Scam City

Question of the scam: We all have a friend who seems to know someone who knows someone. So imagine that your homegirl presents you the opportunity to “win” a contest for a million dollars. You have to decide three things: do you do it, yes or no?

Do you take your money upfront in a lump sum or in small payments of $50,000/yr for 20 years? Finally, do you pay the $50,000 finders fee she’s demanding to her and all of the “someones” involved upfront or ask that you have a year to pay them back?

Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game - How Jerome "Uncle Jerry" Jacobson McScammed $24 Million from McDonald's Monopoly 

In March of 2019, the internet was #SurvivingCardiB. The hashtag, an obvious play on Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docu-series, was in response to an old video of Cardi admitting to drugging and robbing men back in her dancing days as a means of survival. Before the cancel could set in, a bunch of people said that Cardi’s behavior, while not ok, wasn’t in the same strastophere as R. Kelly’s crimes and that other dancers did this too. 

Unbeknownst to your sisters in scam, they were right - other dancers have done this too. Rosie Keo and Samantha Barbash not only drugged men to rob them, but created an empire out of it. A 2015 article for The Cut broke down the story and inspired the new Hustler’s movie - due out in September of this year. But before we get into the movie (where CONSTANCE WU IS GOING TO PLAY A DANCER!), let’s talk about the story itself. 

This week we talk about about the women behind the Hustlers scam, our predictions about the film (CARDI, J.LO, LIZZO, AGAIN, CONSTANCE WU) and more! 

Cassandra's Overall Scam Score: 3

Taylor's Overall Scam Score: 2

Hustler content 

With her oversized black sunglasses, Supreme athleisure, and Rimowa suitcase, Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin) posed a German heiress and scammed hoteliers, influencers, NYC elite, and the damn SWISS BANK in order to social climb in Manhattan.

Landing in 'Merica at the age of 28, Sorokin, the daughter of a former truck driver from Russia, migrated from Germany to the United States in 2014. After her arrival, she got a little creative with her backstory and recreated her entire identity, claiming to be a wealthy socialite,  and the daughter of an oil baron...or a diplomat, depending on who asked. She got in with the NYC elite socialite scene and scored even more investment and clout by pretending to raise money to startup her own artsy social club. Anna was kicked out of the NYC scene and thrown into Rikers when her lies finally caught up to her, and her inner circle began to discover that the German heiress was really a broke scammer with good fashion taste. Delvey is now serving 4-12 years in jail and will be deported after her release. Both Lena Dunham and Shonda Rimes are creating shows based on Delvey's hot girl summer. 

This week we talk about about Delvey's whirlwind summer, the trip that cost her everything (and by her, we mean her friend who was left with the bill) and her infamous courtroom looks. 

Cassandra's Overall Scam Score: 2 

Taylor's Overall Scam Score: 2.6

Anna Delvey content 

At the age of 19, Elizabeth Holmes promised to disrupt the multibillion-dollar blood testing industry with her revolutionary finger-prick tests. The flashy Board! The turtle necks! The deep voice! The generational white wealth! It all helped to create a facade that at the age of 19, while most of us were playing flip cup and making questionable decisions, Holmes had created a device that would undercut blood testing costs and deliver results to sick people in seconds...except she didn't.  The $8 billion company had 800 employees and was operating in Walgreens stores in Phoenix when John Carreyrou's whistleblowing piece in the Wall Street Journal outed Theranos as imaginary technology that was never fully functioning. Pretty much...it was a toy. A fancy toy! 

This week we talk about about how the Stanford drop out scammed her way through the highest ranks of Palo Alto,  raised billions, locked in a Board made up with of Apple execs and a Secretary of State, all to later be outed as a liar with a made up machine. Holmes is currently being charged with  nine counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and face fines of $250k and 20 years in prison. 

Cassandra's Overall Scam Score: 0.33

Taylor's Overall Scam Score: 1 

More Theranos content we cited in this episode