Podcast Summary: "Introducing: Explosive Lies"

Podcast: Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files
Hosts: Christiane Amanpour & Jamie Rubin
Release Date: January 17, 2026
Episode Focus: The devastating consequences of a world-shaking con—and the shocking gullibility of those in power.

Episode Overview

This captivating introduction teases a multi-part investigation into a near-unbelievable but entirely true fraud: how a bogus bomb detector, born from a worthless golf ball finder, was sold to governments and security services worldwide—resulting in the deaths of countless innocents and lucrative riches for scammers. The episode sets the tone for the series’ blend of insider knowledge, moral outrage, and dark humor, shining a harsh light on lies at the highest levels of power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Central Scam and its Audacity

• "This is a story about a lie. A lie so big that it likely cost countless lives and turned con artists into multi-millionaires." (B, 00:06)
• The main subject: a fraudulent device—which began as a low-tech golf ball finder—marketed as a life-saving bomb detector.
• The scam fooled not just the gullible, but entire governments and security agencies worldwide.

2. Human Cost & Ethical Questions

• The shock and horror of authorities continuing to use a knowingly faulty device:
  • "People are relying on this to save lives and save their own life." (A, 00:20)
  • "How can you go out there and say to people keep using these devices, knowing that people are dying every day?" (A, 00:54)
• The unconscionable risk: faulty devices meant to protect, actually endangering thousands, especially in conflict zones like Baghdad.

3. Players and Personal Betrayal

• Jim ("Gift of the gab" Wheeler-dealer) and Steve: lifelong friends and partners, now on opposite sides of the law.
• The human drama: What do you do when someone closest to you is at the heart of a deadly global scam?
  • "What would you do if the person closest to you had manipulated you and others for years? Would you turn them in?" (B, 01:42)

4. Systemic Failure: Bribery, Corruption, Denial

• The fraudster's success due to more than just cunning: bribery and corruption aided his ascent.
  • "With bribery and corruption on his side, Jim made an obscene fortune. I'm talking lavish homes, a yacht..." (B, 01:42)
• The biggest question: why did no one stop this sooner, despite years of warnings?

5. The Reckoning

• The investigation finally catches up:
  • "There's detectives from Avon and Somerset police at the house with a warrant. They said, we're going to arrest you." (A, 02:08)
• The moral line: doing the right thing, even at personal risk.
  • "Even if doing the right thing put your life on the line." (B, 02:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the scam's absurdity:
  • "He used pseudoscience to fool extremely powerful people... you just think, no, seriously, come on." (C, 01:02)
• On scale and tragedy:
  • "There's something absolutely horrific about the idea that was originally sold almost as a stocking filler—10 or 20 dollars—something that didn't work at detecting golf balls, is now being used to protect the population of Baghdad." (A, 01:26)
• On personal betrayal:
  • "What would you do if the person closest to you had manipulated you and others for years? Would you turn them in?" (B, 01:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:06 – Opening: The dark lie and its deadly price
• 00:33 – Introduction to key players: Jim & Steve
• 01:02 – Pseudoscience and governments duped
• 01:26 – From joke tech to Baghdad bomb 'detector'
• 01:42 – The cost: corruption, inaction, collapse of trust
• 02:08 – The investigation closes in
• 02:14 – The ethical crossroads

Tone and Style

The episode is delivered with biting wit, outrage, and a sense of stunned disbelief. The hosts balance world-weary humor (“You just think, no, seriously, come on”) with genuine empathy for victims and anger at institutional failures.

Conclusion

"Introducing: Explosive Lies" grabs the listener with its mix of journalistic rigor and human drama, laying out a tale of shocking fraud, moral failure, and the real-world price of institutional complacency. The series promises to dig deep into not just how the scam happened, but why those meant to protect us proved so disastrously easy to fool.