Trouble in River City

Episodes

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  39 - Funding the Royal Mind Palace Renovations 06.10.2026 45m

  Charles rounds up stories about scammers hitting the DNC, RNC, and political campaigns, plus a Nigerian prince who scammed the Nigerian government.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 38 - The Westminster Ice Cream Wars (ft. Jim Waterson) 29.09.2026 5m

  Jim Waterson returns to the show to discuss the time he confronted illegal ice cream vendors on Westminster Bridge by pulling up with his own "completely legal" ice cream van handing out desserts for free.Read London Centric.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  37 - What Was George Washington's First Girlfriend's Birthday? 22.09.2026 48m

  Hesse tells Charles the story of Twenty-One, a quiz show that sullied the sterling reputation of television with a rigging scandal.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 36 - Trouble in Jiangxi Province 2 16.09.2026 5m

  This time in 17th Century Chinese swindles: a fox that steals your yang essence, swindling the salt commissioner while disguised as daoists, and the origin of the common phrase "shut up about him!"Remember, you can't snatch the pearl from under the dragon's neck unless you plumb the depths of the pool.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  35 - 45,376 Years and Six Months Was the Case They Gave Me 08.09.2026 47m

  Charles tells the story of Turkish wunderkind Mehmet Aydın, who pivoted from rapping to Ponzi scheming via a Farmville knockoff.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 34 - Boiler Room 01.09.2026 5m

  The gang opens a dot-com-era time capsule: the 2000 Ben Younger film Boiler Room.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  33 - Wild West Hornswogglin': The Tale of Soapy Smith 25.08.2026 57m

  Dan shares the story of Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II, the king of the frontier conmen.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 32 - The Ensorcelled Scousers (Part 2) 18.08.2026 5m

  Hesse concludes the story of how Magic Alex ensorcelled those inimitable lads famed for walking across London's Abbey Road Street.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  31 - The Ensorcelled Scousers (Part 1) 11.08.2026 41m

  Hesse tells the story of Magic Alex, a dubious engineer that ensorcelled a wily band of Liverpudlian moptop Scousers known only as The Beatles.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 30 - Lurking Uncle, Hidden Dragon 04.08.2026 5m

  Riley tells the story of teen millionaire Barry Minkow, who made his fortune by running a carpet cleaning business and did not do any fraud of any kind.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  29 - Cheeky Todger (ft. Devin O'Shea) 28.07.2026 1h 6m

  Devin O'Shea joins Hesse and Dan for a freewheeling episode covering book-tour life, harassment by Veiled Prophet thugs, an AI scam afflicting a band and its fans, and Herman Melville's The Confidence Man.Buy Devin's book "The Veiled Prophet".Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 28 - Trouble in Jiangxi Province 21.07.2026 5m

  Using the 17th Century Chinese text The Book of Swindles as our guide, we intend to inform listeners of strategies to avoid falling victim to common deceptions. This episode covers the following real-life situations:—Stealing silk with a decoy horse—Chen Quan scams his way into the arms of a famous courtesan—Using broom handles to play a joke on sedan bearersSubscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  27 - The First Monégasque Astronaut 16.07.2026 46m

  Riley unspools an elaborate telemarketing scam that begins in the Monégasque Community and ends in Dnipro. Plus an update on the BC ostrich farm.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 26 - Now You See Me 07.07.2026 5m

  Hesse forces Charles and Dan to watch the 2013 blockbuster film Now You See Me.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  25 - Little Miss Muffet Nation (ft. John Semley) 30.06.2026 48m

  John Semley discusses his Wired article about GLP-1 telehealth scams.Read John's article for WIRED.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 24 - Chinese The Sting 23.06.2026 5m

  Charles tells the story of a phony Chinese bank that went to great lengths to set up a believable brick-and-mortar location.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  23 - Field Werehouse 16.06.2026 49m

  Riley tells the story of a hands-on salad oil swindle (and explains what salad oil is).Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 22 - Climbing Mt. Gox 09.06.2026 5m

  Hesse chronicles the rise and fall of the Magic the Gathering / Bitcoin site Mt. Gox.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  21 - Afscamistan (ft. Nate Bethea) 02.06.2026 1h 9m

  Nate Bethea joins us to explore the large-scale fraud and graft that took place during the American occupation of Afghanistan.Listen to Nate's album.Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.
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  [PREVIEW] 20 - Caffeine Addicts at the Library (ft. Alex Branson) 26.05.2026 5m

  Riley explores the latest A.I.-powered™ scams targeting self-published authors.Buy "Alex Branson's The Money Wars".Subscribe to Trouble in River City on Patreon.Join our Discord server.