Free Daily Podcast Summary
PRETEND: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Creative Babble, LLC
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. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC
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- Today5 min
The Lottery Curse with Murder: True Crime Stories
I teamed up with Carter Roy for a special guest collaboration on Murder: True Crime Stories and this one is something else. For the full episode, follow Murder: True Crime Stories on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1745145932In November 2006, Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the Florida Lottery. He couldn't read or write, and within two years he'd given most of it away to anyone who asked. Then Dee Dee Moore showed up promising to protect what was left — and within months, she had his house, his insurance, and his power of attorney. Not long after, Abe vanished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 days ago42 min
Chain of Command part 4
Note: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and psychological manipulation. It started with a revolt. Thirty ministers walked out of NTCC mid-service and never looked back. They thought they were done with high-control leadership, mandatory tithing, and pastors who ruled by fear. They were wrong. In this episode, former pastor Arlen Bradeen and Greg Shepard tell us what happened when they followed Rony Denis to Georgia — and what it cost them to finally get out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago34 min
Chain of Command part 3
In part three of Chain of Command, we hear from those who grew up in the New Testament Christian Churches of America. From Victor Johanson, a former Army soldier who confirms on tape that NTCC ministers got vasectomies because children would interfere with their ministry. From a woman we're calling Kaylee, who was raised inside the church and was groomed and assaulted by a family member who was also an NTCC minister. And we look at how the church's CEO, Michael Kekel, has publicly stated at one point that no church is under a legal obligation to report child abuse. This episode discusses sexual assault and the grooming of minors. Please take care while listening. Want to keep going? Bonus episodes featuring the full unedited conversations with Victor Johanson and Kaylee are available right now on PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts and on Patreon. You'll get bonus episodes and full access to the PRETEND archive. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Resources mentioned in this episode: Stay Away From NTCC (former member YouTube channel run by Tracy Pelfrey) The Mountain News (Bruce Smith's reporting on NTCC) Washington State Senate Bill 5375 (clergy mandatory reporting law, May 2025) Support and resources: If you or someone you know is currently serving in the military and feels pressured by a religious group, you have options. Military OneSource is available 24/7 at 1-800-342-9647. Your installation chaplain can also provide confidential support across all faiths. If you're a former member of NTCC or another high-control group and looking for support, the International Cultic Studies Association at icsahome.com offers resources, recovery workshops, and a directory of professionals familiar with high-control group recovery. If you've experienced sexual assault, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at rainn.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago31 min
Chain of Command part 2
Part one was about control. Part two is about the money. Behind the soul-winning and the sermons and the bylaws, the New Testament Christian Churches of America runs a very well-funded business. Tithing is tracked, enforced, and tied to your military paycheck. Fall behind and you go before the general board. Fall further behind and you lose your credentials. So where does the tithing money go? Church CEO Michael Kekel told his congregation they owed $25,000 a year in property taxes on the fellowship hall. But tax records tell a different story. The fellowship hall paid $9.65. The $25,000? That's the bill on a personal house in the name of Kekel's wife. In this episode: -Tracy Pelfrey, former NTCC member of 17 years -Bruce Smith, reporter, The Mountain News, who has covered NTCC for nearly two decades -Sarah DeJonghe, former Navy Seabee and NTCC ex-member -Archival recordings of R.W. Davis, founder of NTCC -Archival recordings of Michael Kekel, CEO of NTCC Next time on Pretend: Former members say that NTCC fosters a culture where adult men courting teenage girls isn't just tolerated — it's encouraged. That's next time. Listen to Part 3 now: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 If you or someone you know is currently serving in the military and feels pressured by a religious group or organization, you have options. The Military OneSource confidential helpline is available 24/7 at 1-800-342-9647. You can also reach out to your installation chaplain, who can provide confidential support across all faiths and no faith at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago39 min
