logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
35m 40s

The Scam Artist is Present

Wondery
About this episode

Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi present themselves as eccentric, free-spirited art dealers. Most alluringly, they seem to have incredible access to a trove of rare paintings that were thought to be lost or destroyed during World War II. The couple travels the world and becomes extraordinarily wealthy selling paintings from their mysterious collection – until one wrong brushstroke calls their entire operation into question.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jul 7
Phil Kitzer and the G Men | 166
Phil Kitzer was a globe-trotting scammer who spent more than a decade creating fake banks and insurance companies, ripping off customers to pay for his lavish lifestyle. By the late 70s, Phil’s scam is so prolific that the FBI authorizes the first-ever white collar undercover sti ... Show More
42m 39s
Jun 30
Earl Washington: A Rip Off the Old Block | 165
Singer-actor Earl Washington turns out to be a triple threat when he takes up carving wood blocks to make ends meet while hustling to make a life as an entertainer in Los Angeles. But just like any other artist, his wood carvings need a good origin story, so Earl creates a new id ... Show More
48m 16s
Jun 24
Listen Now: Liberty Lost
In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The H ... Show More
5m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Picasso | The Weeping Woman | 3
Death is ever more present in Picasso’s work, as horrific events in his home country inspire him to create one of the defining paintings of the 20th century. Meanwhile his own mortality weighs on him as he approaches old age.Artwork:Guernica, Pablo Picasso (1937)The Weeping Woman ... Show More
34m 48s
Oct 2023
Encore: The Hitler Diaries | Operation Green Vault | 1
Journalist Gerd Heidemann is searching for his next story for Stern magazine when the scoop of the century lands in his lap. But is it too good to be true?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf ... Show More
50m 37s
Jun 2021
The Murdoch Phone Hacking | The Dark Arts | 1
Two ambitious journalists Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson rise through the ranks of The News Of The World - Britain’s biggest sunday tabloid. But the culture of ‘dark arts‘ threatens to bring everything down. Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, ear ... Show More
39m 41s
Feb 2022
Peter Wilson : le roi des enchères !
Peter Wilson, qui a dirigé Sotheby’s durant 22 ans, de 1957 à 1979, a transformé la manière dont les gens voient les objets d’art. Il a modernisé la maison d’enchères et étendu son influence. Ce qui a contribué à l’inflation du prix des œuvres… Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https:/ ... Show More
4m 10s
Feb 2023
The Bonnie and Clyde of the Art World
Suspicious art dealers, fraudulent documents, and huge egos--the only thing worse than the uppity art world is how much it relies on laundered art from other countries. On this week’s episode, we bring on Sam Tabachnik to unpack his sprawling three-part series for The Denver Post ... Show More
25m 29s
Sep 2013
Frida Kahlo
A horrible accident set Frida Kahlo on the way to her status as an artistic icon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
1h 21m
Aug 2020
Empress Sisi of Austria Part 1
Sisi was a shy young noblewoman who was plucked from obscurity and shoved onto the world stage with very little warning. She found the limelight a difficult place in which to live, but her beauty and her genuine concern for the common people earned her the status of a reluctant i ... Show More
1h 28m
Jul 2022
Hitler Diaries | Hitler for Sale | 2
Excited by the prospect of the diaries being real, Rupert Murdoch sends famed historian Hugh Trevor-Roper to verify them. However, as doubts and pressure mount up, what will Trevor-Roper decide to tell the world - real or fake?Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ ... Show More
47m 24s
Dec 2021
The Art of Money Laundering
Who can put a price on art? Every year, anonymous buyers and sellers across the planet move works of fine art for millions of dollars, with no questions asked. It's a playground of the well-off -- and, it turns out, one of the best places in the world to launder dirty money. In t ... Show More
58m 57s