| Swindled | |
| Hosting: | "A Concerned Citizen" |
| Language: | English |
| Audio Format: | Podcast |
| Provider: | Independent |
| Num Seasons: | 7 |
| Num Episodes: | 105 |
| Length: | 40–80 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Genre: | True crime |
Swindled is an American true crime podcast written and hosted by an anonymous man that uses the pseudonym "A Concerned Citizen".[1] The scripted series explores the world of white-collar crime, con artists, and corporate greed.[2]
In a Q&A with BBC News, the anonymous host, a former government worker with a background in graphic design and audio production,[3] claimed the inception of the podcast was motivated by the immorality of a "capitalistic culture".[4] According to the Tampa Bay Times, "A Concerned Citizen" created Swindled after failing to find an existing podcast on similar topics. The host explained to MEL Magazine that the underlying theme in all of the episodes is greed and a "social culture that values getting rich as quick as possible."[5]
Each episode begins with a prelude story to the main subject, followed by the theme music consisting of stringed and brass instruments, and then a structured narrative interspersed with archival audio, suspenseful scoring, and dry humor.[6]
In addition to the writing, research, and audio production, "A Concerned Citizen" creates all of the visual artwork for the podcast.[7] The show's music is written and performed by multi-instrumentalist Trevor Harte Howard using the moniker "Deformr".[8]
Since its inception, Swindled has remained independent of podcasting networks.[9] The podcast's advertising sales are supported by AdLarge Media based in New York, New York.[10]
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lucky Winner | Eddie Tipton | Triple Six Fix | January 7, 2018 | |
| 2 | The Horse Queen | Rita Crundwell | Trust, but verify | January 7, 2018 | |
| 3 | The Treasure Hunter | Tommy Thompson | Fenn treasure | January 7, 2018 | |
| 4 | The Canal | Love Canal | Denney Farm Chemical Spill | January 21, 2018 | |
| 5 | The Delivery Man | Brian Wells | Mosman bomb hoax | February 4, 2018 | |
| 6 | The Contraceptive | Dalkon Shield | Nelson Pill Hearings | February 18, 2018 | |
| 7 | The Treasurer | Budd Dwyer | Paul Powell | March 4, 2018 | |
| 8 | The Impostor | Jimmy Sabatino | William Douglas Street Jr. | March 18, 2018 | |
| 9 | The Leak | Bhopal Gas Disaster | 1985 Institute, West Virginia Union Carbide Plant Leak | April 1, 2018 | |
| 10 | The Judges | Kids for Cash | Greg Skrepenak | April 15, 2018 | |
| 11 | The Hitman | Frank Howard | Jeffrey Locker | April 29, 2018 | |
| 12 | The Televangelist | Jim Bakker | Peter Popoff | May 13, 2018 | |
| 13 | The Pharma Bro | Martin Shkreli | Valeant Pharmaceuticals | May 28, 2018 | |
| 14 | The Association | FIFA | Colin Fowles | June 14, 2018 | |
| 15 | The Gigolo | Richard Bailey | Tommy "The Sandman" Burns | July 1, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Canoe Man | John Darwin | David Friedland | September 9, 2018 | |
| 2 | The Lawsuit | McDonald's Hot Coffee | Bigbee v. Pacific Telephone and Telegraph | September 23, 2018 | |
| 3 | The Tycoon | Allen Stanford | Michael Marin | October 7, 2018 | |
| 4 | The Fyre Festival | Billy McFarland | Lapland New Forest | October 21, 2018 | |
| 5 | The Hostage | Tony Kiritsis | Clay Allen Duke | November 4, 2018 | |
| 6 | The Contestant | Charles Ingram | Michael Larson | November 18, 2018 | |
| 7 | The Psychic | Sylvia Browne | Miss Cleo | December 2, 2018 | |
| 8 | The Deputy | Frankie Bybee | Charles "Joe" Gliniewicz | December 16, 2018 | |
| 9 | The Mogul | Lou Pearlman | Alan Bond | January 6, 2019 | |
| 10 | The Formula | Nestlé Boycott of 1977 | Chinese Baby Milk Scandal | January 20, 2019 | |
| 11 | The Body Snatcher | Michael Mastromarino | Tri-State Crematory | February 3, 2019 | |
| 12 | The Mayor | Kwame Kilpatrick | Murder of Tamara Greene | February 17, 2019 | |
