ENCORE: The Memory Maker Part 1 | 159

Scamfluencers

Wondery

Society & Culture

4.1 • 7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’ll be back in two weeks with all-new Scamfluencers episodes. In the meantime, we’re returning to one of our favorites.

After surviving a difficult childhood, Teal Swan starts a family and reinvents herself as a spiritual leader for the Internet age. She gains a huge following by talking openly about a wide-range of topics, including taboo mental health issues. In her videos, she’s warm, candid, and relatable. But her unconventional approach may have some dark consequences.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. The U.S. National Alliance on Mental Illness is available at 1-800-950-6264. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US by calling 1-800-656-4673. That's 1-800-656-4673.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, scamfluencers fans, Sachi here.
0:02.2	If you live for the outrageous stories and unbelievable cons that we cover, you need Wendry Plus.
0:07.2	It's like sitting in the room with us as we unravel every twist, ad free a week ahead of everyone else, and packed with exclusive content you won't hear anywhere else.
0:16.1	Start your free trial in the Wendry app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify now.
0:20.2	Hi, guys. We'll be back in two weeks with all new episodes that we're really excited
0:24.5	about. But in the meantime, we're returning to one of our favorite two-part episodes about
0:29.4	a spiritual influencer gone wild. That's right. This is the story of Teal Swan, a wellness
0:35.6	guru perfectly suited for the internet age.
0:38.6	Teal amassed millions of followers under the guise of healing.
0:42.4	But not everyone thinks what she's doing is healthy.
0:45.2	She's been accused of making up an outrageous origin story featuring satanic rituals and abuse
0:50.7	and of emotionally and financially manipulating her followers.
0:55.1	Some people even think she's running a cult.
0:58.3	Oh, a real piece of work.
1:00.4	And speaking of questionable spiritual leaders, before we get into today's episode,
1:04.5	we have to tell you about Wondry's new series, Don't Cross Cat.
1:08.6	Don't Cross Cat unveils an even more sinister tale of how social media influence
1:13.7	can be weaponized. Like Teal's Swan story, it begins with charming promises of transformation.
1:19.9	But unlike Teal's spiritual teachings, Kat Torres's web of deception spirals into something far more
1:26.5	criminal. When a young woman named Desiree vanishes
1:29.3	without a trace, her best friend launches a desperate search to find her. The trail leads to Kat Torres,
1:35.5	a charismatic influencer with millions of followers. Cat is a self-proclaimed witch, who says she has
	...

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