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Unmissables: Explosive Lies
Unmissables: Explosive Lies
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He said it could save lives. It didn’t. It couldn’t even find golf balls…
Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.
McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned deadly. Behind the deals were fragmented friendships, betrayals, and a truth so dangerous it would take years to drag into the light.
Alice Levine uncovers the jaw-dropping story of a con that cost countless lives - and the unlikely people who stopped at nothing to uncover the truth.
Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.
Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.
McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned deadly. Behind the deals were fragmented friendships, betrayals, and a truth so dangerous it would take years to drag into the light.
Alice Levine uncovers the jaw-dropping story of a con that cost countless lives - and the unlikely people who stopped at nothing to uncover the truth.
Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.
22 Episodes
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Lewis Goodall is joined by Alice Levine to let you in on a big secret. Something explosive is coming to this feed... your next podcast binge.Welcome to Unmissables, home to our most unmissable podcast series - the mysteries, the scams, the stories you can't stop listening to. It's a one stop shop for incredible real stories collated here for you.Follow or subscribe and get ready to listen to Explosive Lies. And if you haven't already, check out Filthy Ritual and Coining It.Listen to all episodes on Global Player.
This is a story about a scam. But this isn’t any old scam. There's shamanism, a 'tree of life' in the jungle of Suriname, a bathing ritual in a dark rusty red lake, voodoo dolls, black magic and envelopes jammed full of sacrificial cash. There's even a wild capuchin monkey called Joey.At the turn of the 21st century, set in one of London's most wealthy suburbs, Hampstead, Juliette D'Souza wreaked havoc on a number of people's lives. Described by her neighbours as 'a knife in a velvet glove', D'Souza claimed to have a special connection to an ancient source of power and wisdom, deep in the Amazonian jungle. She became filthy rich, and one of the most prolific con women in British history. Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, the soulmates behind the hit true crime podcast, Redhanded, are on the case. They speak to the reporters who travelled to Suriname to track Juliette down, one of Britain's leading shamans and the victims who came together in search of justice.This is a true story so bizarre, you might not believe your ears.All 6 episodes will be available from April 19th on Global Player. Download it now from the App Store or go to https://www.globalplayer.com
Episode 1. An eccentric osteopath, Keith Bender, meets a charming, mysterious woman named Juliette D’Souza. Keith’s life is falling apart, and Juliette seems to know just how to fix it. She wins his trust and whisks him off on a journey to meet a shamanic healer in Suriname, changing his life forever. Soon, she’s bringing her supernatural influence into the heart of the bohemian London suburb where Keith worked: Hampstead. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams.
Episode 2. Keith starts spreading the word about Juliette D’Souza’s ‘powers’. Little by little, Juliette’s client base expands across Hampstead, as her promises of miracle cures captivate more and more of its residents. All is not well. Under Juliette’s influence, Keith has lost control of his own life. After she goes missing, Keith is left to reckon with her real identity. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams.
Episode 3. In the face of apathy and ridicule from the police, Keith Bender takes his allegations about Juliette D’Souza to the only avenue that’s left to him: the media. A few months later, a newly formed investigative team of plucky journalists touch down in Suriname for the reporting adventure of a lifetime. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams.
Episode 4. Sylvia Eaves, a retired Opera singer with a knack for making friends, who lost thousands of pounds to Juliette D’Souza finds herself back in the thrall of the healer of Hampstead. But this time, Juliette hasn’t counted on one DIY detective who will stand in her way: An intrepid nurse and amateur detective named Maria Feeney. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams.
Episode 5. At Blackfriars Crown Court, a long-awaited trial is about to commence. It could finally bring justice to this group of Hampstead victims. But Juliette D’Souza’s defence team are about to develop a new theory about who is really responsible for the last two decades of ‘magic’ and manipulation. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams.
Episode 6. The trial is over, this should be the end of it. But as they gather on the steps of Blackfriars Court, Keith, Maria and Sylvia hear rumours of a new scam that’s been unfolding right under their noses. Filthy Ritual is a Global Original podcast, produced by Global and Novel. In partnership with Dentsu Entertainment. If you’ve been affected by anything you’ve heard in this podcast or think you, or someone you know, may have been scammed, you're not alone and there's support available. Age UK has helpful advice and information for anyone who thinks they’ve been scammed. Action Fraud can be contacted any time day or night, or you can call the Action Fraud team on 0300 123 2040. Victim Support or Think Jessica provide emotional and practical help to victims of crimes and scams Contact the 24-hour Samaritans helpline on 116 123 if you feel low or anxious and need someone to talk to.
