Queen of the Con

iHeartPodcasts and AYR Media

From her Southern California mansion on a hill, Michelle Mack sends out a team of 12 young women that authorities call 'The California Girls' to steal millions of dollars in merchandise from high-end stores all over the country. Her neighbors think she's in the wedding business but in reality, she's a true Queen of the Con, raking in millions of dollars by selling her stolen loot on Amazon. And she's been getting away with it all for more than 10 years. But one of her California Girls is turning on her and things are about to get really interesting.

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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.

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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 6

Trailer: Queen of the Con - Season 6 - The California Girls

Trailer: Queen of the Con - Season 6 - The California Girls

From her sprawling Southern California mansion, Michelle Mack sends her team of 12 women - who authorities call 'The California Girls' - all over the country to steal tons of merchandise that she then sells on Amazon for millions of dollars. Though by day she hides her criminal lifestyle in plain sight, renting out her lavish hilltop mansion as a wedding venue. But this Queen of the Con's days are numbered and Johnathan Walton is there to see it all come crashing down around her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 1, Another Bougie Woman Shopping for Makeup

The California Girls: Ep. 1, Another Bougie Woman Shopping for Makeup

In a dramatic early morning raid on Michelle Mack's Tuscan style mansion, this mother of three gets taken into custody in front of all her neighbors. And what investigators find hiding in her four car garage forever seals her fate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 2, I Don't Sh*t Where I Eat

The California Girls: Ep. 2, I Don't Sh*t Where I Eat

Johnathan embarks on his own quest to hire a professional shoplifter and gets a foothold into a secret world costing retailers $120 billion a year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 3, Reverse Shopping

The California Girls: Ep. 3, Reverse Shopping

Professional shoplifter 'Susan' can make as much as $1K a day driving from store to store stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise for the Michelle Mack's of the world. But could Susan actually be a victim of human trafficking?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 4, She May Have Stolen Half My Wedding Cake

The California Girls: Ep. 4, She May Have Stolen Half My Wedding Cake

Michelle Mack hosts weddings at both her sprawling mansions for rock bottom prices. But one bride is still paying for it, all in ways she could have never imagined.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 5, Did You Get Some New Girls?

The California Girls: Ep. 5, Did You Get Some New Girls?

The criminal case against Michelle Mack is released to the public. And the contents of her cell phone could end up putting her away for a very long time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 6, You Look Like a Lebanese Gigolo

The California Girls: Ep. 6, You Look Like a Lebanese Gigolo

Johnathan goes undercover to investigate Michelle Mack's mansion. But police send Jonathan and his buddy Evan running for their freedom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 7, We Definitely Play Mind Games

The California Girls: Ep. 7, We Definitely Play Mind Games

A veteran loss prevention officer goes rogue and reveals the truly dark side of policing professional shoplifters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The California Girls: Ep. 8, Don't Steal in Seal

The California Girls: Ep. 8, Don't Steal in Seal

Sergeant Jordan Mirakian was set up by a fellow officer and drummed out of the police force. And it plunged him into the world of loss prevention and forever changed the trajectory of his life.See 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 Williams 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.

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 8, It's a Very Crazy Family

The Athlete Whisperer: Ep. 8, It's a Very Crazy Family

A series of crazy lawsuits and appeals filed by Peggy's son Elkin against Peggy's ex-husband for the most bizarre reasons is unearthed and analyzed.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.