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
Aug 22
Archive Episode: International Crime Ring Sets Up in West Virginia College Town
In this 2023 episode, Huntington, West Virginia, is an idyllic college town on the Ohio River, but it’s also the epicenter of a massive international internet crime ring. Federal prosecutor Katie Robeson hasn’t been on the job long when she learns that a woman in Huntington is ac ... Show More
39m 42s
Aug 15
Bonus: Scam Survivors Use Experience to Help Others
In this bonus episode, Bob talks with two of the nearly 150 trained volunteers who answer calls on the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline. Dee and Mike, both scam survivors, draw upon their experiences to offer emotional support and guidance to people who have recently been target ... Show More
32m 14s
Aug 8
Tech Support Scam Turns Romance Scam
When Joe can’t get his Apple Pay payment to go through, he does a quick search for their customer service number and reaches an operator named Daisy. Daisy informs Joe that his account has been flagged – criminals have compromised his identity and are coming after his life saving ... Show More
47m 52s
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 51s
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