a visit to a psychic. Little does Debra know that the shop is part of a larger criminal organization, and psychic Sylvia Mitchell is a scammer who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from her clients. A series of readings leads to Sylvia stealing $28,000 of Debra’s money and cutting off communication. Debra enlists the help of Bob Nygaard, a private investigator and retired police officer who specializes in psychic scams. Together, they bring Sylvia Mitchell to justice.

Up next
Yesterday
Title Pirates: How Scammers Use Quitclaim Deeds to Steal Homes
Dreama and Larry’s house is undergoing renovation after a tree fell on it. Since they cannot live there during the repairs, they set up security cameras to monitor the property. To their surprise, they notice a couple repeatedly visiting the house. Alarmed, Dreama and Larry regis ... Show More
37m 30s
Jun 27
How AI is Making “Pump and Dump” Investment Scams Easy for Criminals
Karen is experienced in investing, but she hopes to boost her retirement savings by joining an investors group on WhatsApp. After a few months of receiving positive trading tips, she follows the advice to invest in several stocks in Asian markets. Her portfolio plummets, losing t ... Show More
43m 6s
Jun 20
Archive Episode: Knock Knock, Where’s My Puppy?
In this 2021 episode, Rochelle scores a great deal on a house in northern Virginia, only to have her dream home transformed a few months later into Pet Scam Central. Day after day, strangers show up on her doorstep, claiming they’ve arrived to pick up a puppy they paid for. Some ... Show More
48m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Sylvia Baker (3 of Spades, Connecticut)
Our card this week is Sylvia Baker, the 3 of Spades from Connecticut. Sylvia Baker, 28, went downstairs on July 17th, 1982 to take out the trash. Sylvia never returned to her apartment, where her two young kids were watching TV. When she was found the next day, nude and bound wit ... Show More
31m 29s
Dec 2020
The Secret
In this Dateline classic, Patricia Esparza believed she had escaped poverty and abuse, attending elite schools and becoming a respected psychology professor. But a dark secret comes back to haunt her when a determined investigator and prosecutor in Orange County work to solve a 2 ... Show More
1h 26m
Jun 2018
Have psychics solved any actual crimes?
It's a common trope in film and TV -- a police department at their wits' end calls in a favor and makes contact with a genuine psychic, someone in tune with the greater mysteries of life, death and the universe. In works of fiction these individuals often do possess some spark of ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2022
The Psychic Ponzi Scheme
Sara and Danny are back to talk about a scam in the 90's that affected over a million people in the US and abroad: the Maria Duval psychic mail scam. They go through all the details of how the scam came to be and how it functioned, and just how it managed to generate over $200 mi ... Show More
50m 13s
Nov 2023
Meeting Simon Willis: Unlocking the secrets of a stolen masterpiece
Can an accused criminal solve the coldest cold case in the history of art crime? In this special pre-season bonus episode, Brazen co-founder Tom Wright speaks with Simon Willis about his upcoming podcast series, The Professor. Simon shares his experience following William Veres – ... Show More
11m 6s
Feb 2019
The Murder of Nikki Vanderheyden
In 2016, Nikki VanderHeyden was a 31-year-old mother of three. She went out one night with her boyfriend and some friends. The next day Nikki's body was found in a farmer's field. Two men were arrested in connection with her death, one of those being her boyfriend Doug Detrie.Joi ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2024
Episode 494: The life and crimes of Christy Keane's sister Sandra Hehir
The sister of gang boss Christy Keane has admitted to money laundering after a court heard that €124,000 in cash was found in her home. Sandra Hehir will face sentencing but says she is now predominately estranged from her siblings and works as a hairdresser. Nicola speaks with w ... Show More
21m 38s