The Death Defying Duper Mark Olmsted w/ Jamie Loftus (Re-Release)

Tue May 05 2026

CONgregation, in today’s Cinco de Mayo episode, we’re revisiting Episode Five, where Laci was joined by comedian, Emmy-nominated writer, and podcaster Jamie Loftus (The Bechdel Cast, Robot Chicken). They dive into the many curious cons of Mark Olmsted, a man on the brink of death who became a death certificate–forging, credit card–stealing insurance fraudster. Stay schemin’! (Originally Released 10/28/2019) Keep the scams coming and snitch on your friends by emailing us at ScamGoddessPod@gmail.com. Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Jamie Loftus: @jamiechristsuperstar Research by Sharilyn Vera SOURCES https://www.gq.com/story/the-man-who-wouldnt-die https://www.newser.com/story/275416/he-thought-hed-die-so-he-began-a-con-he-didnt-die.html

Transcript

Lacey Moseley (0:00)

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Guest or Caller (0:15)

The Velvet Gang.

Jamie Loftus (0:15)

They're boosting from my stores.

Lacey Moseley (0:17)

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Lacey Moseley (1:07)

fraud scam cause robbery and Fraud Scam Goddess. Oh my God. Well, hi guys. Welcome back to Scam Goddess. This is a pod dedicated to fraud and all those who practice it. We break down famous scams and capers and bring on hilarious comedians to tell us about their own relationships with scams as well. And today I'm so honored to have the Jamie Loftus actor stand up one woman performer. Everything in front of me. Thank you so much for doing the show.

Jamie Loftus (1:50)

Of course. I'm so excited.

Lacey Moseley (1:51)

Yeah.

Jamie Loftus (1:52)

Big fan.

Lacey Moseley (1:52)

Yes, I'm a big fan of Jamie. I love doing. She has a podcast called the Bechtel Cast, which I guess you could plug later, but I'm already plugging it up. Top.

Jamie Loftus (2:01)

Most beloved guest on that show. So good.

Lacey Moseley (2:03)

I love that show so much. Well, let's get into it, Jamie. We'll start with what's Hot and Fraud. So what's Hot and Fraud is a segment where we warn our listeners about popular scams. If you want to warn us or tell us about a scam that you have experienced in your life, please email us@scamgodesspodmail.com we'd love to share it on the show. All right, so we're going to start with what's Hot and Fraud. So this is a segment where we regale our listeners with the hottest, newest scams, you know, to protect them from getting scammed. We only want our listeners doing our scams. Right.

Summary

Scam Goddess: "The Death-Defying Duper Mark Olmsted" w/ Jamie Loftus

Release Date: May 5, 2026
Guest: Jamie Loftus
Main Theme: Deep dive into the real-life exploits of Mark Olmsted, a prolific scammer who manipulated the system for decades, exploiting everything from Social Security to life insurance, all under the shadow of the AIDS crisis.

Episode Overview

In this re-released classic, Laci Mosley brings comedian, writer, and podcaster Jamie Loftus onto the show for a wild, hilarious, and at times shocking examination of the life and scams of Mark Olmsted. They discuss how Olmsted navigated the AIDS epidemic, multiple fraudulent identities, and a truly death-defying array of legal and moral loopholes. The conversation blends comedy and incredulity while highlighting the strangely resourceful, convoluted world of professional con artists.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scam Types & Personal Scam Styles (02:03–08:30)

“What’s Hot in Fraud” segment: Laci and Jamie break down current scams, particularly appeals for help that turn out to be email or password theft.
Jamie confesses she's most vulnerable to scams appealing to empathy.
- “I fall for like the Nigerian prince scams of just like, I need. It would be so helpful if you... A stranger would be so disappointed in you.” — Jamie Loftus [05:45]
Laci identifies as an "incentive scammer": she’s more susceptible to scams promising a return.
Both hosts joke about the types of email addresses that attract scams, riffing on their own embarrassing early emails for comic effect.
They joke about the digital ecosystem’s vulnerability:
- “Google is the biggest scam... my life fell apart. My calendar stopped working. I was like, where do I be? What do I do?” — Laci Mosley [06:46]

2. Mensa: Elitism as a Scam (08:30–13:17)

Jamie’s experience joining Mensa (for an article) turns darkly comedic, revealing Mensa’s ego-driven, fee-based exclusivity as its own kind of grift.
- “A high IQ society that you need to pay eighty dollars to join is a scam…” — Jamie Loftus [08:48]
Mensa’s testing and social hierarchy: easy-to-pass tests, pricey fees, elitist merchandise (the "Brain Pool" Deadpool parody tee).
The psychological hooks of exclusivity in con artistry:
- “Confidence, like, to a point of egomaniac, is necessary.” — Laci Mosley [09:52]

3. Childhood Scams: Mall Kiosks & “You Could Be a Star!” (13:18–15:07)

Digression into childhood scam dreams—talent scouts at malls, “hot kids” being “discovered,” mall kiosks.
Laci: “The mall is a place for scams and for creeps.” [14:25]
Commentary on the ubiquity of tiny transactional scams in American life.

