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Fraud Friday: The Varsity Blues College Admissions Scandal (w/ Jojo T. Gibbs)

Friday, October 25, 2024

About this Episode

Jojo T. Gibbs (Past Lives, BET's Twenties) sits down with Laci to unpack the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal that involved actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. These parents spent THAT much money on their dumb kids? Damn, Felicity Huffman really puts the "Desperate" in Desperate Housewives. Stay schemin’ Con-gregation! (Originally Released 05/11/2020)

Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

Follow on Instagram:

Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

Laci Mosley: @divalaci

Jojo Gibbs: @jojotgibbs

Research by Sharilyn Vera

SOURCES:

https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/fraud-alert-playoffs-20190814

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/13/us/cooperating-witnesses-college-admissions-scheme/index.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-tip-the-yale-coach-and-the-wire-how-the-college-admissions-scam-unraveled-11552524237

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/us/felicity-huffman-sentencing/index.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-23/ex-pimco-chief-hints-at-college-scam-defense-gifts-not-bribes

https://www.vox.com/2019/3/12/18262003/bill-mcglashan-college-admissions-scandal-tpg-stanford-usc-yale 

https://deadspin.com/brilliant-but-also-dumb-warriors-fan-says-he-had-a-tric-1836604329

Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

More Episodes

  1. Friday, November 1, 2024

    Fraud Friday: The Tinder Swindler (w/ Miles Gray)

    Miles Gray (The Daily Zeitgeist) joins the Con-gregation to break down the greatest schemer in modern love, conman Simon Leviev who used Tinder to connect with women and manipulate them into supporting his lavish lifestyle. We swipe right! (Originally Released 06/15/2020)

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Miles Gray: @milesofgray

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  2. Tuesday, October 29, 2024

    The Top 10 Scammers of All Time - PART 2 (w/ Oscar Montoya)

    In the first part of our 5-year Scamaversary countdown we covered Shaun King, Anna Delvey, George Santos, Colton Harris Moore, & Caroline Calloway. In this thrilling conclusion, all-star guest Oscar Montoya helps us rank #5 through #1 on our list. Perhaps you'll see names like Elizabeth Holmes, Billy McFarland, Bernie Madoff, and Hilaria Baldwin... but you'll have to tune in to see who schemed their way to #1!

     

    Buy Laci's book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes":

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Oscar Montoya: @ozzymo

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.billboard.com/pro/fyre-fest-billy-mcfarland-lawsuit-prisoner-investor-jonathan-taylor/

    https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/fyre-festival-fraudster-launching-latest-thing-looks-party-island-rcna62564

    https://www.vice.com/en/article/that-photo-of-the-fyre-festival-sandwich-is-fake/  

    https://www.vice.com/en/article/fyre-festivals-25-year-old-organizer-this-is-the-worst-day-of-my-life-2/

    https://people.com/where-is-elizabeth-holmes-now-8641352

    https://people.com/jen-shah-elizabeth-holmes-friends-prison-rep-says-7968359

    https://abcnews.go.com/US/elizabeth-holmes-trial-jury-unable-unanimous-verdict-counts/story?id=82055043 

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/07/tech/elizabeth-holmes-prison-release-date/index.html 

    https://lamag.com/crimeinla/wine-forger-sour-grapes-rudy-kurniawan-strikes-back

    https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2023/11/convicted-wine-fraudster-rudy-kurniawan-parties-2023/

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/business/bernie-madoff-dead.html

    https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bernie-Madoff

    https://nypost.com/2009/08/09/life-slimes-of-bernie-the-born-hustler/ 

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  3. Friday, October 25, 2024

    Fraud Friday: The Varsity Blues College Admissions Scandal (w/ Jojo T. Gibbs)

    Jojo T. Gibbs (Past Lives, BET's Twenties) sits down with Laci to unpack the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal that involved actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. These parents spent THAT much money on their dumb kids? Damn, Felicity Huffman really puts the "Desperate" in Desperate Housewives. Stay schemin’ Con-gregation! (Originally Released 05/11/2020)

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Jojo Gibbs: @jojotgibbs

     

    Research by Sharilyn Vera

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/fraud-alert-playoffs-20190814

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/13/us/cooperating-witnesses-college-admissions-scheme/index.html

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-tip-the-yale-coach-and-the-wire-how-the-college-admissions-scam-unraveled-11552524237

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/us/felicity-huffman-sentencing/index.html

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-23/ex-pimco-chief-hints-at-college-scam-defense-gifts-not-bribes

    https://www.vox.com/2019/3/12/18262003/bill-mcglashan-college-admissions-scandal-tpg-stanford-usc-yale 

    https://deadspin.com/brilliant-but-also-dumb-warriors-fan-says-he-had-a-tric-1836604329

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  4. Tuesday, October 22, 2024

    The Top 10 Scammers of All Time - PART 1 (w/ Ashley Ray)

    Happy 5-year Scamaversary Con-gregation! To celebrate this momentous occasion, all-star guest and resident Shaun King expert Ashley Ray returns to help us count down #10 through #6 on our list of the podcast's Top 10 Scammers of All Time. We'll be providing juicy updates to every scammer's story since we first covered them on the podcast while also recapping what makes them worthy of the Scam Goddess Hall of Fame. Who will scheme, con, and cheat their way to the #1 spot?? Tune in to find out!

