Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Scam Factory – Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas

Podcast: Scam Factory
Host: Audible
Episode: Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
Date: July 21, 2026
Guest/Contributor: Jane McSorley, Journalist

Episode Overview

This episode of Scam Factory features an extended preview of the investigative podcast "I Am Not Nicholas," hosted by journalist Jane McSorley. The episode dives into the real-life, bizarre story of a man found in a Glasgow hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic—claimed by U.S. authorities to be Nicholas Rossi, an American fugitive wanted for rape, but who insisted he was Arthur Knight, an Irish orphan. Jane shares her four-and-a-half-year journey following the shocking twists and turns of the case, raising questions about deception, identity, and the intricate workings of international crime and justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Investigation (00:00–01:00)

Jane McSorley recounts how she came across the story in January 2022 while scrolling the news—a man arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward, accused of being a notorious U.S. fugitive.
From the initial disbelief, Jane felt compelled to dig deeper, which became a multi-year investigation.

2. The Man with Many Faces (01:00–02:10)

The suspect insisted he was not Nicholas Rossi but Arthur Knight, an innocent Irishman.
Jane expresses astonishment at the situation and hints at the layers of mystery she encountered:

“A case of mistaken identity. I mean, what on earth is going on? It really is an unfortunate situation. I cannot get my head around the magnitude of this. It is beginning to become a storm.” — Jane McSorley [01:50]

3. On-the-Ground Reporting & Dramatic Discovery (02:10–03:10)

Jane shares her experiences knocking on doors and interviewing people linked to the case, never knowing what awaited with each encounter.
An emotional moment when someone reveals that the man presumed dead was, in fact, alive:

“Oh my God. He’s not dead. No way. I knew he was still alive. I knew right away.” — Unnamed Speaker [02:20]
First-person accounts referenced include details of being locked in, denied contact, yet not overtly abused, adding a disturbing layer to the personal dynamics and control involved.

4. Arthur Knight’s First Court Appearance (03:10–05:00)

Jane attends a pivotal court appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, just minutes from her home.
She describes the dramatic scene vividly:

“Arthur Knight is wheeled in. He was in a wheelchair and he had burgundy pajamas on. He had a burgundy matching dressing gown and he even had a burgundy cloth covering his entire head so you could not see his face. It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels.” — Jane McSorley [03:40]
Other journalists are equally bewildered by the scene, emphasizing the story’s strangeness.

5. Portrait of Arthur Knight (Nicholas Rossi?) in Court (05:00–06:10)

Detailed physical description: frail, older-looking than his 34 years, with “greasy lank hair,” a peppered beard, pale skin, and distinctive black John Lennon-style glasses.
His health is poor post-Covid, requiring medical attention and oxygen during the hearing.
Jane notes Knight’s (Rossi’s) erratic and disrespectful courtroom behavior:

“He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the judge ... he was told off by the sheriff at least twice, if not three or four times.” — Jane McSorley [06:00]

6. Cliffhanger and Series Invitation (06:10–End)

Jane teases the audience with the unresolved question of Arthur Knight’s true identity and the outcome of the investigation.
Listeners are encouraged to follow “I Am Not Nicholas” on Audible or other platforms for a full exploration of the case, including subsequent series.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Opening Shock:
“I immediately thought, this is unbelievable.” — Jane McSorley [00:10]
Recounting Uncertainty:
“You just don’t know what’s going to happen when somebody answers that door.” — Jane McSorley [01:30]
Surreal Courtroom Image:
“He had socks on, he had no slippers on. So it was just that first image of him. I was blown away.” — Jane McSorley [03:55]
Identity Denial:
“Are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I’m Arthur Knight.” — Jane McSorley [06:00]

Important Segment Timestamps

[00:00] — Introduction by Jane McSorley; story origin
[01:00] — Initial investigation details and intention
[02:20] — Emotional moment: discovery that the man is alive
[03:40] — Arthur Knight’s dramatic court entrance
[06:00] — Disruptive courtroom behavior; identity denial
[06:10] — Call to action for full series

Tone & Language

Jane maintains a journalistic yet deeply personal narration—curious, respectful, sometimes stunned by the incredibility of events.
The episode is rich with vivid descriptions, lending an almost cinematic quality to real events.

In Summary

This preview episode draws listeners into the tangled true-crime web of identity theft, international manhunts, and deep personal mystery. Jane McSorley’s firsthand observations and emotional investment promise a gripping ride through one of the most bewildering scam-adjacent stories of the past years, leaving listeners eager to binge the full series.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Hi, I'm journalist Jane McSorley and I'm about to play you a clip from my podcast, I am not Nicholas. I came across this story as I was scrolling the morning News back in January 2022, and I immediately thought, this is unbelievable. A man had been arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward. Police were saying he was a fugitive called Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted for rape in Utah. But he was claiming to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight. I thought, I really want to look into this. And would you believe I ended up following this story for over four and a half years? Here's a taster. I wanted to ask if you knew the American man that lived here. I was seeing this as months and months of work. Hello, my name is Jane McSorley. Do you have just a few minutes now? And it has become practically a year. You just don't know what's going to happen when somebody answers that door. Oh. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He's not dead. No way. I knew he was still alive. I knew right away. It was very strange. It was very strange. He would lock me in the upstairs bathroom. All I had was the running water. He has never hurt me, never touched me. He doesn't abuse me. A case of mistaken identity. I mean, what on earth is going on? It really is an unfortunate situation. I cannot get my head around the magnitude of this. It is beginning to become a storm. Top of my list when I start work on the story in January 2022 is I want to see this man, Arthur Knight. Well, he claims to be Arthur Knight, an innocent Irishman living in Glasgow. The US authorities say he is really an American fugitive called Nicholas Rossi. I hear he's due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court a few days later for a bail hearing. The court is just a 10 minute bike ride away from my house and I'll be there. It was just the most unbelievable sight. I was outside the courtroom, Arthur Knight is wheeled in. He was in a wheelchair and he had burgundy pajamas on. He had a burgundy matching dressing gown and he even had a burgundy cloth covering his entire head so you could not see his face. It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels. He had socks on, he had no slippers on. So it was just that first image of him. I was blown away. I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story? What on earth is this man all about? So then we all get into the courtroom. He's got at least two paramedics there, there Must have been prison officers there. And Miranda, his wife, was there and the cloth is gone from his head. Clearly Arthur Knight wasn't well. You know, he'd had Covid very badly and he was in and out of intensive. He had a mask covering his nose and his mouth. He had oxygen going into his mask. He's 34. He looks like he could be 64. He's small, he's round, he's hunched over. He's got greasy lank hair. He's got this beard that's peppered with gray. He's very pasty white. He's got these round black John Lennon style glasses. He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the sheriff, the judge. And it started from the outset. He asks him, are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I'm Arthur Knight. And then he continued unabated. And he was told off by the sheriff at least twice, if not three or four times. So that's how it started. But are you curious to know how it ends? Follow I am Not Nicholas on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts for series one and series two. I am not the Trials. You can binge all episodes early and ad free by joining Audible on the Audible app or Apple Podcasts.