In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account.Most people would keep it quiet. James doesn’t.He starts handing out money, buying cars for mates, throwing lavish parties in a town where fortunes are rare. To some he’s a hero, a modern-day Robin Hood. But as the spending spirals and the police start asking questions, cracks begin to show. Deals get darker, loyalties shift, and James is left chasing the very people he once made rich.How far would you go if the money felt endless?And what would it cost when it finally ran out?From Global and Free Turn, Lewis Goodall uncovers the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it.All episodes available on Global Player now.
Episode 1. In Blackpool, one of the UK’s poorest cities, James Parker lives in a damp, mouldy flat. He’s in his mid-fifties, broke, but surrounded by a small circle of close friends. Then, one day, everything changes. James stumbles across a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform - a bug that could turn his fortunes around overnight. What follows is a wild, true story of instant riches, risky bets, and a chain of events none of them can control.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
Episode 2. James Parker has turned a digital glitch into a fortune. Most would keep it quiet - but not James. The newly minted millionaire flaunts his wealth across Blackpool, playing Robin Hood to a tight-knit circle who share his secret. But his spending spree hasn’t gone unnoticed. One cop is watching, puzzled by the sudden riches of a man who, until recently, had nothing.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
Episode 3. Destination: Dubai. James Parker and his newly hired financial advisor are on the trip of a lifetime - to meet a man who can turn their glitched Bitcoin into gold and cash. But just as they’re about to board the plane, James gets a call. It’s the owner of the trading platform… and he wants his money back. Now.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
Episode 4. James Parker’s secret has been rumbled. But he’s not about to give up his millionaire spending. And instead of handing back all his glitched bitcoin, he and his financial advisor have come up with a deal to broker. Meanwhile, James’ friends realise the depth of the trouble they’re all in... James wants his Bitcoin back.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
Episode 5. The party’s over. When one of James’ friends goes to the police, detectives finally connect the dots. James is hauled in for questioning - but doesn't give a monkeys. As greed and paranoia take hold, his last friendships fracture beyond repair.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
Episode 6. Who was the real James Parker? Lewis Goodall pieces together the truth behind the would-be Robin Hood, as his friends face jail for their actions. Penniless and abandoned, James is still holding one last twist - while the police close in on his missing millions.Listen to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.
He said it could save lives. It didn’t. It couldn’t even find golf balls…Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned deadly. Behind the deals were fragmented friendships, betrayals, and a truth so dangerous it would take years to drag into the light.Alice Levine uncovers the jaw-dropping story of a con that cost countless lives - and the unlikely people who stopped at nothing to uncover the truth.Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.All episodes are out now. Listen on Global Player.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact commercialpodcasts@global.com.
Episode 1. This story begins on the streets of Liverpool.Jim McCormick and his childhood friend Steve grew up side by side. But when Jim quits the police to chase big money as a salesman, their paths split. Years later, Jim is living it large with millions made from his so-called bomb detector. He reappears from the shadows with an offer that sounds too good to refuse.What happens when loyalty meets a lie worth millions?Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, hosted by Alice Levine and produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact commercialpodcasts@global.com.
Episode 2. Loyalty or truth - which would you choose?Steve faces a brutal choice: protect his best friend of forty years or expose a secret that could shake governments. When he finally tries to speak out, every door slams shut.Meanwhile, journalists Caroline Hawley and Meirion Jones start asking questions - and what they uncover hints at a fraud far bigger than anyone imagined.Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, hosted by Alice Levine and produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact commercialpodcasts@global.com.
Episode 3. The higher the stakes, the harder the fall?Jim doubles down, pushing the ADE’s supposed power with the backing of a powerful Iraqi general. His empire looks untouchable.Meanwhile, Steve leaks secrets from the shadows, and journalists Caroline Hawley and Meirion Jones take their investigation public - sparking a reaction no one saw coming.Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, hosted by Alice Levine and produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact commercialpodcasts@global.com.
Episode 4. Steve and Meirion join forces as the investigation gathers pace, uncovering shocking complicity at the heart of the British state.Meanwhile, Detective Niki White quietly begins her own pursuit of Jim - setting the stage for a clash that could change everything.Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, hosted by Alice Levine and produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.For any commercial enquiries with this podcast including IP interest, please contact commercialpodcasts@global.com.









a good podcast keeps cutting and repeating sentences which is abit annoying.
Absolutely brilliant. inhaled it in 2 days!
of course the Met aren't pursuing an investigation of crimes that affect brown people, immigrants no less...not when doing so might risk exposing how much immigrants struggle and are vulnerable to exploitation innthe UK. shame on them!!
loved this series! Great job as usual