Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written, New Season of Hit Podcast Series from Sony Music Exposes the Decade Long Psychic Scam that Exploited Millions

• Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written, New Season of Hit Podcast Series from Sony Music Exposes the Decade Long Psychic Scam that Exploited Millions
• Aug 01, 2024

Journalist Rachel Browne Explores the Shocking Scheme That Personally Targeted Victims All Over the World

Listeners Can Subscribe to The Binge to Listen To The Full Season Today

New York, NY - August 1, 2024 - Sony Music Entertainment, in partnership with ITN Productions, today announced the premiere of Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written, the newest season of its hit investigative podcast series exploring stories of shocking deception. In this season of Smoke Screen, journalist and host Rachel Browne unpacks a complex handwritten letter scam centered around French psychic Maria Duval that victimized hundred of thousands of people globally. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes at once today.

In The Greatest Scam Ever Written, Browne explores how the public received personalized letters from Duval claiming to bring them goodwill and fortune all for a small amount of money in return. This criminal scheme, which happened over decades, tapped into people's desire for a better life. One victim, who suffered from dementia, began to believe that the only way to be cured was to send money through the mail. So she did. Through firsthand encounters with victims and law enforcement, this season focuses on the windy journey to discover who Maria Duval might have really been and traces the story to unveil its real roots, exposing the shocking truth behind one of the most elaborate fronts of the 21^st century.

"The public was fascinated with the French psychic Maria Duvall and the hope she would bring them through a tailored letter about themselves," said host and reporter Rachel Browne. "Little did they know there was a larger scheme at play and a man who showed no remorse for his attempt to make a quick fortune."

Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Writtenis hosted by journalist, Rachel Browne. Rubina Pabani is the executive producer. Emily Jarvis is the production manager. From Sony Music Entertainment, Catherine Saint Louis is the executive producer.

Listeners can subscribe to Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written on The Binge, as well as all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For more information on Smoke Screen: The Greatest Scam Ever Written and all other Sony Podcast shows, follow @SonyPodcasts on X/Twitter and Instagram.