| 13 | The Sting | Abscam | Mel Weinberg | March 2, 2019 | |
| 14 | The Downline | Herbalife | Glenn W. Turner | March 17, 2019 | |
| 15 | The Producer | Joe Francis | Bumfights | April 1, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Socialite | Anna Delvey | Kari Ferrell | July 7, 2019 | |
| 2 | The Match | Simon Leviev | Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto | July 21, 2019 | |
| 3 | The Implants | Poly Implant Prothèse | Dow Corning | August 4, 2019 | |
| 4 | The Tour | Jered Threatin | Milli Vanilli | August 18, 2019 | |
| 5 | The Whistleblower | Karen Silkwood | Robert S. Kerr | August 31, 2019 | |
| 6 | The Fundraiser | Johnny Bobbit Jr. | Ginny Irovando Long | September 14, 2019 | |
| 7 | The Survivor | Tania Head | Fred Parisi | September 28, 2019 | |
| 8 | The Family Business | Doug Pielsticker | Falcon Transport | October 13, 2019 | |
| 9 | The Madam | Deborah Jeane Palfrey | Kristin M. Davis | October 27, 2019 | |
| 10 | The Mine | Crandall Canyon Mine | Sago Mine | November 10, 2019 | |
| 11 | The GPO Girl | Samantha Azzopardi | Guerdwich Montimere | November 24, 2019 | |
| 12 | The Revenger | Hunter Moore | Kevin Bollaert | December 8, 2019 | |
| 13 | The Sultan | Anthony Gignac | Coingate | December 22, 2019 | |
| 14 | The Raid | Agriprocessors | Swift & Co. | January 12, 2020 | |
| 15 | The Switch | Flint Water Crisis | Lead contamination in Washington, D.C. drinking water | January 26, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Gamechanger | Belle Gibson | Jess Ainscough | May 10, 2020 | |
| 2 | The Pope | Dan Johnson | Dan Johnson | May 24, 2020 | |
| 3 | The Grant | Scott Westerhuis | Steven Sueppel | June 7, 2020 | |
| 4 | The Genius | Martin Frankel | Thomas Quinn | June 21, 2020 | |
| 5 | The Octopus | United Fruit Company/Chiquita | Dole Food Company | July 5, 2020 | |
| 6 | The Vigilante | Pat Johnson | July 19, 2020 | ||
| 7 | The Referee | Joe Gagliano | August 3, 2020 | ||
| 8 | The Treatment | Ryan White | August 16, 2020 | ||
| 9 | The Barefoot Bandit | Joshua Paul Calhoun | August 30, 2020 | ||
| 10 | The I.M.O.M. | John Chardon | September 12, 2020 | ||
| 11 | The Space Program | Vladimir Komarov | September 27, 2020 | ||
| 12 | The Saint | Kevin Malarkey | October 11, 2020 | ||
| 13 | The Pitchman | Doug Grant | October 25, 2020 | ||
| 14 | The Downfall | Raymond Roth | November 8, 2020 | ||
| 15 | The Spill | Ixtoc I | November 22, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Atheist | Madalyn Murray O'Hair | Engel v. Vitale | April 11, 2021 | |
| 2 | The Well | Walkerton E. coli outbreak | Washington County Fair | April 25, 2021 | |
| 3 | The Bishop | John P. Tomkins | Luke Helder | May 9, 2021 | |
| 4 | The Ivy Leaguer | Esther Reed | James Hogue | May 23, 2021 | |
| 5 | The Bakery | Sandy Jenkins | Alvin Kennard | June 6, 2021 | |
| 6 | The Brand | Procter & Gamble | Fenholloway River | June 20, 2021 | |
| 7 | The Patriarch | Anthony Todt | John Chairmonte | July 4, 2021 | |
| 8 | The Ghost Writer | Anthony Godby Johnson | New Horizons Youth Ministries | July 18, 2021 | |
| 9 | The Scheme | Bernie Madoff | Samuel Israel III | August 29, 2021 | |
| 10 | The Outbreak | Peanut Corporation of America | Jensen Farms | September 12, 2021 | |
| 11 | The Inferno | The Station nightclub fire | E2 nightclub stampede | September 28, 2021 | |
| 12 | The Killdozer | Marvin Heemeyer | Thomas Leask | October 12, 2021 | |
| 13 | The Salesman | William J. McCorkle | Charles J. Givens | October 25, 2021 | |
| 14 | The OB/GYN | Javaid Perwaiz | Roger Beyer | November 11, 2021 | |
| 15 | The Explosion | 2020 Beirut explosion | West Fertilizer Company explosion | December 6, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Vegan | Sarma Melngailis | PlantLab | March 16, 2022 | |
| 2 | The Pioneer | uBiome | Khalid Satary | April 3, 2022 | |
| 3 | The Verrückt | Schlitterbahn | Tyre Sampson | April 17, 2022 | |
