The 5 Best Pretend - a true crime podcast about con artists Podcast Episodes
1) S1201: The Stalker part 1
Couple terrorized by a sadistic cyber stalker for years For more than three years, Claudia and David Rodriguez (not their real names) have been the targets of a sadistic cyber stalker. Despite their a...Show More
2) S503: The Cousins part 1
This is not your typical internet stalker story. Susan Fensten's tale is one of torture, rape, bondage, cannibalism, and murder. It’s just plain cruel. It all started when Susan began looking for d...Show More
3) From Death of an Artist: Ana Mendieta and Carl Andre
Here’s a preview from a new podcast, Death of the Artist, that explores a tragedy in the art world. For more than 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples: ...Show More
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.4) S1101: The Real Catch Me If You Can part 1
This might be my favorite PRETEND series of all time. Remember the movie Catch Me If You Can? Most people believe the film is based on a true story. But, did you know it's mostly made up? I spent the...Show More
5) S510: The Joe Schmo Show
The Joe Schmo Show is a real-life Truman Show—where everyone is an actor except one unsuspecting guy. It’s a reality show within a reality show. The series everyone watched on SPIKE TV was called The...Show More
6) I Beg Your Pardon part 5
My cousin spent 23 years in an Illinois prison for a crime she says she didn't know she was committing. She was 33 when a judge handed down a 60-year sentence. She would have been 93 before she saw th...Show More
7) I Beg Your Pardon part 4
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of nursing home neglect, including accounts of residents found in unsanitary conditions. Listener discretion is advised. You're about to h...Show More
8) Introducing Season Seven of Nobody Should Believe Me
Introducing Season Seven of Nobody Should Believe Me. Andrea revisits the case of Maya Kowalski—the story at the center of the Netflix film Take Care of Maya–and the family’s high-profile lawsuit agai...Show More
9) I Beg Your Pardon part 3
You know that little bottle of 5-Hour Energy sitting on the counter of almost every gas station in America? Someone was faking it. Millions of bottles, mixed by hand in a filthy warehouse by day labor...Show More
10) I Beg Your Pardon part 2
Twelve days. That’s how long David Gentile spent in federal prison for a $1.8 billion fraud that wiped out the retirement savings of 17,000 people. On Thanksgiving 2025, President Trump signed a one-...Show More