![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-Podcasting-Scams-Prime-Targets-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nScammers love podcasters for three main reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 The desire for exposure <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Technical complexity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Money on the table<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the FBI<\/a>, cybercriminals stole a record $16.6 billion in 2024. That’s a 33% increase from 2023. Let’s break down the top scams you need to watch for in podcasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the most common scam targeting podcasters and content creators right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You receive an email from someone claiming to be a producer or manager for a popular podcast. They say they’ve seen your work and want you as a guest. They might even offer to pay you between $2,000 and $3,000 for a single appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The email looks professional. They reference your recent work or social media posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything seems legitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then comes the “tech check.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n They want to make sure your audio and video setup works before the actual interview. During this call (usually on Zoom, Facebook, or Instagram), they ask you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you do this, they lock you out of your accounts. They steal your credentials and take over your social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After gaining access to your accounts, scammers will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bill Murphy Jr., Inc.com columnist<\/a>, received dozens of fake podcast invitations over a year, sometimes offering thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alex Kantrowitz reported in CMS Wire<\/a> that he received an invitation claiming to be from a \u201ctop 1%\u201d podcast. Through research, he found that the podcast didn\u2019t even exist. Luckily, he didn\u2019t give anything to the bad actors that could have hurt him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kate Mansi, an actor and TikTok creator, told Distractify<\/a> that she received a sophisticated fake invitation to appear on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast. It had real logos, professional formatting, and authentic-looking links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are dozens upon dozens of other stories like this, and they are becoming more common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our product evangelist Joe shared that he too has heard about this scam circulating, and that people have even attempted it on him. He hasn’t fallen for it firsthand, but notes these attempts are very real. Yep, even for experienced podcasters who know what to look for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before accepting any invitation you should:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During communication it\u2019s best to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Get to #1 on Apple Podcasts guaranteed!” or “10,000 downloads in your first week or your money back!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n These services promise to make your podcast instantly popular. They say they have special connections or secret methods to boost your rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example of a podcast promotion service found on Fiverr:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You pay them, often several hundred dollars upfront. Then they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The worst part? When you try to cancel, they threaten to flood your podcast with negative reviews unless you keep paying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PJ Vogt, host of the Search Engine<\/em> podcast, told Semafor<\/a> he was contacted by iBoostReach. They offered to boost his podcast to the top of charts for a few dollars. They offered to prove effectiveness by boosting his trailer episode with thousands of downloads. Vogt refused because it would mislead advertisers and violate contracts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n LinkedIn Podcast Promoters were investigated in Jack Rhysider’s “Darknet Diaries” podcast episode 27. He found promoters, mostly from Bangladesh, who learned to game iTunes charts. They use thousands of Apple IDs to subscribe to shows (about 50 per day) to manipulate chart positions. Fiverr actively bans accounts offering this service because it violates iTunes terms. \u2013 Podcast Hero, “LinkedIn Podcast Promoter (scams)<\/a>.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe said these kinds of offers are “a dime a dozen” in his inbox, and that he approaches every one of them with healthy skepticism. His rule of thumb? If it seems too good to be true, assume it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brandon Rimes, Radio Host of the Consumer Quarterback Show<\/a>, shared with us that he learned this lesson firsthand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what he told us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “A few years back, I had a ‘media agency’ reach out promising they’d book me on 50 high-profile shows for a flat fee. They showed me logos, testimonials, the whole deal. I paid $3,500 upfront. What I got was 4 appearances on dead podcasts with maybe 12 downloads each. When I pushed back, they vanished. I’ve built genuine relationships in broadcast over the years with Salem Media and Cox. None of those connections came from a paid placement service. They came from showing up consistently and providing real value. The shortcuts in this industry almost always cost me more than they saved.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legitimate services explain their methods, show real case studies, and have transparent pricing. No guarantees and no pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this version, the scammer doesn’t invite you to be a guest. Instead, they offer to pay YOU thousands of dollars to appear on YOUR podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scammer uses the promise of payment to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scammers will claim to be promoting a book or product. Or they will say the episode is “sponsored” by a major brand. They\u2019ll even use professional language and formatting, and reference specific details about your podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe noted he’s seen this scam in the wild, though he’s never been personally victimized by it. He also flagged a closely related version worth knowing about. (See the bonus scam at the end of this article!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bennett Maxwell, CEO of Franchise KI<\/a> and host of Deeper than Dough, reached out and shared a similar experience a friend went through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, “She had a guest on who, right after recording, started spamming her with promo requests. The whole pitch was just a setup for free advertising. Now I always check people out. I look for a real website or some social media profiles that actually seem active. It keeps my show focused on actual conversations instead of ads.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get an exciting email from someone claiming to represent a major brand. They want to sponsor your podcast. The deal sounds amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We generated an image of what an email like this might look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our product evangelist Joe shared that this one has almost gotten him, and some of his clients. He’s even gone pretty far into negotiations before something felt \u201coff.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He says his approach is to stick to the payment terms you’re used to, demand to be paid upfront, and remember that money should only ever flow from the brand to you. If a brand ever asks you to pay anything, even to “buy the product first and get reimbursed via PayPal,” that’s a hard no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hans Graubard, COO & Cofounder of Happy V<\/a>, told us he too has seen this play out multiple times in his network. Here\u2019s what he shared with us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “One podcaster I know was asked to install ‘media kit’ software to preview the ads, which turned out to be malware. Another was given a forged contract and bank deposit confirmation to make it look like they’d been paid upfront, only to realize the transfer had never cleared and the scammer disappeared right after they started running the ads. The common thread is urgency. Scammers push for fast action and bypass typical vetting steps. Most legitimate sponsors expect some back-and-forth, not instant agreements.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep, podcast equipment gets counterfeited just like knockoff designer bags. The most counterfeited podcast equipment we\u2019ve heard about is the Shure SM58. It\u2019s the world’s most popular microphone, and it\u2019s not exactly the cheapest one on the market either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scammers sell fake versions of popular podcast equipment through platforms like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, they sell them at prices 20-80% below retail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fakes can be incredibly convincing. Some have official-looking packaging, correct serial number formats, and even the proper weight and appearance<\/p>\n\n\n\n via LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n David Hooper, the podcast expert behind Big Podcast Extra<\/a>, bought what he thought was a Shure SM58 off eBay. He only discovered it was fake when he compared it side-by-side with a real one. The fake contained inferior components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Scam #1: The Fake Podcast Guest Invitation<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_u9mggsu9mggsu9mg-1024x559.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow This Scam Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What Happens Next<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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People That Could Have Been Victims<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Red Flags to Watch For<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to Protect Yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Scam #2: Fake Podcast Promotion Services<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-Podcasting-Scams-Podcast-Promotions-Apple-Podcasts-1024x683.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow the Scam Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Real Examples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-Podcasting-Scams-consumer-quarterback-show-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRed Flags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Scam #3: The Reverse Scam (Fake Guests Offering to Pay YOU)<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Real Goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What Makes It Convincing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Red Flags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Scam #4: Fake Sponsorship and Partnership Offers<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Common Tactics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-Podcasting-Scams-Fake-Sponsor.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nProtecting Yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>Scam #5: Counterfeit Podcast Equipment<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How the Scam Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-Podcasting-Scams-Counterfeit-Microphone-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReal Examples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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