| 4 | The Rockefeller | Christian Gerhartsreiter | Christophe Rocancourt | May 8, 2022 | |
| 5 | The Standoff | Ed & Elaine Brown | Montana Freemen | May 23, 2022 | |
| 6 | The Crusader | Nicholas Alahverdian | Michelle Rothgeb | June 5, 2022 | |
| 7 | The Perfect Trigger | Remington Arms | Henry Gordy Intl. | June 21, 2022 | |
| 8 | The Troubadour | Mark Leonard | Richmond, Indiana explosion | July 5, 2022 | |
| 9 | The Body Broker | Megan Hess | Arthur Rathburn | August 8, 2022 | |
| 10 | The Creamery | Blue Bell | Big Olaf | August 22, 2022 | |
| 11 | The Wagon | Richard Scrushy | Don Siegelman | September 19, 2022 | |
| 12 | The Label | Johnson & Johnson | DePuy | October 6, 2022 | |
| 13 | The Liability | Johnson & Johnson | Ethicon | October 23, 2022 | |
| 14 | The Crocodile | Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein | Alphabay | November 10, 2022 | |
| 15 | The Relief | Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane Betsy | December 7, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Balloon Boy | Richard Heene | Lawn Chair Larry | March 16, 2023 | |
| 2 | The Phantom | Imperial Food Products | Triangle Waist Company | April 2, 2023 | |
| 3 | The Teenager | Malachi Love-Robinson | Matthew Scheidt | April 17, 2023 | |
| 4 | The Messenger | Kevin Trudeau | Hooked on Phonics | May 1, 2023 | |
| 5 | The Captive | SeaWorld | Free Willy-Keiko | May 22, 2023 | |
| 6 | The Islanders | John Spano | William "Boots" Del Biaggio III | June 7, 2023 | |
| 7 | The Jeweler | Nicolas Shaughnessy | Erik Charles Maund | June 25, 2023 | |
| 8 | The Lottery Lawyer | Jason Kurland | Billie Bob Harrell Jr. | July 11, 2023 | |
| 9 | The Skywalks | Hyatt Regency Disaster | FIU Bridge Collapse | August 2, 2023 | |
| 10 | The Side Door | Operation Varsity Blues | Wintercap SA | August 31, 2023 | |
| 11 | The Missing | Melissa Caddick | Brad Sherwin | September 22, 2023 | |
| 12 | The Other Woman | Vicki Morgan | Bernie Cornfeld | October 17, 2023 | |
| 13 | The Nose Doctor | Mark Weinberger | Philip Gabriele | November 4, 2023 | |
| 14 | The Kepone Shakes | Life Science Products | Chlordecone | November 26, 2023 | |
| 15 | The Monopoly | Pacific Gas & Electric | San Bruno pipeline explosion | December 25, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Prelude | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Tornado | Kim Neiman | The Pilger Twins | March 17, 2024 | |
| 2 | The Technology | Real Water | Elizabeth Helgelien | March 31, 2024 | |
| 3 | The Commander | Bobby C. Thompson | Kevin White | April 14, 2024 | |
| 4 | The Machine | Tyson Foods | Cody Easterday | April 30, 2024 | |
| 5 | The Mess | Eric C. Conn | Puerto Rico disability fraud ring | May 14, 2024 | |
| 6 | The Embattled | Jasiel Correia | Dianne Wilkerson | May 30, 2024 | |
| 7 | The Sugarpit | Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse | Ottawa Bluesfest stage collapse | June 14, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Subject | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Promotion | McDonalds Monopoly | December 27, 2017 | |
| 2 | The Reef | Osborne Reef | December 27, 2017 | |
| 3 | The Fire | Marc Thompson | January 28, 2018 | |
| 4 | The Mortician | Jean Crump | March 6, 2018 | |
| 5 | The Homemaker | Martha Stewart | April 25, 2018 | |
| 6 | The Pole Saw | David Player and Gerald "Trey" Hardin | June 4, 2018 | |
| 7 | The Refugee | Wyclef Jean | July 22, 2018 | |
| 8 | The Tree Farm | Rachel Lee | December 8, 2018 | |
| 9 | The Convention | DashCon | January 27, 2019 | |
| 10 | The Boner King | Enzyte | March 6, 2019 | |
| 11 | The Vendor | Vendstar | May 1, 2019 | |
| 12 | The Portofino Pirate | Larissa Watson | May 14, 2019 | |
| 13 | The Chess Champion | Paul Charles Dozsa | June 24, 2019 | |
| 14 | The Conductor | Kyle Sandler | August 19, 2019 | |
| 15 | The Bookkeeper | Kim Williams | October 6, 2019 | |
| 16 | The Puppeteer | Natalia Burgess | November 14, 2019 | |
