Brian Brushwood (Scam School, Modern Rogue, Scam Nation) brings you the hidden stories behind the most audacious con jobs, swindles and heists in history. Email the show at Worlds Greatest Con at Gmail dot comSupport us directly at Patreon dot com slash Greatest Con Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
What this show covers
historical mysteryfinancial fraudPonzi schemescrime historyCharles PonziscamsfloodsSan Diego historyfraud or beliefweathermedia frenzyimpostorsEnglandsocial deceptionLive podcast
What listeners will find here
How Charles Ponzi turned one fraud into the blueprint for every scam after it
Charles Ponzi is the subject here, with Brian tracing how a poor boy from Italy became the namesake for modern financial fraud. The episode looks at what Ponzi actually did, why it stood out, and why his name still defines scams more than a century later.
A drought, a rainmaker, and the storm that nearly drowned San Diego
This episode follows 1915 San Diego as Charles Hatfield promises rain through a secret chemical process just as the city faces a make-or-break moment. When the rain comes and keeps coming, the story turns into a deadly question about belief, fraud, and responsibility.
A shipwrecked princess or a brilliant fraud? The strange rise of Caraboo
Princess Caraboo follows a mysterious woman who appears in rural England speaking an unknown language and claiming to be kidnapped royalty from a distant island. As doctors, newspapers, and high society embrace the tale, the episode leans into the uncertainty of who is deceiving whom.
A live CSICon conversation revisits the lessons and legacy of Project Alpha
Project Alpha takes center stage as Brian, Mike Edwards, and Banachek return to the Mac Lab for a live discussion at CSICon 2026 in Buffalo. It looks like a stage-side conversation aimed at unpacking a famous skeptical case with people closely tied to it.
Mary Baker’s mask slips, and Princess Caraboo’s story turns tragic
Mary Baker reemerges from the Princess Caraboo fantasy as her real past comes into view. This episode shifts the story from eccentric hoax to painful survival tale, while building toward Mrs. Worrall’s response to the deception.
Episodes
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