S16 E1: Season 16 Preview

[0] Wondry Plus subscribers can listen to something was wrong early and ad -free right now.

[1] Join Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.

[2] I'm Dan Tversky.

[3] In 2011, something strange began to happen at a high school in upstate New York.

[4] A mystery illness, bizarre symptoms, and spreading fast.

[5] What's the answer?

[6] And what do you do if they tell you it's all in your head?

[7] Hysterical.

[8] A new podcast from Wondry and Pineapple Street Studios.

[9] Binge all episodes of hysterical early and ad -free on Wondery Plus.

[10] All right, so today is May 4th, 2021, and yesterday I got a copy of my father's appeal, and it covers a bunch of information of his crimes that I don't know about, because I've, I've never really looked into any of this.

[11] So I finally feel like maybe I'm ready.

[12] You explaining to me what happened to you, them tossing your room, tossing your whole house, looking for whatever evidence, and you not really understanding what the whole deal was about, just knowing that your dad had done something again.

[13] He was like, I had lunch with his dad.

[14] He literally was sitting there with me, got a phone call from the attorneys, and then just left, and that was the last time he saw him and talked to him and never heard from him again.

[15] She got mad.

[16] She grabbed me by the back of the head, and she slammed my head into the sidewalk in front of the house.

[17] She would be banging on the door, open this fucking door, open this fucking door right now.

[18] And I would be screaming, no, please, do not make, please, please, please, please, please, please, don't make me open the door.

[19] They arrested him for elder abuse.

[20] Among other charges, it was fraud and financial abuse of the elderly.

[21] There was many times in my life where she made sure I knew you're not the daughter that I wanted.

[22] I wanted a better daughter, a skinnier daughter, and you fucked it all up, basically, by being who you are instead of what I wanted.

[23] I also remember feeling like, fuck, I worked for him.

[24] Am I going to be arrested?

[25] Am I going to be charged with these same things that he did, even though I literally had no idea what was going on?

[26] I just remember being very scared of that.

[27] I am realizing there's so much I don't know.

[28] There's so much I've never looked at about the cases, about my dad.

[29] And like, fuck, dude.

[30] Once I read, what your dad was charged with, I realized pretty much everything he told me revolving around the business was all lies.

[31] After fleeing my dad's business partner, going to prison, who my mother would later claim was a member of the mafia, and then told me that she suspected that Uncle Steve was, quote, taken out.

[32] Drove so wasted with us in the car, I thought I was going to die so many times.

[33] Friday.

[34] May 14th, 2021.

[35] I am, for the first time, walking to the scene where my brother was murdered.

[36] He was like, wait, who are you affiliated with?

[37] And I was like, well, Bobby's sister, he was like, I didn't even know he had a sister.

[38] Oh my God.

[39] What the fuck?

[40] I explained.

[41] I was like, Tiffany and I worked together.

[42] She has worked so hard to help other victims tell their stories.

[43] I think she's finally in this space.

[44] She's healing further in this process.

[45] I think it would be very cathartic to talk to him.

[46] So next thing I know, here comes squad cars from every direction.

[47] Came out with a gun's drawn.

[48] Came up to him, picked him up, and shot him point blank.

[49] His partner came.

[50] And he said, hey, partner, he did it.

[51] Good job.

[52] Good job, partner.

[53] Imagine that?

[54] Imagine somebody saying that after they murdered somebody?

[55] If you like something was wrong, you can listen early and ad -free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[56] Prime members can listen ad -free on Amazon music.

[57] Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at Wondery .com slash survey.

[58] Scammers are best known for living the high life until they're forced to trade it all.

[59] in for handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit once they're finally caught.

[60] I'm Sachi Cole.

[61] And I'm Sarah Haggy.

[62] And we're the host of scam influencers, a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of some of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims and what's left once the facade falls away.

[63] We've covered stories like a Shark Tank certified entrepreneur who left the show with an investment, but soon faced mounting bills, an active lawsuit followed by Larry King, and no real product to push.

[64] He then began to prey on vulnerable women instead, selling the idea of a future together while stealing from them behind their backs.

[65] To the infamous scams of Real Housewives stars like Teresa Judice, what should have proven to be a major downfall only seemed to solidify her place in the Real Housewives Hall of Fame.

[66] Follow Scamfluencers on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[67] You can listen to Scamfluencers early and ad -free right now on Wondry Plus.