Main Story: The Scams of Mark Olmsted (18:28–51:20)

A. Background: Diagnosis and Early Motive

Mark and his older brother Luke, both gay men in San Diego, are diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s.
Mark claims his criminality began out of hopelessness, expecting to die soon—but their investigation reveals he was a natural-born scammer.
- “When I took a deep dive into these scams, I was like, oh, no, honey, you was a scammer.” — Laci Mosley [19:18]

B. The Disability Checks & Identity Fraud (22:00–25:08)

After Luke’s death, Mark delays filing the death certificate and continues cashing Luke’s sizable disability checks.
He next forges Luke’s driver’s license—with his own photo—by simply showing up at the DMV, exploiting 1980s-era ID protocols.
- “I guess you could just go take other people’s driver’s license photos in the 80s. What a time for scams!” — Laci Mosley [25:06]

C. Social Security and Multiple Identities (33:03–37:12)

As debts mount, Olmsted fakes his own death to avoid creditors, using forged documents with fake stamps ("Corona Krugers," his Little League team).
For an even higher disability payout, he later "revives" himself as Luke, returning to the Social Security office and fooling a nonchalant bureaucrat.
- “[SS worker says] ‘These things happen.’ And then puts him on disability.” — Laci Mosley [35:28]
Reflection on the program’s susceptibility and the two kinds of government workers: the petty and the indifferent.

D. The Never-Ending Cycle: Life Insurance, Meth, and Legal Evasion (39:44–47:36)

Mark sells his life insurance policy at a severe discount by intentionally worsening his health, driving his HIV T-cell count down.
Throughout, he continues extravagant spending, drugs, scams, and turns to meth dealing.
Eventually arrested in 2003 after being snitched on, but his HIV diagnosis earns him leniency (“white boy special”: small fine, community service).
He immediately resumes both scam artistry and dealing on release.

E. The Collapse: Multiple IDs, Final Arrest, and “Reform” (44:51–47:57)

Olmsted is finally tripped up when caught with multiple IDs for both Mark and Luke, a box labeled “crime,” and six passports.
Despite the mountain of evidence, he ultimately serves less than a year.
Post-prison, Olmsted returns to screenwriting, now for Russian oligarchs, and plans a prison memoir, “Ink from the Pen.”
- “He went to prison for less than a year and now he’s writing Oz...” — Laci Mosley [47:36]

F. The Legacy: Sympathy, Schadenfreude, and Scam Ethics (48:17–50:44)

Hosts wrestle with the complicated legacy—Mark hurt many, but the biggest victims were “the government and the insurance companies” (which they find amusing).
- “Cuz fuck the government and fuck insurance companies.” — Laci Mosley [50:33]
Repeatedly joke about the twisted sibling dynamic and how “evil people live forever.”

Scam of the Week: AfterTheRapturePetCare.com (51:21–58:29)

Laci highlights a real website offering “pet care for the rapture”—a service for Christians to register pets in case they’re raptured and atheists are left to care for animals.
“It is a $10 fee to weed out jokers who would submit fake pets...” [57:03]
Jamie: “That is... I mean, this is a free service but it costs $10! It’s free, but also put your credit card information in right here.” [57:04]
Merchandise available, including apparel for post-rapture non-believers (the “sinners”).
Both hosts riff: if you’re going to hell, “might as well go impeccably dressed.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Confidence in Scams:
“Confidence, like, to a point of egomaniac, is necessary.” — Laci Mosley [09:52]
On Mensa as a Scam:
“A high IQ society that you need to pay eighty dollars to join is a scam…” — Jamie Loftus [08:48]
On Death-Defying Grifting:
“He takes so many, like, huge risks, like, early into this game.” — Jamie Loftus [23:26]
“He loves the dmv. Everyone hates the dmv, but he loves the dmv. He is addicted to it.” — Laci Mosley [34:22]
On Scam Evolution:
“Good scammers, they rise to the occasion.” — Laci Mosley [25:40]
On Post-Scam Life:
“He’s Also working on a prison memoir called Ink from the Pen… That is a scam in itself.” — Jamie Loftus [47:31]
On Rapture Pet Care:
“It’s a merch shop... There’s even merch for the sinners. That’s more inclusive than I thought.” — Jamie Loftus [57:14, 57:34]

Timestamps for Major Segments

Intro & "What's Hot in Fraud": 01:52–08:30
Mensa Discussion: 08:30–13:17
Childhood/Mall Scams: 13:18–15:07
Mark Olmsted Story Begins: 18:28
Identity & Disability Scams: 22:00–25:08, 33:03–37:12
Meth Dealing & Legal Dodge: 39:44–47:57
Discussion on Scam Harm & Ethics: 48:17–50:44
Scam of the Week ("AfterTheRapturePetCare.com"): 51:21–58:29

Tone and Takeaways

The episode is a riff-heavy, comedic but surprisingly nuanced conversation about the strange ingenuity of scam artists, the shifting landscape of fraud pre- and post-internet, and the moral gray zones of victimless crimes. Both hosts maintain a tone of incredulous amusement, punctuated with sidebars on mall scams, late fees, and exclusive clubs. The story of Mark Olmsted is treated with both fascination and critique, always keeping the listener laughing and questioning: who really gets hurt when a scammer scams those in power?

Where to Find the Hosts

Jamie Loftus:
- Podcast: The Bechtel Cast
- Twitter: @jamieloftishelp
- Instagram: @amycrysuperstar
Laci Mosley:
- @divalacy on all platforms
- scamgoddesspod (Gmail, Twitter, Instagram, and even Yahoo)

Stay schemin’! Stay shady! And remember—if Laci ever calls you, you know it’s legit.