Fraud Friday: The Queen of Cons w/ Miranda Cosgrove & Nathan Kress

On this very special 300th episode, Laci welcomes Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Let’s Make a Deal), Carl Tart (Grand Crew, SNL), and Oscar Montoya (Minx, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place) for a hilarious chat about all things sneakers. Wayne, Carl, and Oscar share their personal experiences with scams, including some of their first jobs. Laci regales the crew with what's hot in fraud, from folks saying nah to Klarna payments, to rival turkey hut explosions, and the long-overdue call for justice for Blade. Plus, they break down the biggest sneaker swindle in history: the wild story of Zadeh Kicks. Stay schemin’! Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum are improv nerds! Listen to Wayne Brady's What If?! with Jonathan Mangum wherever you get your podcasts. Did you miss out on a custom signed Scam Goddess book? Look no more, nab your copy on PODSWAG Keep the scams coming and snitch on your friends by emailing us at [email protected]. CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Wayne Brady: @mrbradybaby Carl Tart: @dammitcarl Oscar Montoya: @ozzymo Research by Kathryn Doyle SOURCES https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-300-million-sneaker-king-comes-undone-11667570874 https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/zadeh-kicks-owner-and-chief-financial-officer-plead-guilty-80-million-wire-fraud-and https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/22/zadeh-kicks-pleads-guilty-fraud-eugene/ https://www.nicekicks.com/the-rise-fall-and-implosion-of-zadeh-kicks-and-why-it-matters-beyond-the-sneaker-world/ https://www.klcc.org/economy-business/2022-08-08/eugene-sneaker-business-charged-in-fraud-scheme https://www.klcc.org/crime-law-justice/2023-07-16/19m-in-back-taxes-85m-in-fraud-and-two-arrests-the-case-of-zadeh-kicks

In this week's Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by Dexter Mayfield (The Art of Being, Sandy Wexler) to discuss a scammer known by over a dozen names in over a dozen states, all while leaving over a dozen broken hearts in her wake. Plus, an influencer gets in trouble for promoting a skincare line claiming protection from blue screen light. Stay Schemin’! (Originally Released 11/29/2021) CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show, Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Did you miss out on a custom signed Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes book? Look no more, nab your copy here on PODSWAG Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Dexter Mayfield: @dexrated Research by Kaelyn Brandt SOURCES: https://gamerant.com/valkyrae-rflct-youtube-controversy-skincare-brand-misinformation-misleading-research/ https://gamerant.com/valkyrae-rflct-studies-hidden-comments-video-clip/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/serial-con-artist-swindled-victims-abandoned-her-children-n936936 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dana-lawrence-confidence-woman-aliases-scams-fbi-declassified/ https://filmdaily.co/news/dana-lawrence-con-artist/ https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-dana-lawrence-now/

This week, Laci welcomes Kevin Ninh, aka FlawlessKevin (Squid Game: The Challenge), to unpack the story behind the viral cryptocurrency SQUID — a scam that rode the wave of the first season of Squid Game on Netflix. The creators made off with approximately $2.5 million, inspiring the second season of the show to feature a crypto scammer character who exploits fellow players on the island. Plus, in Scammer of the Week, a California pastor and former city council member is hit with an 11-count federal indictment after allegedly defrauding friends and a nonprofit out of more than $230,000. Stay schemin’! Keep the scams coming and snitch on your friends and family by emailing us at [email protected]. CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Kevin Ninh: @flawlesskevin Research by Kathryn Doyle SOURCES https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/11/01/viral-squid-game-cryptocurrency-crashes-100-in-minutes-after-founders-reportedly-run-away-with-25-million/ https://gizmodo.com/squid-game-cryptocurrency-scammers-make-off-with-2-1-m-1847972824 https://www.wired.com/story/squid-game-coin-crypto-scam/ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/12/squid-scam-podcast https://www.klfy.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/654640996/the-wacky-story-behind-the-squid-games-coin/ https://gizmodo.com/squid-game-cryptocurrency-scammers-make-off-with-2-1-m-1847972824 https://www.securities.io/5-worst-rug-pulls-in-crypto/ https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/22/business/ruja-ignatova-cryptoqueen-fbi-most-wanted-cec https://www.cryptopolitan.com/squid-game-takes-a-jab-at-crypto-scammers-in-latest-season/ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-08/san-bernardino-pastor-alleged-con

In this week's Fraud Friday, Laci is joined by AJ Gibson and Emile Ennis Jr. (Confess Your Mess Pod) to discuss the Australian identity thief who had a clear obsession with conning cops. Plus, a California man pleads guilty to a $1.1 million art fraud scheme. Stay Schemin’! (Originally Released 09/27/2021) CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show, Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here: Hachette Book Group Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci AJ Gibson: @_ajgibson Emile Ennis Jr.: @emileennisjr Research by Kaelyn Brandt SOURCES: https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/escondido-man-pleads-guilty-to-role-in-million-dollar-art-forgery-fraud/2689224/ https://www.theage.com.au/technology/a-woman-dicing-with-the-law-20060708-ge2o8z.html https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/real-life/jody-harris-fraud-53846 https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/con-artists-jody-harris-is-australias-queen-of-con-artists/news-story/5e8382e5598e417f96d92721c28f2671 https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/extract-the-queen-of-con-part-1/news-story/0c44c3719d9f344b6a366f8f1a0a37da

This week, Laci welcomes Ira Madison III (Pop Culture Writer for GQ, Keep It! Podcast) to discuss Sean Kingston and his mom, accused of defrauding vendors out of 1 million dollars. They discover Sean Kingston's troubled past, Janice Turner's eyebrows, his discography, and where it all stands today. Stay schemin’! Keep the scams coming and snitch on your friends by emailing us at [email protected]. CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Ira Madison III: @irathethird Research by Kathryn Doyle SOURCES https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/sean-kingston/about/ https://www.aaemusic.com/artist/sean-kingston/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/may/31/sean-kingston-jet-ski-crash https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/sean-kingston-mother-fraud-guilty.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/arts/music/sean-kingston-arrested.html https://variety.com/2025/music/news/sean-kingston-guilty-wire-fraud-decades-in-prison-1236351705/ https://www.tmz.com/2025/03/28/sean-kingston-found-guilty-federal-wire-fraud-case/ https://nypost.com/2025/03/29/entertainment/sean-kingston-mom-janice-turner-found-guilty-in-florida-federal-wire-fraud-case/ https://mginjuryfirm.com/sean-kingston-jet-ski-accident/ https://nypost.com/2025/03/29/entertainment/sean-kingston-mom-janice-turner-found-guilty-in-florida-federal-wire-fraud-case/ https://abc3340.com/news/entertainment/miami-jury-finds-sean-kingston-and-his-morther-guilty-of-defrauding-vendors-in-high-profile-fraud-case-eenie-meenie-fire-burning-beautiful-girls-south-florida-news-april-4-2025