2024-08-05
5 分钟What would you do if one handwritten letter from a psychic promised to change your life forever? This is the story of 1 million hopeful Americans, the global scam that took $200m from them, and the mastermind who managed it all by sending out thousands of letters a week. Investigative journalist Rachel Browne exposes the shocking details of this massive scam on this season of Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written - available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey, listeners.
Rachel Brown here, host of the latest series that just dropped on the Binge channel.
Smoke the greatest scam ever written.
And if you're a subscriber to the binge, you can listen to all episodes ad free today.
Imagine you receive a handwritten letter in the mail.
It's from a stranger named Maria Duvall, an alleged world renowned psychic.
She says that although she doesn't know you, she felt compelled to write you this letter.
She claims she can help you attain what you've always wanted.
It's just within reach, and all you have to do is send $59 in return.
But you'd soon find out you're not the only one to receive one of these mysterious letters.
With this letter, you would become part of one of the biggest scams in history.
Join me this season as we track down the mastermind and expose the inner workings behind this worldwide scheme that affected over 1.5 million million people in America and millions more around the globe, taking more than $200 million from its victims.
Who is this mysterious Maria Duvall?
Does she really even exist?
Or is there someone or something bigger at play?
That's what we're going to find out on smokescreen.
The greatest scam ever written.
Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Here's a sneak peek.
If somebody says the right words, promises the right things, anybody can become a victim.