Queen of the Con

iHeartPodcasts and AYR Media

Professionalathletes have a limited window where they can rake in millions of dollars. And they are constantly surrounded by an impenetrable wall of agents, lawyers and managers - all tasked with keeping them safe and earning big. But con artist Peggy Fulford figures out an unlikely way to slip through that protective wall. And she convinces the likes of NBA star Dennis Rodman and NFL star Ricky Williams to give her control of their finances. They thought she was making savvy investments for them to create generational wealth. But in reality, she was robbing them blind.. And the only thing she ever really created were unbelievable stories to explain everything away.

read less

Our Editor's Take

Con artists have always been trying to separate people from their hard-earned money. Queen of the Con is a podcast that exposes some of the most notorious female tricksters in recent memory.

Johnathan Walton, host of Queen of the Con, came to start this project for personal reasons. Walton is a reality show producer who has worked on well-known television shows. These include American Ninja Warrior and Shark Tank. Before that, he was an award-winning TV news reporter.

Walton found himself having to put his investigative skills to good use. One day, he woke up and discovered that Marianne "Mair" Smyth had run off with his life savings. Yet she was Walton's best friend. Feeling betrayed, he set out to investigate who this woman was in reality and fight for justice. Her story is the first season of Queen of the Con.

There are three seasons of Queen of the Con available for listeners to explore. The first focuses on Walton's quest to find Smyth, who went by the nickname "The Irish Heiress." She stole large sums of money during her criminal career.

The second season of Queen of the Con focuses on a woman in Southern California named Lizzie Mulder. Mulder pretended to be a financial professional to fit in with the other wealthy residents of the area. But Mulder had no professional finance background at all. It would not be long before she soon ended up on the radar of a dedicated police detective.

The third season talks about Danielle Miller. The native New Yorker came from a wealthy family. Yet she still ended up attempting to rip off the federal government.

Additional seasons will explore other con women. Walton said he's received many tips on other con women since he started doing the podcast.

Queen of the Con is a thrilling view of how people can use some of their best traits - trust and empathy - against one another.

read less

True CrimeTrue Crime

Play Trailer

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress

After four years, you think you know someone. But what if you woke up one day to discover that your best friend is an international con artist – and that she’s scammed you out of your life savings? That’s what happened to Johnathan Walton, and he’s been out to set the record straight and protect future victims of his one-time best friend, Marianne Smyth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 5

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Athlete Whisperer

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Athlete Whisperer

Professional athletes have a limited window where they can rake in millions of dollars. And they are constantly surrounded by an impenetrable wall of agents, lawyers and managers - all tasked with keeping them safe and earning big. But con artist Peggy Fulford figures out an unlikely way to slip through that protective wall. And she convinces the likes of NBA star Dennis Rodman and NFL star Ricky Williams to give her control of their finances. They thought she was making savvy investments for them to create generational wealth. But in reality, she was robbing them blind... And the only thing she ever really created were unbelievable stories to explain everything away.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep.1, Call Me Raquel

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep.1, Call Me Raquel

Though he's been retired from the NBA for years, Dennis Rodman still has millions of dollars coming in back in 2009 - from doing lucrative public appearances and movies & TV shows. Rodman is living in South Florida at the time, when all of a sudden an attractive blonde he meets on trendy South Beach convinces him to let her handle his finances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 2, Victoria Secret

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 2, Victoria Secret

Dennis Rodman refuses to believe he's being scammed. But when his child support payments suddenly stop for unknown reasons, Rodman's attorney puts him on the stand and tricks him into seeing the truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 3, She Was a Cougar

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 3, She Was a Cougar

NBA Shooting Guard Rashad McCants gets sucked into Peggy's world of opulence and perceived financial opportunity. But when his debit card gets declined at the local donut shop one day, he discovers his bank account is actually bone dry. And Peggy is not returning his calls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep.4, She is a Perfect Actor

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep.4, She is a Perfect Actor

NFL Running Back Ricky Willians knows Peggy for 5 years before he hires her as his financial manager. But after driving a wedge between Ricky's wife and his childhood friend, Peggy unknowingly orchestrates the beginning of her end.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 5, Deceit from the Very Beginning

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 5, Deceit from the Very Beginning

As soon as it appears justice is coming for Peggy, she seemingly slips away. Again. But how long can her good fortune last? This might very well be the beginning of the end for con artist Peggy Ann Fulforfd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 6, They Know Where the Money Went

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 6, They Know Where the Money Went

While Peggy's scam for sympathy backfires spectacularly, she still crafts a clever way to walk free. It turns out Peggy Fulford is as adept at manipulating the criminal justice system as she is at tricking her victims out of millions of dollars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 7, Hide Your Money and Your Old Rich Men

