Scam Goddess Podcast Summary

Episode: "TV Anchor turns PPP Mafiosa w/ Mandii B & Weezy WTF"

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This riotously funny episode of Scam Goddess, hosted by Laci Mosley, features guests Mandii B and Weezy WTF (hosts of the "Decisions Decisions" podcast and New York Times bestselling authors). Together, they deep-dive into the fraudulent exploits of Stephanie Hockridge, a Phoenix TV news anchor turned multi-million dollar PPP loan scammer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The episode blends sharp scam analysis, personal fraud stories, hilarious side commentary, and sharp jabs at white-collar criminality.

Key Discussion Points and Segments

Introductions and Getting to Know the Guests

• [01:39 – 06:26]
  • Laci introduces Mandii B and Weezy WTF as podcasters and authors of “No Holes Barred.”
  • Guests riff on keeping ex-husbands’ rich-sounding last names, flexing social clout, and family connections (Mandy’s anecdote about her mother’s ex and the Dreyfus name for its bougie appeal).
  • First laughs about famous families, the art of "the scam" in marrying into money, and passing on legacy names:

    “That’s a scam bitch. And okay, listen, she a Harvey.” — Laci, on Lori Harvey (04:18)

Scam “Confessions”—Personal Schemes and Side Hustles

• [06:46 – 14:46]
  • Mandii shares tales of an emotional scam from her early 20s—faking a pregnancy to get money and faking an abortion to get a vacation from work:

    “I just faked a pregnancy and had a fake abortion.” — Mandii B (10:44)

  • Weezy, a self-proclaimed non-scammer, admits to loving true white collar crime stories and once running a “robbery” when she was stranded after being flown out by a guy:

    “He never came back... So I stole every electronic in the room.” — Weezy (19:01)

  • Side stories of guests' side hustles and creative small-dollar “community banking” (Mandii’s overdraft/club hustle).
  • Hilarious discussion about multi-level marketing scams, the “giving circles” craze, and when “seed investments” go sideways.

Famous and Celebrity Scam Anecdotes

• [24:15 – 29:19]
  • Mandii tells about a stolen stash of hotel luxury lotions at a Jay Z afterparty—culminating in a meet-cute with Rihanna and ASAP Rocky, who revealed they also swipe hotel amenities:

    “He grabs the cordless phone from the fucking bed... walks out with it.” — Mandii, on ASAP Rocky (26:03)

  • The segment underlines how “theft brings people together... Except for your belongings!”

Main Scam: The PPP Mafiosa, Stephanie Hockridge

Historic Hoodwinks Segment

• [32:19 – 79:40]
  The deep dive on the main scam of the week:

Background and How It Started

• Stephanie Hockridge, a former Arizona news anchor known for her forgettable “copy-pasta” face, abruptly leaves her anchor job in 2020 and, with her husband Nathan Reese, forms the fintech company Blue Acorn in Scottsdale, AZ, just as COVID relief funds start rolling.
• Stephanie's profile as “Pilates Mom” and almost invisible white-collar status is riffed on at length.

The Sexy, Scammy Details

• Blue Acorn processes an astounding $12.5 billion in PPP loans—more than JPMorgan and Bank of America combined.

  “That’s with a B. With a B. Oh, there it is, $12.5 billion.” — Laci (48:32)

• Mandii and Weezy marvel at the audacity and scale, with jokes about knowing when to quit ("I would've stopped at a good 10 [million].”) (49:05)
• The biz model:
  • Blue Acorn helped people create entirely fake companies, faked supporting docs (payroll, tax records), and charged “success fees”/kickbacks.
  • “VIPP” (VIP PPP) clients with larger loans could skip most checks for an even bigger cut.

Institutional Blindness & Social Commentary

• Fintech "no due diligence" led to comically fake farm businesses—Florida potato farms, Minnesota orange groves...

