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Audible

You never really know someone…especially online. In today’s world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world’s most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? From Black Swan Murder to a fake social media influencer to an audacious Hollywood Ponzi schemer, each season will take the listener along the twists and turns, the impact on victims, and what’s left when the facade falls away.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

Scamfluencers

In the late ‘90s, Dana Giacchetto wasn’t just managing money, he was managing access. As a financial advisor to Hollywood’s elite, he moved in the same orbit as rising stars like Leonardo DiCaprio. But Dana’s real addiction wasn’t wealth – it was the scene. Positioning himself as a punk rock money manager, Dana blurred the line between business and nightlife, chasing clout as much as returns. Seduced by fame and proximity, he began dipping into client funds – mixing accounts, backing risky deals, and using their money to finance his own lavish lifestyle. What started as access turned into a con, where trust was the currency – and Dana spent it fast.

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

Dana Giacchetto - Swindler to the Stars | 208

We’ll be back next week with new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode about the college admissions scandal that swept up some of the richest families in Hollywood.

Rick Singer is a college admissions consultant whose elaborate, secretive network of college coaches and admissions officers can rig the system to get rich kids into top tier schools of their parents’ choosing… for a price. But when the feds start listening in, Rick will fail the ultimate test, and expose the dark side of the American education system.

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

ENCORE: Making Up The Grade: The College Admissions Scandal | 207

We’ll be back in two weeks with brand new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes, about a wannabe media magnate whose big vision ran on even bigger lies.

Carlos Watson is a Stanford Law School graduate with big Silicon Valley connections and even bigger dreams. When he pitches investors on his idea for a Millennial-focused news website called Ozy Media, it seems like a sure bet. It’s the early 2010s, and online media start-ups have generated tons of buzz – and more importantly, tons of clicks. But Carlos doesn't actually know what he’s doing. And when Ozy fails to attract the readers he’s promised his investors, he decides to ditch the business of truth-telling and go rogue.

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

ENCORE: Ozy Media: Pivot to Fraud | 206

We’ll be back soon with brand new episodes – but for now, revisit the story of an Australian financial planner who swindled those closest to her….and then disappeared without a trace.

Melissa Caddick has always dreamed of doing big things. When she becomes a high-powered financial planner, she’s finally able to buy a huge house, take extravagant vacations, and live the life of an Australian jet-setter. But all that cash isn’t just coming from her paycheck. When her friends and family find out her secret source of income, they feel hurt and betrayed. But by that point, Melissa has mysteriously vanished. 

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

ENCORE: Melissa Caddick: Trouble Afoot | 205

Born into staggering wealth, Doris Duke lived a life that dazzled the public and confounded those closest to her. She was pursued by society figures, fortune hunters, and even a dictator or two. But in her final years, the real drama unfolded behind closed doors. As Doris’s health declined, a bitter power struggle erupted for control of her fortune, her legacy and her trust. At the center of it all was her controversial butler, Bernard Lafferty, whose intense devotion to Doris raised as many questions as it answered – and whose relentless battle for her millions would end up costing him dearly.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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

Bernard Lafferty: The Billionaire Butler | 204

In the 1980s, Pat Nolan was one of California’s most powerful conservative lawmakers – pushing to shrink the government and expand the death penalty, while quickly climbing the political ladder. He was ambitious, disciplined…and according to the FBI, dirty. Behind closed doors Pat took illegal campaign donations in a scheme so blatant it became the centerpiece of a sweeping federal sting operation that took down an entire generation of right-wing California politicians. What started as a power grab turned into a full-blown corruption crackdown. But prison wasn’t the end of Pat’s story. Because after his fall, the former tough-on-crime crusader comes out preaching something very different…and pulls off one of the most unexpected rebrands in Scamfluencers history.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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

Pat Nolan: Here Comes the Bribe | 203

In 2018, a previously unknown writer named Sally Walker became a literary sensation in the UK under the pseudonym Raynor Winn. Her memoir – a stirring account of walking the South West Coast Path with her terminally ill husband – struck a cultural nerve. It was gritty, inspirational, and defiantly hopeful. Readers embraced its message of resilience and redemption, and the book went on to generate more than $12 million in sales. But as “Raynor Winn’s” star rises, people from Sally’s past begin to recognize her – and question the story that made her famous. And the deeper journalists and skeptics begin to dig, the more cracks appear in Sally’s narrative. What began as an uplifting survival story becomes something far murkier – a tale about reinvention, reputation, and the fragile line between truth and storytelling.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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

The Salt Path: A Long Walk From the Truth | 202

Since its launch in 1987, McDonald’s Monopoly game has become a cultural obsession, with millions of people buying Big Macs and fries, convinced they might be one peel away from a million-dollar payday. But for nearly a decade, the jackpot was unwinnable. The man responsible for distributing the pieces, Jerry Jacobson, was quietly stealing them and selling them for profit. And like every Monopoly game, it eventually ended – only this time, when Jerry’s game was over, the house rules no longer protected him.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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

Jerry Jacobson: The Real Hamburglar | 201

When Matt Bergwall arrives at the University of Miami in the spring of 2021, he’s young, tech-savvy, and bored. After discovering a vulnerability in corporate refund systems, he turns it into a multimillion dollar scam that quietly siphons money from some of the world’s biggest corporations. Matt spends the stolen cash on designer clothes, luxury goods, and lavish vacations. But as the scheme grows, it catches the attention of a scammer-turned-FBI-informant tracking refund fraud online, setting off a chain of events that leads to Matt’s arrest and the collapse of his high-flying lifestyle.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Scamfluencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

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

Matt Bergwall: Return to Sender | 200

Napoleon Hill spent decades claiming he was mentored by millionaires and advised U.S. presidents – at a time when almost no one could fact check him. Obsessed with becoming rich and famous, he eventually pulled it off with his book, Think and Grow Rich, which became the template for modern mindset scams. Its legacy runs straight through Tony Robbins, The Secret, and every manifest-your-millions coach who insists your bank account is empty because your attitude is wrong.

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Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.

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

ENCORE: Ozy Media: Pivot to Fraud | 206

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