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 7, Hide Your Money and Your Old Rich Men

Television producer Andrena Hale shares her personal experience with Peggy. From Peggy allegedly scamming drug dealers on the streets of New Orleans to where Peggy claims all those millions she stole from professional athletes actually went.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 4

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Unreal Housewife

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Unreal Housewife

Bravo’s Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah appears to have it all. Beauty. Money. Power. Fame. But appearances are deceiving because this outspoken reality star is actually a professional con artist - amassing millions of dollars over the years by swindling thousands of victims across the country. Her scams are as sophisticated as they are cruel. And she cleverly and successfully manages to distance herself from her crimes - for years. Hear from her childhood friends, her former neighbor, her employees, her victims and from the federal agent responsible for ultimately figuring her out and toppling her house of cards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 1, I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off Her

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 1, I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off Her

Jen Shah grew up as an outcast in Provo, Utah. Being of Hawaiian and Tongan descent, her darker skin and exotic features made her a target for ridicule. But a former classmate comes forward to explain the spectacular metamorphosis she witnessed, as Jen Shah went from social pariah to the most popular girl in high school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 2, I'm Making Money on Every Click

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 2, I'm Making Money on Every Click

Jen Shah’s personal designer paints a disturbing picture of the abuse he suffered working for the Real Housewife. He lived in her home. And witnessed things he now realizes were all signs of an elaborate con. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 3, Sunk Cost Fallacy

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 3, Sunk Cost Fallacy

When Jen Shah drops out of college, she starts working in the telemarketing industry. And it's not long until she aligns herself with a clutch of unsavory companies that start racking up thousands of complaints from customers who claim they were scammed, setting the stage for an all new complex framework of cons down the road.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 4, Everything Just Seemed Legit

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 4, Everything Just Seemed Legit

An internet savvy 38 year old woman gets tricked out of $30,000 by Jen Shah’s flimflam machine through a fantastical series of elaborate stories and lures - playing hard on the woman’s deep seated desires and dreams.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 5, You Have a Right to Shut the Fu*& Up

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 5, You Have a Right to Shut the Fu*& Up

Jen Shah pulls out all the stops to convince a judge to let her go. She claims she was never read her Miranda rights properly. She says a Hulu documentary destroyed her chances of a fair trial. She says she never did anything wrong anyways and that her unscrupulous business partners are the ones to blame for the multi-million dollar scams. But will a seasoned federal judge buy anything Jen Shah is selling?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 6, Look Bitch, I’m Doing You a Favor

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 6, Look Bitch, I’m Doing You a Favor

The contents of Jen Shah’s many cell phones go public and completely contradict every single statement she ever made about her case, about her business and about her life. Suddenly the walls start closing in and Jen Shah is left with only one choice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 7, Jen Shah and the Dropout

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 7, Jen Shah and the Dropout

Jen Shah and Dropout Elizabeth Holmes wind up in the same Federal prison in Bryan, Texas. And while both women appear to be guilty of the same types of crimes are they actually the same kind of criminal? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 8, Jen Shah - An intersection of True Crime & Reality TV

The Unreal Housewife: Ep. 8, Jen Shah - An intersection of True Crime & Reality TV

Right now, Jen Shah is reinventing herself in prison and making plans for a bright future. Veteran Housewives producer Carlos King and Bravo guru Kate Casey talk about the strange times we’re living in, where True Crime and Reality Television are blurring into one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 3

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Rich Girl

Trailer: Queen of the Con: The Rich Girl

Danielle Miller lived a privileged ‘Gossip Girl’ lifestyle growing up in Manhattan and attending a fancy private school. Her mom was a Rockette; her dad was president of the New York Bar Association. But a cruel twist of fate and vengeance drastically and irrevocably altered her childhood, leading her to a life of scamming. Starting with her “Rod Stewart” con at the age of 16… she’s now got a rap sheet longer than a CVS receipt and is awaiting federal trial for trying to scam nearly a million dollars from Uncle Sam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rich Girl: Ep. 1, The Brazilian Butt Lift

The Rich Girl: Ep. 1, The Brazilian Butt Lift

Federal agents arrest Danielle Miller at her luxury apartment in Miami, where she’s recovering from Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery. She’s accused of trying to scam a million dollars from the Federal Government using a sophisticated system of lies, impersonations and unparalleled braggadocio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rich Girl: Ep. 2, Swiffer Girl

The Rich Girl: Ep. 2, Swiffer Girl

Danielle’s embarrassing childhood mistake has profound repercussions on the rest of her life. Some say it’s what turned her into a con artist. She goes on to scam a Manhattan medical spa out of thousands of dollars while convincingly pleading to anyone who will listen, “That was not me.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.