The Hidden Third cover art

The Hidden Third

The Hidden Third

By: Mariana van Zeller
Listen for free

Season's Savings | £0.99/mo for 3 months

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. New episodes drop every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. The Hidden Third is a co-production of Muck Media and The Roost Podcast Network. Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • The Military Sent Her Family Overseas. Then It Wouldn't Let Them Come Home

    The Military Sent Her Family Overseas. Then It Wouldn't Let Them Come Home
    Oct 28 2026
    Jamie Lenio found out her husband, an active-duty Marine, was having an affair with his direct boss, a one-star Army general. After 16 years of marriage, it was over. Then she found out she was stuck in Germany and couldn't bring her three kids home. The family was only there because of his assignment. But his command told Jamie it couldn't send her and the children back to the United States early without his approval. Lawyers warned her that under the Hague Convention, an international treaty on child custody, a German court could decide that's where her children now lived. If she took them anyway, it could be treated as kidnapping. Her right to stay in the country depended on her husband's military status. If the divorce went through, she feared she'd have 90 days to leave, and her kids would have to stay. Jamie is far from alone. Military spouses going through a military divorce overseas have been getting stuck for decades, but almost no one talks about it. Other spouses in the same situation have described rationing money for groceries and gas, turning to food pantries and going thousands of dollars into debt while custody cases dragged on in foreign courts. So one night Jamie recorded an Instagram video explaining her situation and asking for help. Hundreds of thousands of people watched it. Within days, the acting Secretary of the Navy commented: "You and your family will be home soon." Jamie landed in California just hours before we sat down to record this conversation. In this episode of The Hidden Third, Jamie tells me about the moment she realized she was trapped. How she was asked to testify against her husband while they still lived together, and what it's like when your car, your mailing address and your visa all depend on your spouse. She also tells me about the military spouses, women and men, who reached out to her after the video. One father hasn't seen his son in two years and a mother in Spain has been stranded for five. We talk about the Stranded Spouses Project, started by former military spouse Shannon Vavich, and what Jamie thinks has to change so the next military family doesn't need to go viral to get home. Join The Hidden Third Patreon today! patreon.com/thehiddenthird 🎙️ From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • The Hacker Who Tracked Down My Romance Scammer

    The Hacker Who Tracked Down My Romance Scammer
    Oct 23 2026
    He's been hacking since he could type. Now Arman the Cyber is a white hat hacker who hunts down romance scammers. He tracked down the fake Jon Bon Jovi who took almost everything from Leslie Pickett, and my personal favorite, the four-star general "deployed to Syria" who was trying to win my heart. Join The Hidden Third Patreon today for exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from SUPER SCAM ME! https://patreon.com/TheHiddenThird Arman is the hacker featured in my new National Geographic documentary, SUPER SCAM ME. Watch it now on Disney+ and Hulu. Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-3bf2735c-0983-47ea-b927-3ac38c2bf7ef Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/super-scam-me-3bf2735c-0983-47ea-b927-3ac38c2bf7ef I found Arman at DEF CON, the giant hacker conference in Las Vegas, while I was making SUPER SCAM ME. In this conversation, he walks me through how he is tracking down the people behind the fake profiles targeting millions of Americans. Arman also talks about his own story in hacking. By fifth grade he was hacking into his school's mainframe. As a teenager, he got pulled into the infamous Xbox Underground case, an alleged conspiracy that federal investigators said targeted Microsoft and its partners and that the FBI valued at more than $100 million. He tells me why he decided to leave the black hat world behind and use his skills for good. For the full story of his years in the hacking underground, watch our first episode with Arman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AT2Pv-BxCU We talk about AI, and how Arman is now using agentic AI (AI that can carry out tasks on its own, not just answer questions) to hack into companies. He explains the threats AI poses, and what happens when these tools end up in the wrong hands. Arman also breaks down The Com, a network of young crypto scammers and hackers in the US who are causing havoc and stealing millions. And he shares his best tips for protecting yourself from online hacks and scams. For SUPER SCAM ME, I got a new nose. And new hair. And a full makeover. As Mary Zell, a woman looking for love online, I became the bait. Along the way I started dating a four-star general deployed to Syria, got wooed by "George Clooney," and teamed up with a hacker who helped me unmask several scammers, including my own. I wanted to understand their tactics and tools, and how they earn such deep trust. If you think you or someone you love is being scammed, stop sending money, save every message and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov. You can also contact me here: https://marianavanzeller.me 🎙️ From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand: the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure and the profound ways they impact us all. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
  • She Thought She Was Dating Jon Bon Jovi. Then He Asked for Money.

    She Thought She Was Dating Jon Bon Jovi. Then He Asked for Money.
    Oct 21 2026
    Start your free trial of Perplexity Computer today at https://pplx.ai/hiddenthird and experience the next phase of AI. #ad Go to http://Quince.com/hiddenthird for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. She thought she was in a relationship with Jon Bon Jovi. For almost a year, Leslie Pickett sent "Jon" almost all her money, until she was on the verge of losing her house to foreclosure. That's when she reached out to me. Leslie's story is featured in my new National Geographic documentary, SUPER SCAM ME. Watch it now on Disney+ and Hulu. Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-3bf2735c-0983-47ea-b927-3ac38c2bf7efdisneyplus Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/super-scam-me-3bf2735c-0983-47ea-b927-3ac38c2bf7ef Leslie has been a Jon Bon Jovi fan since she was a teenager. She had just created a new Instagram profile when she commented on what she thought was a verified JBJ account. Soon she was talking to "him" every day, for months. It wasn't until several months into the relationship that "Jon" asked her for money so she could attend a meet and greet. The requests kept coming, and she kept sending money, until the moment she realized he might be a scammer. Leslie had been caught in a celebrity romance scam, where criminals pretend to be famous people to win a fan's trust and then their money. Leslie is far from alone. One in seven American adults say they've lost money to an online dating or romance scam. In 2025 alone, Americans reported losing nearly $1.5 billion to romance scams, which makes them one of the fastest-growing and most devastating forms of financial crime. When Leslie contacted me, I was in the middle of production on SUPER SCAM ME. With help from Arman the Cyber, a white hat hacker (an ethical hacker who uses his skills to protect people, not exploit them) I met at DEF CON, the giant hacker conference in Las Vegas, we were able to track down her scammer. In this conversation, Leslie and I talk about the shame so many victims carry, and why "how could anyone fall for that?" is the wrong question. We look at the videos "Jon" sent her that looked completely real, and how scammers are using technology and AI. Generative AI can now convincingly imitate celebrities and public figures, and that's making these scams harder and harder to spot. We also go through the warning signs everyone should know. For SUPER SCAM ME, I got a new nose. And new hair. And a full makeover. As Mary Zell, a woman looking for love online, I became the bait. Along the way I started dating a four-star general deployed to Syria, got wooed by "George Clooney," and teamed up with a hacker who helped me unmask several scammers, including my own. I wanted to understand their tactics and tools, and how they earn such deep trust. If you think you or someone you love is being scammed, stop sending money, save every message and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov. You can also contact me though my website. Join The Hidden Third on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from SUPER SCAM ME: patreon.com/thehiddenthird 🎙️ From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand: the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure and the profound ways they impact us all. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 32 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet