Episodes 15
Avg. Duration 25m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (2)
Since Apr 2024
Latest Episode Feb 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Hosting
feed.podbean.com

About This Podcast

Stories that are too good to be true, because someone is lying. A lighthearted review of real life tales of hoaxes, pranks, scams, shams, and charlatans.

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Recent Episodes

Skyscrapers, Time Travelers, and Bathtubs

Feb 23, 2026 22m

In this episode, we tackle three ridiculous tales.  The origin of the building later called the "World's Tiniest Skyscraper".  An investor who took Wall Street by storm using the powers of time…

Dan DeQuille and His Travelling Stones

May 05, 2025 22m

This week we explore a prankster who made waves in the 1800s before fading into obscurity.  Mark Twain? Oh my god, they were roommates.  This story covers silver prospectors, rocks whose love…

The Mysterious Egg in Ong's Hat - The First ARG

Mar 10, 2025 25m

Ong's Hat is a real place.  But the stories about it aren't.  That didn't stop tales about a dimension hopping, scientific, transcendentalist, sadomasochistic cult from spreading across the early…

The Faux Mellow Yellow

Feb 17, 2025 22m

In this week's episode we take a bizarre dive.  In the 60s, an underground magazine started a hoax that you could smoke bananas.  The rumor spread like wildfire, fueled by pop music and an accidental…

Stolen Socks and Counterfeit Cricket

Sep 30, 2024 20m

In this week's episode, we review some short but curious cases from around the world. First up from England, two people convinced pub goers to give up their socks for charity.  The story is so…

S1E10 How Lenin Became A Mushroom-A Soviet Prank

Sep 16, 2024 25m

Just before the fall of the Soviet Union, a musician and a journalist got together to pull an absurd and confusing prank--convincing people that Vladimir Lenin was a mushroom.  How did they get…

How To Buy a Hockey Team

Jun 10, 2024 29m

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…

Disney Hoaxes and Scams

May 27, 2024 22m

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,…

The (Fake) Autobiography of Howard Hughes

May 13, 2024 43m

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…

Weekly World News and the Bat Boy Xtravaganza

May 06, 2024 29m

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…

MishMash Episode

Apr 29, 2024 25m

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…

The Return of Martin Guerre

Apr 22, 2024 32m

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…

The Cardiff Giant Hoax

Apr 15, 2024 25m Transcript

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…

S1E2 The Great Moon Hoax

Apr 08, 2024 25m Transcript

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…

The Strange Tale of the McNally Family

Apr 01, 2024 21m Transcript

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…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Beggars Belief have?

Beggars Belief has published 15 episodes since April 2024, covering topics in Comedy, History.

Is Beggars Belief still active?

Beggars Belief is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 25m.

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