This week's podcast selections are dominated by a truly unbelievable tale of international deception, where a simple novelty item was fraudulently marketed as life-saving technology with deadly consequences. Leading the line-up is the compelling new series Explosive Lies, narrated by Alice Levine.
The Lethal Con: A Golf-Ball Finder Masquerading as Security Tech
In Explosive Lies, presenter Alice Levine adopts her characteristically wry tone to unpack an almost unbelievable scam. The story centres on Steve, a former police officer who decides to help his childhood best friend sell what is claimed to be a cutting-edge bomb detection device.
The slick production follows the journey of this product, which was in reality a repurposed novelty golf-ball finder, as it is sold to governments and militaries around the world. The action moves from dubious banking operations in Hong Kong to its eventual installation as a serious security measure in locations like Iraqi airports.
The consequences of this fraud were not merely financial but potentially lethal, putting countless lives at risk by relying on a completely useless piece of equipment. Steve's involvement eventually leads to his arrest by detectives, closing a chapter on a global deception.
Other Must-Listen Podcasts This Week
Elsewhere, Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw turns his hand to audio drama with the one-off monologue Mercy. Starring the superb Joanna Scanlan, it presents a darkly comic thriller about a nurse forced into early retirement.
Scanlan brings immense charm and warmth to the role, as the character candidly shares her views on everything from the sex appeal of patients to her controversial take on why people should never stop smoking. It's a uniquely compelling character study.
Privacy Fears and Family Secrets
Radio 4's esteemed Intrigue strand returns with Ransom Man, hosted by Jenny Kleeman. This propulsive investigation delves into a cyber-attack on a Finnish online therapy platform, dubbed "the McDonald's of therapy". The breach resulted in thousands of patients' most private thoughts and records being dumped on the dark web, exploring the profound trauma unleashed by the hack.
Meanwhile, Irish journalist Louise McLoughlin returns with the thoughtful second season of You Look Like Me. The podcast speaks to people conceived via donor, a group that includes McLoughlin herself, who reveals her number of unknown half-siblings continues to grow. One powerful episode features a father who kept a life-changing secret from his daughter for nearly four decades.
Finally, for those who like their worries confirmed, fitness influencer James Smith offers The Problem With …. This new weekly podcast interviews an expert on a different topic where "everything really is as bad as you fear". Episodes, which can last up to two hours, cover issues from the struggles of Generation Z to a looming population crisis with demographer Paul Morland, whose blasé attitude towards climate catastrophe is particularly noteworthy.
