Scam Goddess – "The Ex-Hurler’s Cancer Con" w/ Shea Couleé

Host: Laci Mosley
Guest: Shea Couleé
Original Air Date: March 10, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Scam Goddess brings the congregation a wild, hilarious deep-dive into the true crime–adjacent world of scams—“true con” as Laci says. Joined by drag superstar Shea Couleé, Laci explores the jaw-dropping saga of Irish sports hero DJ Carey, who faked having cancer to defraud acquaintances, fans, and businesspeople out of hundreds of thousands of euros. Alongside the main con, the duo offers witty commentary on American scam culture, personal stories of hustle, and plenty of asides on chips, drag conventions, and Irish linguistics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America: Land of the Hustle and the Scam

• Laci and Shea open by reflecting on how scams are "woven into the fabric of this country."

• Quote:

  "We live in America. It is a country built off of scamming. You know, scamming is woven into the fabric of this country." —Shea Couleé [02:45]

• They joke about the inevitability of encountering scams, be it taxes, inflated chip prices, or broken promises. Laci makes the case that scams are a “recession indicator.”

• Joke moments:

  • "A personal bag of chips should not be a dollar." [06:29]
  • "Chips are filled with more air—what we're getting in that bag... is probably a third of a potato." [06:37]

2. What Makes a Scam a Scam?

• Shea and Laci riff on the ethics of scamming—rooting for hustle against the system but denouncing scams that target the vulnerable (e.g., Jen Shah and Elizabeth Holmes).

• They agree that a "scam" is when two people enter an agreement and one doesn’t get what was promised. [11:39]

  • Quote:

    "For me, the definition of a scam is when two people enter an agreement and one person walks away not receiving what they were promised." —Laci Mosley [11:39]

3. Personal Scam Stories & DragCon

• Shea spills about the ups and downs of RuPaul’s DragCon, where the costs for participants quickly add up, prompting queens to have to pass charges along to fans.
• Laci argues this is more “hustle” than outright scam, as fans still get what they paid for. [11:39–13:48]

4. Introducing DJ Carey and the Cancer Scam

• Historic Hoodwinks segment dives into the main case:
  • DJ Carey, noted as “Ireland’s Messi,” is a revered sports figure in the niche world of hurling. [17:57]
  • The duo comedically tries to figure out what hurling actually is, leading to a funny diversion about Irish words and culture. [19:17–22:58]

5. The Rise and Fall of DJ Carey

• DJ’s varied post-sports ventures: from cleaning supply businesses (with suspiciously vague “Enterprise” names) to property investments with a millionaire girlfriend, Sarah Newman (of Dragon’s Den fame). [24:06–30:33]
• Regular business failures, bankruptcies, and a series of replacement partners (wife, then sister, then girlfriend) set the stage for desperation before the scam.

6. The Cancer Con Scheme (Key Segment)

• Timestamp: [43:19]

• DJ Carey falsely claims to have multiple myeloma, leveraging a “rare, aggressive cancer” for sympathy and cash.

  • Shea shares a personal connection:

    "My dad died from [multiple myeloma], so I'm really gonna get on your ass, DJ." —Shea Couleé [44:17]

• Carey uses fake medical records, doctored photos (with an iPhone charging cord as his "oxygen tube"), and fabricated stories of malpractice suits and US treatment. [48:27–50:42]

  Memorable Drag:

  • "Can you at least stick the charging part of [the iPhone cord] all the way up your nose? I can see where the plugin is!" —Laci Mosley [49:22]

7. How the Scam Worked and Fell Apart

• Carey targeted well-off acquaintances and businesspeople, spinning elaborate stories and promising repayment once a mythical payout arrived. [53:45]

• Many victims were cold-emailed or texted after decades with no contact, asked to "donate" or loan thousands at a time. [56:25–56:49]

  • "I don't hear from you for 30 years and you gonna hit me up for 20 bands?" —Shea Couleé [56:40]

• Carey’s documentation and stories unravel under scrutiny:

  • No hospital records, court cases, or international medical travel.
  • Irish doctors confirm that no cancer patient would need to go to the US for this treatment anyway. [55:37]

8. Downfall and Community Reactions

• DJ Carey is arrested and pleads guilty to scamming 13 people out of €400,000. Only €44,000 has been repaid. [61:41]
• Sentenced to 5.5 years, he receives support from fans—including one who lets him live at his home pre-incarceration.
• Notably, his sister Katrina—ousted from business—is also up for trial for money laundering, showing that “keeping it in the family” isn’t always smart. [66:01]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On American scam culture:

• "There is no way to exist here without either scamming or being scammed."
  —Shea Couleé [02:46]

• "We all just show up to Congress in a neck brace for the whiplash."
  —Laci Mosley [06:07]

On DragCon “scamonomics”:

• "They put the con in DragCon, baby!"
  —Shea Couleé [10:14]

On Irish business names:

• Regarding “DJ Carey Enterprises”:
  "That doesn't tell me what you do. No, that's a scamming ass name, girl."
  —Laci Mosley [24:06]

• "Whenever someone says 'experiential activation,' you know they on some bullshit."
  —Shea Couleé [25:04]

On the audacity of the cancer scam:

• "He just took a picture of himself with an iPhone cable up his nose."
  —Laci Mosley [16:47]
• "That's masking tape, too. That's not even like medical grade tape."
  —Shea Couleé [17:17]

On assessing scam victims:

• "Famous equals good person... because every single famous person is famously a good person."
  —Shea Couleé [47:09]

On fraud family values:

• "She really looks up to her brother… my brother doing fraud, let me get some!"
  —Shea Couleé [66:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:06–08:25] – Introduction; America’s scam culture and recession jokes
• [11:39] – Defining “scam” versus “hustle”
• [17:57–22:58] – Explaining hurling (with comedic confusion)
• [24:06–30:33] – DJ Carey Enterprises and Irish business drama
• [43:19–50:42] – DJ Carey’s fake cancer diagnosis, forged documents, and the execution of the con
• [53:45–55:57] – Mechanics of the scam; targeting well-off people, promising returns, and the unraveling
• [61:41–64:52] – Sentencing, community response, and family legacy of fraud

The Takeaway

This episode fuses keen comedic observation with an in-depth breakdown of how con artists exploit trust, celebrity, and sympathy. Through the absurd tale of DJ Carey—and their own drag, fan, and American experiences—Laci and Shea show why we must stay vigilant, question narratives, and above all, "stay schemin’."

Where to Find the Cast

• Shea Couleé:
  "You can find me on Instagram, Threads, TikTok (maybe), YouTube, and Twitch—I'll be starting a book club!" [66:31]

• Laci Mosley:
  "At D-I-V-A-L-A-C-I, Divalaci on all platforms. Check Scam Goddess Pod on Instagram for visuals, and check my tour dates—links in bio!" [67:05]

Scam Goddess: Stay schemin’!