  “My favorite oranges is the Minnesota.” — Mandy B, deadpan (44:52)

• Rant about how wealthy people and celebrities had massive PPP debts forgiven while small fries did prison time:

  “They wiped out all these millionaires’ debts. Chloe can pay! She got all that jean money.” — Laci (46:06)

Stephanie and Nathan's Personal Grift

• They took out multi-six-figure PPP loans for “companies with no employees.”
• Borrowers were charged up to 10% kickbacks.
• Staff were told:

  “Prioritize speed over accuracy. Ignore red flags. Skip identity checks unless fraud is extremely obvious.” (52:14)

• Forged documents included “black and veteran status” for Nathan, to qualify for minority and veteran set-asides.

  “On one application, Nate claimed that he was a veteran and Black.” — Laci (62:33) “You know why he did that? He says right now, Black Lives Matter.” — Weezy (62:45)

• Stephanie even coached her parents to make up “side gigs” to qualify for their own PPP loans—her dad netted $500.

The Downfall & Flight

• With federal attention ramping up, the couple flees to Puerto Rico for the tax break (“no capital gains”) and is photographed flaunting cash in a luxury condo—but with what the hosts call “strippers’ money” (faded $20s and $100s).
• They later attempt new “consultancies” from their luxury digs, as the DOJ closes in.

Trial & Reflection

• Stephanie is convicted on a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Nathan’s trial is pending.
• Reflections on the hubris of white-collar crime, American legal double standards, and why relentless greed is always the downfall.

  “Once you have money, nothing matters.” — Weezy (78:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Crime Mindset in America:

“If you do the crime, do not do the time, damn it. … Once you have money, nothing matters.” — Weezy (78:32–78:58)

On Small-Time PPP Fraudsters Going to Jail:

“If you was Lil from Pretty Ricky Blue—baby, they coming for that ass.” — Laci (39:54)

On the Couple's Run to Puerto Rico:

“Leave ustados unidos. … They didn’t tell y’all we colonized that. You got to go a little further.” — Laci (72:24)

On Making Fake Loan Docs:

“She blamed, like, this not getting done on her man. She was like, my man’s is not good at Photoshop.” — Laci (60:48)

On the Forgettable Face of a Scammer:

“You could literally rob me at gunpoint, broad daylight in the park, and I would not know who she is.” — Laci (38:04)

Mandii’s Mom Passing a Scam Test:

“She was about to get you that loan, bitch.” — Laci, after a prank “income verification” call (68:30)

Other Highlight Segments

Personal Stories and Sidebars

• Hilarious pranks and borrowing hustle via fake “income verification” with Mandii B’s mother (65:41 – 69:17).
• Side rants about PAYDAY loans, health insurance/ambulance scams, and nightly observations about the New York City affordable housing “lottery.”
• AI and the new generation of scam “influencers” and mukbangs.

Audience Engagement

• The show plugs the new Scam Goddess TV series and the guests’ books, encourages subscribing, streaming, and supporting “Congregation” scams by running the pod on kids’ iPads to pump the numbers (“We’re orchestrating one up them number, but yes, we scamming over here.” — Laci, 84:42).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intros & Family/Name Jokes: 01:39 – 06:26
• Confessions & Scam Stories: 06:46 – 14:46
• Weezy’s Robbery as Revenge: 17:33 – 24:01
• Celebrity Hotel Theft & Rih/ASAP: 24:15 – 29:19
• Main Scam Recap Begins: 32:19
• COVID PPP Fraud Deep Dive: 44:51 – 79:40
• Mandii’s Mom Scam Prank: 65:41 – 69:17
• Outros & Plugs: 80:01 – end

Tone & Language

The tone is irreverent, quick-witted, and deeply rooted in Black pop culture, reality TV, and scam lore. The hosts and guests take joy in the comedy of crime—especially when it exposes larger issues of economic inequality and double standards—while keeping it lighthearted and engaging throughout.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a rollicking ride through the world of pandemic scams, the thin line between “entrepreneur” and “fraudster,” and the unintentional hilarity of upper-middle-class white-collar criminals who mistakenly believe they’re invisible. It serves both as a cautionary tale and as pure comedic entertainment—a perfect example of why Scam Goddess has such a passionate “Con-gregation” following.

As Laci always says: Stay schemin’!