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The hosts

One host on every case. One partner from the cast beside him. A new victim and a new con artist each time.

Sam, a cartoon man with a dark beard, navy blazer and light blue shirt

Sam

Host, every episode

Sam opens every case file and walks you through it, chapter by chapter, from the first pitch to the last twist.

  • Sam is the voice of every episode. That voice is an AI voice, made with ElevenLabs.
  • Sam tells the story. Sam never gives financial advice.
Cartoon Sam at a case desk under a pinboard of photos joined by red string, with Anna laughing and pointing beside him.
Case partner

A different partner on each case

Each case, one member of the cast joins Sam in a role that fits the story, like a journalist, a detective or a lawyer.

Anna, a cartoon woman with a dark ponytail and a khaki trench coat

Anna

Case #1 partner

On the Charles Ponzi case (Boston, 1920), Anna is a journalist in a khaki trench coat, notebook in hand.

The cast

Next partners

Partners for future cases come from this cast. They also turn up in crowds and small parts.

Tom, a cartoon man with short dark hair and a camel coat

Tom

Clara, a cartoon woman with a blonde bob and a cream coat

Clara

Leo, a cartoon older man with white hair and a white beard

Leo

Ben, a cartoon young man with curly hair and a lavender jacket

Ben

Max, a cartoon young man with short black hair and a charcoal hoodie

Max

Zoe, a cartoon young woman with curly hair and a teal jacket

Zoe

Victims and con artists

New faces every case

The people in each story are drawn fresh for that episode, in the clothes of their time. Real people are drawn as our own cartoon characters, not as likenesses.

Victims are real where the record names them. Where it doesn't, a composite person stands in, labelled COMPOSITE on screen.

See the cases