Episode 34 - Miss Cleo + Victor Lustig Artwork

Unscrupulous

The podcast where two true crime nerds laugh their way through tales of underhanded dealings, amoral acts, and unsavoury characters where all of the victims stay alive to tell their tale.Join Adam (he/him) and Bec (they/them) each episode as they explore stories where no one needs to determine a cause of death. With zero expertise or insider knowledge these two pals who grew up too scared to break any rules for themselves are now anxious adults with a deep obsession for the twisted and weird but who need a break from actual murder.

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Unscrupulous

Episode 34 - Miss Cleo + Victor Lustig

May 10, 2023 • Episode 34

First Bec (they/them) takes us back to the 90's, and the most famous late night tv psychic Miss Cleo. Equipped with Miss Cleo's melodic invitation to "call me now", the Psychic Readers Network convinced thousands of people to reach out for cosmic support, but they weren't exactly crystal clear with how much they were actually charging callers. Some questions seem to remain unanswered though, like how culpable is Miss Cleo herself? And how much does she believe herself to be an authentic soothe sayer?

Next Adam (he/him) introduces us to Victor Lustig, a man so charismatic he tricked someone into thinking they were buying the Eiffel Tower ... twice. A man so comfortable with his con that he took it to the high seas. Travelling all over the world, and despite incredibly identifiable physical features, he was able to embody anyone he needed to, to get what he wanted from people, which was usually just lots and lots of money.

Bec's Sources:

Adam's Sources:

Smithsonian - The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

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