{"podcast":{"title":"PRETEND","slug":"pretend-888499","podcast_index_feed_id":888499,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ADV1293150108","website_url":"http://www.pretendradio.org","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/d1194664-ec48-11e8-879b-cbb0584e3baa/image/040442e608423a0a46b99b03497edb3a.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Javier Leiva","episode_count":311,"summary":"PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storytelling. Featured in lists of the best podcasts about con artists and scams, PRETEND investigates crimes of persuasion, trust, and betrayal. New episodes drop regularly with stories that reveal how manipulation shapes modern life, both online and off. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC [CLAIM:B6BT3XC4]","last_synced_at":"2026-07-21T18:22:21.960053+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pretend-888499"},"episode":{"title":"Listener Reaction: Didn't See That Coming Part 1","slug":"listener-reaction-didn-t-see-that-coming-part-1","published_at":"2026-01-17T13:55:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pretend-888499/listener-reaction-didn-t-see-that-coming-part-1","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pretend-888499","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/GShUDppPATUMmMhYllkv/pfx.vpixl.com/h54wi/traffic.megaphone.fm/IMP7678946876.mp3?updated=1769528957","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/GShUDppPATUMmMhYllkv/pfx.vpixl.com/h54wi/traffic.megaphone.fm/IMP7678946876.mp3?updated=1769528957","summary":"Longtime Patreon supporter Rebecca Catalfu joins Javier to unpack her firsthand experience going undercover at Matt Fraser's psychic readings. Rebecca went into this investigation as a believer and came out the other side with a very different perspective. In this conversation, she and Javier break down the patterns they observed across multiple readings: the decision tree (grandparent, parent, or mystery), the \"who is that to you?\" fishing technique, the stop statements psychics use when they're not getting hits, and the emotional bell curve that takes grievers to rock bottom before lifting them back up with platitudes. Rebecca also shares what it was like to make it into the virtual \"panelist waiting room,\" the inconsistencies she noticed while analyzing readings for Susan's YouTube channel, and why she's most concerned about the predatory potential these readings pose to vulnerable people. Plus: Javier attempts his own cold reading. It does not go well. LINKS: Susan Gerbic's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicsExplained Matt Fraser Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcSfdioxwHQGkyFZ68maphdIJuYcb8xln Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices","meta_description":"Longtime Patreon supporter Rebecca Catalfu joins Javier to unpack her firsthand experience going undercover at Matt Fraser's psychic readings. Rebecca wen…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1612,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/pretend-888499/episodes/listener-reaction-didn-t-see-that-coming-part-1/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pretend-888499/listener-reaction-didn-t-see-that-coming-part-1.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}