scam artist

In this episode of Real Estate One Ohhh One, a past client of Geelong Real Estate Co., Feroz Basha, a part-time stand up comedian shares his horror story of what should have been a simple and profitable joint venture between friends. 

Listen in as Feroz relives the painful story of how he and a syndicate of 5 friends were taken advantage of by what was essentially a scam that sold them a developer turn-key project, expected to return a 20% margin over 12 months, turned out to be a loss over 4 years. 

Great insights of what he'd recommend people do differently and what to look out for.

Feroz is a generous man with a cautionary tale. Keen to hear your thoughts. 

Get in touch with Ricky and the team here: www.geelongrealestate.co

For the last episode of the podcast, Stacey discusses Anna’s trial with her real life defense attorney, Todd Spodek. She also meets with Matt Byrne, who wrote the series finale, and who attended Anna’s trial as a representative from Shondaland and Netflix. 

Anna’s defense attorney, Todd Spodek weighs in on the portrayal of his complex and ever evolving relationship with Anna, and on what the case meant to him personally. Anna was a difficult client at times, but she could also be profoundly charming and sweet. Todd reflects on the side of Anna he saw that he says no one else did. No one else except perhaps his good friend Jessica Pressler (Vivian’s character is based on Jessica). He talks about their friendship, his thought process behind Anna’s defense, what he thinks of his portrayal by Arian Moayed, and more. 

Later in the episode, Matt Byrnes takes us inside the courtroom from his perspective, and reveals how the trial impacted the show’s ending. The trial was still ongoing as he and the rest of the writers were scripting the series. He gets into why they chose to make it a true story, “except for all the parts that are entirely made up,” and explains what his and Shonda’s intentions were behind the most crucial moments in the series and the finale.

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow Todd @ToddSpodek on Twitter, and host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor and podcaster Katie Lowes shares her unique casting experience and who she modeled the Rachel DeLoache Williams character off of. Katie tells behind the scenes stories from their time filming in Morocco, and the moment she believes everything changed between Rachel and Anna… it’s probably not what you’d expect. Stacey and Katie also discuss what it would be like owing tens of thousands of dollars, an experience with which Katie IRL is not entirely unfamiliar. 

Katie has been with Shondaland for years, most notably in the role of Quinn Perkins on Scandal. She gives a glimpse inside the legendary storymaking machine and offers some insights into what makes up the Shondaland special sauce, along with her own takeaways from Inventing Anna.

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Stacey talks fashion, character arcs, and process with critically acclaimed costume designer, Lyn Paolo. 

Much of Anna’s mystique comes from her ability to shapeshift, an ability intimately tied to her apparel. Lyn was in charge of recreating all of Anna’s many outfits for the screen. From baby-doll dress to business-chic to trial style, Lyn traces the evolution of Anna’s looks, and explains the unique challenges behind recreating the appearance of a modern day fashionista who Lyn calls a “chameleon.” 

Anna isn’t the only character whose story is reflected in what they wear. The people who get close to Anna in the series are affected by her elevated taste as well. Stacey and Lyn discuss the interaction between character arcs and fashion for Vivian, Rachel, and Alan Reed. 

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow Lyn @lynpaolo and host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stacey hangs out in Scriberia with Anna Deveare Smith (Maud), Jeff Perry (Lou), and Terry Kinney (Barry). 

These three legends of the theater world share about their experience working together on screen for the first time, an experience Anna compares to a jazz trio improvising. They certainly have amazing chemistry and have been warmly received by fans, many of whom claim Scriberia as their favorite part of the show.

We’ll delve deep into how they constructed their characters, key Scriberia moments from the show, the importance of journalism and the written word, and their feelings about Anna Delvey and the impact of the series. 

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna’s former trainer and life coach Kacy Duke divulges what was really behind her hesitation to be in Jessica Pressler’s article, which episode was hardest to watch, and what her entanglement with Anna inspired in her own work as a life coach. She gives the scoop on what the Morocco trip and Anna’s intervention were really like and how her lived experience compares to the show. Expect lots of laughs as Kacy lives up to her “effervescent” reputation (according to Laverne Cox) and delivers some delightfully on-brand inspirational mantras. 

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow Kacy Duke @KacyDuke and host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode, Laverne shares how she stepped into the (tennis) shoes of Anna Delvey’s trainer and life coach, Kacy Duke. Laverne has all kinds of fun stories to tell about how she prepared for the role, like how she had to digitize Kacy’s old fitness workout VHS tapes, and her four hour lunch with Kacy in New York. During that lunch, Kacy told Laverne her entire life story and Laverne found out that they actually have a surprising amount in common, primarily that they are both bad b*****s!! But also that they both have a strong connection to something larger than themselves.  