     

    Buy Laci's book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes":

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Ashley Ray: @theashleyray

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/b-side/a-comprehensive-history-of-caroline-calloway/

    https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-scammer-and-the-scammed

    https://www.booksquadgoals.com/blog/is-caroline-calloway-a-scammer

    https://www.vice.com/en/article/caroline-calloway-snake-oil-scam-leaving-new-york/

    https://twitter.com/bitch_rights/status/1138277895380525061?lang=en

    https://www.reddit.com/r/SmolBeanSnark/comments/14ufe5r/the_true_story_of_the_creativity_workshops/

    https://www.wmagazine.com/story/caroline-calloway-creativity-workshop

    https://www.pajiba.com/celebrities_are_better_than_you/the-fathomless-mediocrity-of-caroline-calloway.php

    https://www.curbed.com/2022/03/caroline-calloway-moves-out-of-her-apartment.html

    https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/caroline-calloway-advice-book-profile

    https://hhsclarionnews.com/feature-stories/2024/05/22/how-a-16-year-old-evaded-the-fbi-for-2-years/

    https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/us/colton-harris-moore-the-barefoot-bandit-is-sentenced-for-stealing-from-neighbors.html

    https://www.historylink.org/File/22562

    https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-plea-court-new-york-90741d068fd94090419fc0fd79be30cc

    https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-credit-card-fraud-f723e69a777b02a2e6b87595f45c21ce

    https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/guide-george-santos-lies.html

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/former-rep-george-santos-pleads-guilty-fraud-charges-rcna129255

    https://www.reuters.com/world/us/embattled-us-rep-santos-was-drag-queen-brazil-pageants-say-associates-2023-01-19/

    https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/george-santos-says-will-revive-drag-queen-persona-cameo-rcna149867

    https://people.com/anna-delvey-walks-runway-new-york-fashion-week-exclusive-details-8711427

    https://www.elle.com/culture/a62138721/anna-delvey-interview-nyfw-crime-of-fashion/

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/style/anna-delvey-nyfw-fashion-show.html

    https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38962970/where-is-anna-delvey-today/

    https://pagesix.com/2023/01/27/anna-delveys-birthday-afterparty-required-signed-ndas-ssns/

    https://www.threads.net/@feministajones/post/C4alEprut3W?hl=en

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/why-everyone-talking-about-shaun-king

    https://www.startribune.com/cair-mn-removes-shaun-king-as-event-keynote-speaker-following-backlash/600353186

    https://www.newarab.com/news/did-shaun-king-convert-islam#

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/activist-shaun-king-says-meta-banned-instagram-palestinian-stance-rcna131244

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  5. Friday, October 18, 2024

    Fraud Friday: The Swindling Scribe of Grey’s Anatomy (w/ Priscilla Davies)

    Before the new Peacock docuseries "Anatomy of Lies", Priscilla Davies (Euphoria) joined the Con-gregation to discuss Elisabeth Finch, the former TV writer who lied about her health status and used other people’s trauma to write stories for Grey’s Anatomy. Plus, a retired Atlanta Police Sergeant says that a con man used his business to defraud a DeKalb County church out of tens of thousands of dollars. Stay Schemin’! (Originally Released 07/04/2022)

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Priscilla Davies: @pristhegoddess

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/greys-anatomy-elisabeth-finch-truth-lies

    https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/greys-anatomy-elisabeth-finch-jennifer-beyer

    https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/retired-officer-fighting-clear-his-name-after-fraudster-took-out-loans-under-his-companys-name/5VRBZRQRU5CFRCKJMOBWPEHMVE/

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  6. Tuesday, October 15, 2024

    The Bridgerton Ball Fiasco (w/ Hillary Anne Matthews & Ali Ghandour)

    Dearest Gentle Listener, today Lady Hillary Anne Matthews (Modern Family) & Lord Ali Ghandour (Superstore) join the Con-gregation to help Laci cover last month's "Bridgerton Ball" experience in Detroit—the royal mess of an event that went from Cinderella to Salmonella. They dish on the one pole dancer hired as entertainment, the awful decor, the lack of chairs, the name "Uncle N Me", and so much more. Plus, Hillary inspires Laci to bring back the sexual tension of finger-to-finger hand dancing at her next 4th of JuLaci party. Stay schemin'!

