We all have our dreams. For John Spano, that dream was to own a national hockey team. And he wasn't going to let little facts like not having money get in the way of those dreams. We discuss how he scammed his way into owning the New York Islanders, who at the time had an unfortunate redesign on their logo. Mellie and Chris aren't sports fans, but …

Today we turn our eyes to Disney, looking at how a Texan scammed investors by promising a brand new park, and how ghost videos played into viral marketing in the 2010s. Meanwhile other stories, Chris's Goofy impersonation, and a review of Disneyland's opening day back in 1955.By BeggarsBeliefPodcast

Clifford Irving and Robert Suskind wanted to write an autobiography of notable reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, based on one on one interviews and personal papers. So they did. Too bad they never actually met Hughes. This story is a rollercoaster that somehow got further than anyone could have ever imagined, with fact and fiction becoming inter…

On this week's episode, we delve into the history of the most fake publication to grace store shelves in the 90s, the Weekly World News, and the history of its unofficial mascot, BatBoy. How did this tabloid get started, how did it stop publication, where did they get their ideas from. Also, we discuss 80s snack foods and Chris exposes his love of …

In a fun break, we are going to explore three small tales. With these stories of treasure hunts, misinformation, and internet, we chat about our thoughts on treasure hunts, ARGs, AI, and internet culture. Music by Roger A MartinezBy BeggarsBeliefPodcast

Back in medieval France, a family is full of drama. Martin had left his wife and newborn son and disappears. When he returns, he has questions about how his inheritance was spent by his uncle. It ends with the two in court with some outrageous claims that had no legal precedence. The entire village becomes embroiled in the intrigue, in this well do…

Join Mellie and Chris in this fascinating episode of Beggar's Belief as they unravel the intriguing tale of the Cardiff Giant, a 19th-century hoax that had an unexpected ripple effect. From the conception of the idea by George Hull and his cousin, William 'Stubb' Newell, to the meticulous planning and execution of the hoax, this episode covers it a…

In this riveting episode of Beggar's Belief, join your hosts, Mellie and Chris, as they dive deep into a peculiar tale that set the world aflutter with tales of lunar discoveries, including 'man-bats' and more. Step back to 1835 with us and revisit the series of shocking articles published by The Sun newspaper. The supposedly groundbreaking discove…

Welcome to the first captivating episode of Beggar's Belief, the podcast of hoaxes, pranks, scams, shams and charlatans. The home of stories that are beyond belief because someone is lying. Join hosts Mellie and Chris as they take you back to the year 1921, located in the quaint town of Hammond, Indiana, where an uncanny story revolving around a co…