S6 Ep25: Abscam: The True Story Behind ‘American Hustle’

About this episode

This episode explores the Abscam operation, a significant political corruption sting involving a con man and the FBI.

A con man with a gift for talking fast and a knack for never getting caught made himself invaluable to the FBI in the late 1970s — and the FBI made him the centerpiece of the biggest political corruption sting in a generation. It never should have worked, yet it went further than anyone expected. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book ! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Rula . Affordable, insurance-covered therapy with average $15 copays and licensed in-network providers, at Rula.com/COTC . Wildgrain . Bakery-quality sourdough, pastries, and French butter delivered frozen and ready in 25 minutes, with $30 off your first box at Wildgrain.com/COTC . Timeline (Mitopure Exfoliator) . A gentle leave-on exfoliator pairing acids with Mitopure for resurfacing and cellular support, with a 15-day trial for $22 at Timeline.com/COTC . Quince . Elevated bedding, apparel…

People in this episode

Host: Amber Hunt

Topics covered

• political corruption
• FBI stings
• true crime
• historical crimes
• con artists

Keywords

• Abscam
• political corruption
• FBI
• sting operation
• true crime
• con man
• 1970s

Sponsors

Rula, Wildgrain, Timeline, Quince

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FBI, Grab Bag Collab, centuriespod.com

Products: Mitopure Exfoliator

Books & works: Crimes of the Centuries

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