     

    Buy Laci's book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes":

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Hillary Anne Matthews: @hillaryannematthews

    Ali Ghandour: @ali_ghandour

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/bridgerton-ball-experience-detroit-scam-new.html

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2024/09/25/bridgerton-ball-detroit-disappointment/75377417007/

    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bridgerton-ball-experience-detroit-scam-1236011207/

    https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bridgerton-ball-scam-experience-detroit

    https://x.com/rayleearts/status/1838588221006967112

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/alanavalko/bridgerton-ball-scam-detroit

    https://www.wxyz.com/news/voices/bridgerton-fans-calling-for-refunds-after-disappointing-event-in-detroit#google_vignette

    https://www.the-sun.com/news/12552336/bridgerton-ball-detroit-stripper-scam-refunds/

    https://www.avclub.com/detroit-bridgeton-ball-controversy

    https://www.bridgedetroit.com/disorganized-detroit-bridgerton-ball-slammed-as-scam-by-attendees/

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  7. Friday, October 11, 2024

    Fraud Friday: The MIT Blackjack Team (w/ Chinedu Unaka)

    Chinedu Unaka (Abbott Elementary, Insecure) joins the Con-gregation to discuss how a group of MIT and Harvard students in the 80s perfected card counting and took to casinos, making over $57 million dollars. Plus, a former British Airways pilot is sentenced to a year in jail after he falsified his flying experience. Stay Schemin’! (Originally Released 04/18/2022)

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Chinedu Unaka: @chineduunaka

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt

     

    SOURCES:

    https://web.archive.org/web/20050113100211/https://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,324,00.html

    https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27519748

    https://www.theverge.com/2012/8/10/3223068/mit-mike-aponte-blackjack-card-counting-defcon

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/31/pilot-jailed-lying-flying-experience-get-british-airways-job/

    https://www.businessinsider.com/british-airways-pilot-jailed-faked-resume-flying-experience-pressed-button-2022-4

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/race-ethnicity

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  8. Tuesday, October 8, 2024

    The Tennis Match Fixer (w/ Sona Movsesian)

    The world's worst assistant Sona Movsesian (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend) joins the Con-gregation to cover Grigor Sargsyan—the man who paid top pro tennis players to lose on purpose while running the biggest tennis match fixing ring in history. Plus, Sona tells us how she scammed her way into co-hosting Conan's podcast. Stay schemin'!

     

    This story was primarily investigated by The Washington Post's Kevin Sieff in his article "Game, Set, Fix":

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/tennis-match-fixing-itf-grigor-sargsyan

     

    Buy Sona's book "The World's Worst Assistant":

    https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675609/the-worlds-worst-assistant-by-sona-movsesian/

     

    Buy Laci's book “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes":

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Sona Movsesian: @sonamov

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/tennis-match-fixing-itf-grigor-sargsyan

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/tennis-match-fixing-gambling-investigation-belgium/

    https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/38913580/five-tennis-players-suspended-link-match-fixing-syndicate

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  9. Friday, October 4, 2024

    Fraud Friday: The Bling Ring (w/ Dewayne Perkins)

    What’s poppin’ con-gregation? This week, Dewayne Perkins joins us to discuss the Bling Ring, a group of teenagers who stole nearly $3 million from celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and many more in 2008. Plus, a Thai YouTube star known as Nutty, is accused of conning thousands of her fans out of $55 million dollars in a foreign exchange trading scam. Stay schemin’! (Originally Released 10/03/2022)

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes" here:

    https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Dewayne Perkins: @dewayneperkins

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt

     

    Sources:

    https://nypost.com/2022/08/31/youtuber-nutty-natthamon-khongchak-wanted-for-defrauding-followers/

    https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/e9cc0cc3-dbf1-4fab-8367-5fc7c05608e6

    https://allthatsinteresting.com/alexis-neiers

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2132285/

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15039492/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

  10. Tuesday, October 1, 2024

    The AirBnB TikTok Tall Tale (w/ Sherry Cola)

    Comedian/actor Sherry Cola (Netflix's Nobody Wants This) joins the Con-gregation to break down the story of serial fraudster and fake identity specialist Carrie Jade Williams aka Samantha Jade Cookes aka Claudia Bronwyn aka Lucy Hart aka Lucy Fitzwilliam. Con-gregation, please pray for Laci's safety while Carrie is on the loose in Ireland. Oh yeah, and stay schemin'!

     

    Laci’s book is out now! Order “Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts and Schemes": https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laci-mosley/scam-goddess/9780762484652/?lens=running-press

     

    Follow on Instagram:

    Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod

    Laci Mosley: @divalaci

    Sherry Cola: @shrrycola

     

    Research by Kaelyn Brandt.

     

    SOURCES:

    https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gn9q/carrie-jade-williams-tiktok-samantha-cookes

    https://www.mamamia.com.au/who-is-carrie-jade-williams/

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13227617/Carrie-Jade-Williams-kildare-au-pair-podcast.html

    Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

Laci Mosley
host

Laci Mosley

Laci Mosley is a Black American actor, comedian, and podcaster. She performs improv comedy at UCB Los Angeles and is a series regular in Season 2 of HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show," and in the ShowMax comedy series "Florida Girls." She is also a cast member in Paramount+'s "iCarly" reboot and a contributor on ABC's "The Con."

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