The Raid | From Deep Cover: The Family Man
Deep Cover is a true crime show about double lives, brought to you by our friends at Pushkin Industries. Their new season, The Family Man, is a gripping story about how families can deceive each other and the lengths we’ll go to to protect our loved ones. Elise and Marissa grew up in a seemingly normal house in the suburbs of St. Louis—but it was a house built on secrets. There were things their father never told them... like how he really made his money. Everything changed in a single night: The Raid: Police arrived at the front door, seizing boxes of evidence. The Chase: Hours later, the sisters turned on the TV to a surreal sight—their father in the middle of a high-speed police chase. The Identity: The local news identified him as “The Boonie Hat Bandit.” The girls were stunned, struggling to accept a reality they never saw coming. How long had he been lying? What had he done? Who, exactly, was their father? Listen Now: Find Deep Cover: The Family Man wherever you get your podcasts. Binge the Full Season: If you want to know how the story ends right now, you can binge the entire season today. Sign up for a Pushkin+ subscription on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. Official Link: lnk.to/DCFMPretend The Secret Life of the SuburbsThe Aftermath[CALL TO ACTION] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago39 min
Chain of Command part 1
In 1996, Sarah DeJonghe was a 20-year-old Navy Seabee stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Two guys in uniform approached her on base and invited her to church. She said no. They came back anyway. Four months later, Sarah was out of the Navy and on her way to a Bible seminary in Washington State. She didn't see it coming. Neither did the dozens of other military members who found themselves drawn into the New Testament Christian Churches of America, a church that has spent decades planting itself outside US military bases around the world, marketing itself as a home away from home for single, lonely soldiers. Former members say it's a cult. Want to keep going? Part Two is available right now on PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts and on Patreon. You'll get every episode of this series ad-free and a week early, plus bonus episodes and full access to the PRETEND archive. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Resources mentioned in this episode: NTCC bylaws (publicly available): https://myntcc.org/bylaws/ Stay Away From NTCC (former member YouTube channel run by Tracy Pelfrey) - https://www.youtube.com/@StayAwayFromNTCC Bruce Smith's reporting at The Mountain News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- May 5, 202654 min
Operation Cockblock Revisited
A Colorado businessman with a criminal record, no credit, and a gift for charm somehow convinced dozens of women to finance his cars, his home, and his lifestyle. When they finally compared notes, they didn't get mad. They got organized. This is the story of Bill Sullivan, and the self-appointed militia of scorned women who banded together to take him down: Operation Cockblock. Before you go: Stick around for a sneak peek at Chain of Command, PRETEND's new investigative series about a secretive church that brands itself a "ministry to the military" and has been operating near U.S. military bases around the world. 🎧 Listen now on PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 💙 Or on Patreon: https://patreon.com/pretendradio?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Apr 28, 202645 min
The Greatest Podcast Episodes Ever Made (Bonus)
Somebody went through hundreds of Reddit comments asking what the greatest podcast episode of all time is, then actually listened to all of them. That somebody is Ivy, the creator behind @watchandlisten.ivy on TikTok, and she has been going viral ever since. In this episode we go through the ones that kept coming up: Reply All: "The Case of the Missing Hit" https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CaOGo6xSN51B2aLAQa1kU Heavyweight: "Gregor" https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LKrLVEAY3tsqHPURec6ke Mystery Show: "Belt Buckle" https://open.spotify.com/episode/7niwu8ksl85o2GP2IUEJdA Radiolab: "Colors" https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ugEsqx79eit9kFVw5xN7a You're Wrong About: "Andes Flight 571" https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Tqgu60WVXQWYMqiwWy5F7 Love and Radio: "The Living Room" https://open.spotify.com/episode/1HQSZAsQ78AanIb68NChHC Follow Ivy: @watchandlisten.ivy https://www.tiktok.com/@watchandlisten.ivy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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About PRETEND
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. PRETEND is produced by Creative Babble, LLC. © 2026 Creative Babble LLC
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PRETEND covers topics including Technology, True Crime, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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