Stacey and Laverne dig into key Kacy-moments from the show and explore Kacy’s relationship with Anna, Rachel, and Neff. Centered around the series, Laverne explores themes of feminism and solidarity among women. She reflects on Kacy’s life and shares how this role has changed her. 

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. 

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow Laverne Cox @lavernecox and host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode features a conversation with the real Neff Davis, the hotel concierge who befriended Anna Delvey.  

Neff was loyal to Anna throughout the turmoil of her arrest and trial, going so far as to create an Instagram account for Anna’s “trial style.” In this interview, she shares what her thought process was behind creating that account, what it’s been like being a part of the Shondaland production, and so much more. 

Neff and Stacey discuss Neff’s experiences with the fake heiress by reflecting on specific scenes from the show. Neff is still in touch with Anna and she sets the record straight about the nature of their friendship. Finally, Neff shares about her own aspirations as an aspiring filmmaker and where her life is headed now. 

To catch up before you listen, make sure you binge Inventing Anna the series on Netflix now. Please rate, review, subscribe and share Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast with everyone you know. 

Follow host Stacey Wilson Hunt @galinhollywood on Instagram and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast episode we've been wanting to do forever; the definitive guide to Caroline Calloway's rise to fame, subsequent fallout, and iconic place in pop culture as an OG social media scammer is here!
Guest-host Maggie Patterson, fellow podcaster and expert in online scams in business, joins the discussion. We cover so much ground, starting from the beginning; how Caroline's ivy-league fueled childhood led her to Cambridge, where her idyllic 'American abroad at a storied Ivy League Institution' aesthetic combined with long form narrative captions on Instagram gained her followers, fame, and a lucrative book deal.
Like many things we see on social media, all was not as it appears. After losing her book deal, she launches creativity workshops that promise social media branding tutorials, flower crowns, and artisanal salad. If you didn't know who she was yet, this is the point she pinged your cultural radar as journalist Kayleigh Donaldson outs her event as being a total scam in a Twitter thread and subsequent viral article.
We deep dive what the optics of her life looked like to her 800k followers, versus reality, as explored in The Cut's damaging article titled 'I Was Caroline Calloway,' written by former best friend (and as it turns out, writer of much of Caroline's words), Natalie Beach.
While Caroline's story could serve as a cautionary tale to influencers everywhere, we find ourselves wondering...is anyone on social media truly authentic? Whether they are aspirational influencers or relatable best-friend type influencers, they're all trying to sell you something. Caroline's story isn't unique, but leaning into her insta-scam persona and making the grift part of her narrative, is what makes her compelling. We debate whether she's the writer she claims to be, or a cunning performance artist.
Obsessions include Mindy Kaling's brilliant new show 'The Sex Lives of College Girls,' and Sex and the City reboot 'And Just Like That.' Will you ever look at a Peloton the same way?
So much to unpack in this show, buckle up!

We love engaging with listeners, so follow along and let us know what you think on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. If you like the podcast, be sure to subscribe and leave 5 stars, it goes a long way for independent podcasts like this one.
If you'd like to contribute to our 'Buy Me a Coffee' page to show your support, you can find that here.

Helpful links we reference during the show / pop culture homework:

I was Caroline Calloway (Natalie Beach, The Cut)
The Case of Caroline Calloway and her Creativity Workshop Tour (Kayleigh Donaldson, Pajiba)
Caroline Calloway, her "one-woman Fyre Fest," and her ex-best friend Natalie, explained (Constance Grady, Vox)
"I Love Fame": How Caroline Calloway Survived Being Cancelled (Elle Hunt, The Guardian)
Caroline Calloway Isn't a Scammer (Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic)
Caroline Calloway Website

Listen to Maggie's Podcasts:
The BS-Free Service Business
Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business

Happy Halloween! This episode feels appropriately dark enough for Halloween week. French serial killer Marcel Petiot was an evil genius. A master manipulator. And the greatest scam artist we've covered here so far. He likely lied his way into a medical degree. He ended up working at a psychiatric hospital  when he was supposed to be a patient. He collected 100% disability payments while working full time as a doctor while also double charging his patients. He built his practice up by slandering other doctors. He became mayor by sabotaging an opponent's campaign. And he may be France's most prolific serial killer. While he was charged with 27 murders, he killed an unknown amount of people by fabricating a French resistance group during Nazi occupation and tricking people into paying him to help them start new lives in Argentina. But they only ended up in  his murder mansion. Anything else I give away will just spoil this episode! So many twists and turns. So much, "how could this have happened???" This story is a wild one - hope you love it!

Thanks to Bad Magic Patreon supporters, we'll be donating somewhere around $15,600 this month to RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - America's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Call 1-800 656-HOPE if you've been sexually assaulted or to report a sexual assault. The call is confidential. 

To learn more: https://www.rainn.org/

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