Scams & Hoaxes

A decade-long McDonald’s Monopoly Scam turns “random winners” into a pattern, and a single stolen game piece into a nationwide FBI operation with a name that sounds like a pub quiz answer.

A quiz show champion reaches the million-pound question just as suspicious coughs ignite one of Britain’s biggest TV scandals. We revisit the case of Charles Ingram to explore the evidence, the m...

A luxury music festival collapses spectacularly into chaos, exposing lies, financial fraud, and social media delusion. We revisit how Fyre Festival became the internet’s most infamous modern caut...

A reality show convinces contestants they’ve been launched into space, pulling off the most audacious hoax in British TV history. We explore how producers engineered the illusion—and why the part...

A viral campaign promises to stop Joseph Kony but collapses under scandal and backlash. We examine how Kony 2012 captivated the world—and why it ultimately failed to create real change.

In this episode of the Compendium, we're re-exploring the wild rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. Discover how Holmes, decieved investors with ...

In this episode of the Compendium, we diving back into the audacious tale where eight Belgian nuns orchestrate an unlikely escape from a life of stringent spiritual commitments to chase a dream o...

An exploration of the 1973 Acali Experiment, where Santiago Genovés's attempt to study human aggression on a raft led to unexpected insights into cooperation and peace.

This episode explores the true story of Stella Liebeck's lawsuit against McDonald's, and the misconceptions surrounding the case and within the broader context of American tort reform and corpora...

In this episode of The Compendium, we’re unpacking the Balloon Boy Hoax, the bizarre moment in 2009 when the world was glued to their screens, watching a silver helium balloon soar across the Col...

In this episode, we unpack the outrageous true story of the Millennium Dome diamond heist—an ambitious robbery plotted by a gang of criminally overconfident thieves. Prepare for speedboats, heavy...

In this episode of The Compendium, we tell you about the jaw-dropping true story behind Netflix’s new mini series Apple Cider Vinegar. Belle Gibson’s real-life scandal is dubbed the woman who foo...

In this episode of The Compendium, we uncover the crazy story of Tania Head: the 9/11 survivor who wasn’t there. Once considered a symbol of resilience, Tania captivated the world with her vivid,...

In this episode of the Compendium, it's shoes, glorious shoes, the astonishing life of Imelda Marcos, the first lady of the Philippines known for her opulent lifestyle and a staggering number of ...

In this episode of the Compendium, we go Inside Scientology to explore the mysterious vanishing of Shelly Miscavige, wife of David Miscavige, and the ongoing speculation surrounding her disappear...

In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the Knoedler Gallery Scandal, a tale of deception that rocked the art world. We dive into how Glafira Rosales, Pei-Shen Qian, and Ann Freedman played...

In this episode of The Compendium, we unravel the mysterious and twisted tale of the Billionaire Boys Club, an exclusive high-society club that turned into a deadly Ponzi scheme. Learn about Joe ...

In this episode of the Compendium, we explore the mysterious rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. Discover how Holmes, decieved investors with fa...

In this episode of the Compendium, cha cha slide into world of Lou Pearlman, the mastermind behind Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Discover how he orchestrated one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in the ...

In this episode of the Compendium, we are diving into part two of our female scammer series where I tell Adam all about Anna Delvey, New York's infamous fake heiress. Originally born Anna Sorokin...