10 Podcasts like Dirty John
The story of John Meehan is a twisting tale of deceit and deception; a dark look into a man who was willing to do anything to carry out his greedy plan. But the Dirty John podcast is also a story about the inspiring family of women who ultimately rallied against him and exposed his con for what it was. Reported and hosted by L.A. Times journalist Christopher Goffard and told through interviews with Debra Newell and her family, Dirty John is a gripping first-person account of survival. There’s no wonder it was turned into a highly successful Netflix TV show starring Connie Britton and Eric Bana. While Dirty John is definitely one of the best true crime podcasts about fraud and con artists ever made, there are still lots of great podcasts similar to Dirty John to jump into. In this list, you’ll find more stories of fairy tale romances gone wrong and people who aren’t at all what they seem, so don’t be afraid to start bingeing!
Last Updated: Jan 6th, 2022
1. Fool Me Twice
Season 1 Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Jules Hannaford was successful and happy in her life and her job, but was still lonely. She turned to online dating as a last resort, after being single for more than a decade. It...Show More
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S2E1: 1| The Lost Diamonds of Sheung Wan
26:46 | Jul 8th, 2021
1 RECOMMENDATION
A nondescript woman, Tiffany, visits a locally owned diamond business, Ryder Diamonds, seeking a very specific diamond. The owner Sally Ryder, is away on an overseas trip during the transaction and he...Show More
2. The Grift
When we hear about confidence games, we think, “never me.” Welcome to The Grift, a show about con artists and the lives they ruin. Best-selling author and New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova takes us to the darker side of human nature and deceit. Ten s...Show More
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41:32 | Apr 11th, 2017
2 RECOMMENDATIONS
The only thing Ken Perenyi loved as much as art was swindling the art world. He relished the contest of wits, the risk of getting caught, the thrill of deception, the sense of power that comes with a ...Show More
3. Catfish: The Podcast
You finally find the person of your dreams, but there’s just one problem: you haven’t yet met them in real life. When you start to suspect something isn’t quite right, you need someone to help you find out the truth. That’s where “Catfish: The P...Show More
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45:25 | Sep 29th, 2021
2 RECOMMENDATIONS
Looking for love, Ryan met Micah on Tinder and thought he'd found his quarantine bae. But when Kamie and Nev start to dig, they go down a deep hole and discover someone much more dangerous than just a...Show More
4. Chasing Charlie
Approached with a seemingly routine case of a jilted lover, private investigator Julia Robson begins to uncover the unsettling saga of unscrupulous conman Charlie. Relentless, determined, and whip smart, Julia embarks on a seven-year mission fo...Show More
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5. Up and Vanished
Host Payne Lindsey returns with season 3 to investigate the North West Montana disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, an indigenous woman who went missing from the Blackfeet Nation Indian Reservation in 2017. Up and Vanished is a true crime seri...Show More
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26:21 | Aug 7th, 2016
4 RECOMMENDATIONS
Payne learns about this mysterious case and starts his investigation. Things don't go as planned but he might just have his first lucky break. To learn more about listener data and our privacy pract...Show More
6. Con Artists
They seem like a friend. Family, even. You trust them with your life. But behind the promises of fame, success, and riches beyond your wildest dreams... it’s just another guy in a fake Rolex. Con Artists peeks behind the masks of hustlers, swindlers,...Show More
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Stephen Glass Pt. 1: The Devil’s Bargain
56:23 | Aug 7th, 2019
3 RECOMMENDATIONS
In the 1990's, young writer Stephen Glass left college and entered the journalism world, quickly becoming a rising star. At the New Republic magazine in Washington D.C., Stephen dazzled his editors an...Show More
7. Unravel True Crime
Unravel True Crime is a podcast where, each season, some of Australia's best journalists investigate unsolved crimes.
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S4 01 | The Girl With The Dragonfly Tattoo
48:28 | Sep 2nd, 2019
2 RECOMMENDATIONS
When Ollie Wards' brother Greg marries his American dream girl in New Zealand and they go into business together, it seems like a perfect start to a new life. But only a few months later, Greg is hear...Show More
8. Who the Hell is Hamish?
He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney - but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be. Hamish is due to be sentenced to jail in early 2019 for swindling a handful of victims out of more than $7m. But these crimes are just the f...Show More
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01:54 | Feb 4th, 2019
2 RECOMMENDATIONS
On the trail of a serial conman. A new podcast from the team that brought you The Teacher's Pet, coming soon. Music credits for this episode: Meydan - L'Etoile danse pt 2
9. Serial
Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts whose quality and innovation transformed the medium. “Serial” began in 2014 as a spinoff of the public radio show “This American Life.” In 2020, we joined the New York Times Company. Our shows have reached ...Show More
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52:57 | Oct 3rd, 2014
30 RECOMMENDATIONS
It's Baltimore, 1999. Hae Min Lee, a popular high-school senior, disappears after school one day. Six weeks later detectives arrest her classmate and ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for her murder. He says ...Show More
10. Criminal
Criminal is the first of its kind. A show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe Judge. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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19:01 | Jan 30th, 2015
13 RECOMMENDATIONS
Dan Stevenson has lived in Oakland's Eastlake neighborhood for 40 years. He says crime has been an issue for as long as he can remember, but he isn't one to call the police on drug dealers or sex work...Show More