| 17 | The Promotion [Redux] | McDonalds Monopoly | January 5, 2020 | |
| 18 | The Neighbor | Carla Jones | March 3, 2020 | |
| 19 | VN4VL: Democracy Manifest | Updates for previous episodes | March 10, 2020 | |
| 20 | The Developer | Shannon Egeland | March 17, 2020 | |
| 21 | The Boner King [Redux] | Enzyte | April 1, 2020 | |
| 22 | VN4VL: Coronamania | Updates for previous episodes | June 1, 2020 | |
| 23 | The Sweepstakes | Pepsi Number Fever | August 18, 2020 | |
| 24 | The Birthday Party | Gary Milby | December 4, 2020 | |
| 25 | The Chili | Anna Ayala | December 23, 2020 | |
| 26 | VN4VL: Hunting for Love & Treasure | Updates for previous episodes | December 31, 2020 | |
| 27 | The Pigeon King | Arlan Galbraith | February 13, 2021 | |
| 28 | The Chemical | Film Recovery Systems | March 5, 2021 | |
| 29 | The Hero | Candace Clark | March 7, 2021 | |
| 30 | VN4VL: Kwame's Resurrection | Updates for previous episodes | June 26, 2021 | |
| 31 | The Beach House Sheriff | Todd Entrekin | August 1, 2021 | |
| 32 | The Pink Slime | Beef Products, Inc. | August 3, 2021 | |
| 33 | The Test | Brandy Murrah | November 3, 2021 | |
| 34 | The Healer | Michael Guglielmucci | December 16, 2021 | |
| 35 | The Money Doctor | W. Neil Gallagher | January 12, 2022 | |
| 36 | VN4VL: Synergy | Updates for previous episodes | February 18, 2022 | |
| 37 | The Canal [Redux] | Love Canal | May 1, 2022 | |
| 38 | VN4VL: Me Hate Greed | Updates for previous episodes | May 12, 2022 | |
| 39 | The Funky Munky | Tim Vasquez | May 27, 2022 | |
| 40 | The Mark | Elisah Spencer | July 14, 2022 | |
| 41 | The Imaginary Target | Denis Molla | July 15, 2022 | |
| 42 | The Coroner | Shannon Kent | August 11, 2022 | |
| 43 | VN4VL: Game is Afoot | Updates for previous episodes | September 2, 2022 | |
| 44 | The American Sniper | Chris Kyle | November 22, 2022 | |
| 45 | The Anglers | Jake Runyan & Chase Cominsky | December 22, 2022 | |
| 46 | The Studio | Carissa Carpenter | January 10, 2023 | |
| 47 | VN4VL: There is No Cure | Updates for previous episodes | February 8, 2023 | |
| 48 | The Beneficiary | David Del Rio | March 23, 2023 | |
| 49 | The Vacation Rental | Carrie Jade Williams | April 19, 2023 | |
| 50 | The Momfluencer | Katie Sorensen | May 8, 2023 | |
| 51 | The Veyron | Andy House | June 15, 2023 | |
| 52 | The Oven | Bumble Bee Foods | June 30, 2023 | |
| 53 | The Scratch-Off | Urooj Khan | July 19, 2023 | |
| 54 | VN4VL: Death Keeps a Secret | Updates for previous episodes | August 16, 2023 | |
| 55 | The Predator | Nate Holzapfel | October 3, 2023 |
The show has received positive reviews from critics. Vulture named the series one of the "52 Great True-Crime Podcasts [of] the post-Serial boom". The Star Tribune named the series one of its "10 must-listen true crime podcasts" in June 2018.[11] In August that year, Digital Trends included the series on its list of best true crime podcasts.[12] The Guardian also selected the series as its podcast "pick of the week" for the week of September 9, 2018[13] and WVXU featured the episode "The Saint" on its Start Hear program in November 2020.[14] In January 2021, Canadian culture writer Scaachi Koul featured Swindled in her podcast picks for CBC Radio.[15]
Swindled has charted in the Top 100 podcasts in 5 countries, with peak ranking positions of the podcast including: Australia (18), Canada (52), Germany (46), United Kingdom (73), and United States (52).[16]
In July 2018, true crime podcast Crime Junkie adopted Swindled's episode "The Contraceptive," covering the Dalkon Shield.[17] In a profile of Crime Junkie host Ashley Flowers, Laura Barcella of Rolling Stone magazine wrote about the episode: "Flowers is at her best when dissecting complicated cases that stink of larger cover-ups and corruption."[18]
A German translation of the series titled Schmutzige Geschäfte launched on November 19, 2018.[19] A Danish translation titled Svindlerne subsequently followed in 2020.[20]