Persona: The French Deception

About Persona: The French Deception

What does it feel like to pick up the phone and scam someone out of $50 million? This is the story of Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con artists of all time. Host and award-winning journalist Evan Ratliff investigates how Chikli duped some of the world’s most powerful people into handing over their fortunes. He explores how Chikli evaded the law for years and became a Robin Hood-like hero. More than just a tale of criminal genius, this is a show about the moment we’re living in right now — the golden age of scammers — and the power of seduction. But what happens when the fantasy we’ve been lured into finally crumbles away? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Persona: The French Deception ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

Publisher

Audible | Pineapple Street Studios

Category

society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 May 2022

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

7 of 14 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: Audible True Crime – Ghost Story

   Host Tristan Redman explores a chilling family secret and unexplainable events surrounding a murdered ancestor in this true crime interview.

2. 

   28 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: My Mom’s Murder

   Lauren Malloy investigates her mother Lori's thirty-year-old murder, uncovering a web of deceit and hidden truths in this true crime interview series.

3. 

   24 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: Audible True Crime

   Host [Host Name] interviews James Arthur Ray about his rise as a self-help guru and the dangerous extremes of his methods.

4. 

   21 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas

   Journalist Jane MacSorley investigates Arthur Knight's claim of mistaken identity in this interview, uncovering a shocking truth about Nicholas Rossi's alleged deception.

5. 

   13 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto

   Host Dan Taberski explores the power of the manifesto, interviewing artists and visionaries to reclaim its meaning from cynical politicians and mass shooters.

6. 

   4 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   New Season - Dr. Death: The Cowboy

   Host Laura Beil investigates Dr. John Schneider's alleged medical malpractice and fraud in this interview episode of "Dr. Death: The Cowboy."

7. 

   21 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Listen Now: OnlyFantasy

   Journalist Leon Neyfakh and comedian Gracie Canaan interview creators and subscribers to explore the complex emotional marketplace of OnlyFans and the authenticity of online connection.

8. 

   6 Aug 2024

   Introducing: We Can Do Hard Things

   Life is freaking hard. We are all doing hard things every single day – things like loving and losing; caring for children and parents; forging and ending friendships; battling addiction, illness, and loneliness; struggling in our jobs, our marriages, and our divorces; setting boundaries; and fighting for equality, purpose, freedom, joy, and peace. On We Can Do Hard Things, Glennon Doyle, author of UNTAMED; her wife Abby Wambach; and her sister Amanda Doyle do the only thing they’ve found that has ever made life easier: Drop the fake and talk honestly about the hard things including sex, gender, parenting, blended families, bodies, anxiety, addiction, justice, boundaries, fun, quitting, overwhelm . . . all of it. We laugh and cry and help each other carry the hard so we can all live a little bit lighter and braver, free-er, less alone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

9. 

   16 Jul 2024

   Introducing Shell Game: A New Show From Evan Ratliff

   What would happen if you created a digital copy of yourself, powered by AI, and set it loose in the world? Evan Ratliff, longtime tech journalist and the host of Persona: The French Deception, decided to launch an experiment to find out. He combined a clone of his voice, an AI chatbot, and a phone line—many phone lines, actually—into what are called a “voice agents.” Then for the six months, he sent them out… as himself. In season one of Shell Game Over, over six episodes, Evan chases answers to the big questions about AI’s increasing role in our lives. His voice agents talk to spammers and scammers, to Evan’s friends and family, to colleagues and sources, to other AIs, and even to a therapist—all to better understand what AI voice is going to do, what it can't yet do, and what happens when you try to take control of the very technology that threatens to replace you. You can listen to the next episodes of “Shell Game” by searching for “Shell Game” wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to hit “follow” so you don’t miss an episode, and visit shellgame.co (http://shellgame.co) to find out more and support the show. New episodes drop on Tuesdays. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

10. 

    18 Mar 2024

    Search Engine: Who's behind these scammy text messages we've all been getting?

    Search Engine is hosted by PJ Vogt and has been named one of the top podcasts of the year by Time Magazine, The Economist, and New York Magazine (Vulture). Search Engine is an explainer show that tackles all kinds of questions, big and small. On this episode: who's behind these scammy text messages we've all been getting? To find more episodes of Search Engine or to submit a question to the show, head over to searchengine.show (https://www.searchengine.show/) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

11. 

    1 Feb 2024

    Where to find Episodes 2-8 of Persona

    In the first episode of Persona, a French banker took the strangest call of her life. On the other end was her boss relaying bizarre orders from a secret agent. Her mission was to wait in a bathroom stall before handing off a bag full of cash. But behind the scheme was no secret agent, rather Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con men the world has ever seen. Unlike most fraudsters, Chikli preyed upon the most powerful amongst us. And with that call, he just started in motion the greatest scam of the century. If you want to hear the rest of Persona, you can binge all eight episodes exclusively on Wondery Plus or on Amazon Music. On Wondery Plus, you can listen to all your favorite podcasts early and ad-free. With a library featuring over 50 #1 Apple Podcast hits and 45,000 binge worthy episodes, there’s something for everyone. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or an Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

12. 

    6 Jun 2022

    Genius | 2

    Gilbert Chikli was known to friends and family in Israel as a flamboyant local celebrity, a Robin Hood figure, and an innovator who by necessity ended up on the wrong side of the law. But as Chikli galivants around town with new yachts and suitcases of money, the French authorities begin closing in. The situation may call for a daring escape.

13. 

    6 Jun 2022

    Madame G | 1

    In Paris, a banker receives a bizarre call from her boss. He says she'll soon be contacted by a secret agent about a confidential government operation. The instructions provided by the agent are simple: wait in a bathroom stall, listen for the password and then hand over a bag stuffed with hundreds of thousands in cash to a stranger through the stall door. Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away in Israel, a musician is drawn into his new friend’s underground network. Thus begins the scam of the century. Persona: The French Deception is the story of Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con artists of all time. More than just a tale of criminal genius, this is a show about the moment we’re living in right now — the golden age of scammers — and the power of seduction. But what happens when the fantasy we’ve been lured into finally crumbles away? Please support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

14. 

    23 May 2022

    Introducing - Persona: The French Deception

    What does it feel like to pick up the phone and scam someone out of $50 million? This is the story of Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con artists of all time. Host and award-winning journalist, Evan Ratliff, investigates how Chikli successfully duped some of the world’s most powerful people into handing over their fortunes. He explores how Chikli evaded the law for years and became a Robin Hood-like hero. More than just a tale of criminal genius, this is a show about the moment we’re living in right now — the golden age of scammers — and the power of seduction. But what happens when the fantasy we’ve been lured into finally crumbles away? All episodes are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy (https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info (https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).

Inside a recent episode

Listen Now: Audible True Crime – Ghost Story

Published 12 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Lights would flash on and off on their own, and I'd get this uncomfortable cold feeling whenever I was alone in the house. It freaked me out at the time, but the truth is, I didn't really think much of it. I was a teenager. I had other things on my mind. Every now and then, I'd ask my sister if she was messing with me, but she always swore she wasn't. I grew up, left home, and became a journalist for Al Jazeera. I cover things like French labour strikes and the war in Ukraine. I don't believe in ghosts. So when my family moved out of the house on Queen's Road, I completely forgot about the weird stuff that happened in there. […]

Who has been a guest on Persona: The French Deception

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dan Taberski
• Leon Neyfakh
• Gracie Canaan

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

536 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

657 ratings

Contact Persona: The French Deception

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Persona: The French Deception