FAKD takes a look into the complex business of counterfeit and fake items on the market. How to tell fake items from real items and how not to get scammed.
#243 - This Week In Scams: $194 Million Missing, 298 Gold Bars & A Dead Man's Stolen Identity
This week on FAKD, we're breaking down five stories involving a massive government fraud, a convicted romance scammer, millions in alleged tax fraud, a dead man's stolen identity, and an ancient Roman factory.
First, a former federal employee has pleaded guilty in a scheme that caused approximately $194 million in government losses—with investigators ultimately seizing 298 gold bars and other luxury assets.
Then, a 10-time convicted scammer admits to taking more than $1.8 million from two women he was romantically involved with. We also look at a Philadelphia tax preparer accused of helping more than 100 clients obtain roughly $17 million in fraudulent loans and tax benefits.
Plus, one man tried to take control of a dead man's house, bank accounts and stock portfolio.
And for this week's odd-history story, archaeologists have uncovered a massive 2,000-year-old Roman pottery production complex complete with 21 kilns.
Five stories. A whole lot of fraud. And one trip back to Ancient Rome.
Stay informed, stay skeptical, and don't get FAKD.
6 Oct 2026
#242 - The Tinder Swindler Is Launching a “Scam-Proof” Dating App
The Tinder Swindler is back — and this time, he says he wants to protect you from scammers.
Simon Leviev, the man made infamous by Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, is behind a new dating app called Safe Love, which promises stricter identity verification, government ID checks, selfie matching, and even an emergency SOS feature.
In this episode of FAKD, we break down the history of the Tinder Swindler, how his alleged dating scheme worked, the biggest red flags of romance scams, and the documented fraud convictions in his past.
Then we dig into Safe Love: how it's supposed to work, when it could launch, the privacy questions it raises, and why a major dating-industry organization has asked Apple and Google to consider keeping it off their app stores.
The ultimate question:
Would you trust the Tinder Swindler to protect you from the next Tinder Swindler?
30 Sept 2026
#241 - This Week In Scams: The Fake Federal Agency, 1 Million “New” Phones & Counterfeit Ozempic
This week on FAKD: This Week In Scams, we're breaking down five stories involving a completely fake federal agency, more than a million used phones allegedly sold as new, counterfeit Ozempic, a dangerous fake Apple preorder page, and one of Ancient Rome's strangest rituals.
First, a man pleaded guilty after creating what appeared to be a federal emergency-management agency, complete with government seals, ID cards, law-enforcement-style badges and certificates. People paid hundreds of dollars for credentials they were falsely told gave them authority during emergencies.
Then, European authorities are investigating a massive operation accused of selling more than one million used smartphones as brand-new, potentially causing hundreds of millions of euros in consumer losses.
We also look at federal charges involving counterfeit Ozempic allegedly smuggled into the United States, including fake packaging, labels and needles, plus a fake iPhone preorder page researchers say was designed to attack vulnerable devices simply by loading the site.
And for this week's odd-history story: What did Ancient Romans do when something was struck by lightning? Archaeologists have uncovered evidence connected to a bizarre ritual in which material associated with a lightning strike could be ritually buried and the location treated as sacred.
Fake government agencies, fake “new” phones, fake medicine, fake Apple pages—and a very real ancient Roman ritual.
Stay informed, stay skeptical, and don't get FAKD.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
3.8 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100
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66
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Engagement
32
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