Hype

How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet—and Why We're Following

By: Gabrielle Bluestone

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

From former Vice journalist and executive producer of hit Netflix documentary Fyre comes an eye-opening look at the con artists, grifters and snake oil salesmen of the digital age—and why we can’t stop falling for them.

We live in an age where scams are the new normal. A charismatic entrepreneur sells thousands of tickets to a festival that never happened. Respected investors pour millions into a start-up centered around fake blood tests. Reviewers and celebrities flock to London’s top-rated restaurant that’s little more than a backyard shed. These unsettling stories of today’s viral grifters have risen to fame and hit the front-page headlines, yet the curious conundrum remains: Why do these scams happen?

Drawing from scientific research, marketing campaigns, and exclusive documents and interviews, former Vice reporter Gabrielle Bluestone delves into the irresistible hype that fuels our social media ecosystem, whether it’s from the trusted influencers that peddled Fyre or the consumer reviews that sold Juicero. A cultural examination that is as revelatory as it is relevant, Hype pulls back the curtain on the manipulation game behind the never-ending scam season—and how we as consumers can stop getting played.

Fascinating Fraud

Great reporting and maybe a little too broad in concept but entertaining if you know the Fyre saga. My quibble is with narrators mispronunciation of famous names and words “Wale” (it’s wall-ee) “reputable” “titular” - which struck me as sloppy for a pop business book. Overall great listen tho.

Will Listen to again!

Great read/listen! Enough that I thought of getting the actual book :) I can’t wait to listen again and learn about human psychology!! Humans will humans, that’s for sure!

So important

This book should be required reading for anyone with a wifi connection. It’s wild How much the line has blurred between fraudster and business mogul.

Wildly Entertaining and Informative

In a culture of followers, likes and vanity metrics - it can be confusing to determine what is real versus postured. This book unwraps the attractive foil off of those looking to foil us.

Brilliant reporting and expert story-tellling

I loved every minute of this audiobook. From the Fyre Festival to Theranos to fraudulent IG influencers, Gabrielle Bluestone weaves fascinating stories about contemporary scams while offering keen insight into the perpetrators behind them.