Scam Goddess is an empathetic, entertaining adaptation of the popular podcast

Laci Mosley loves scams. For more than five years, the actor and comedian—known for series like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Florida Girls, and the currently airing Going Dutch—has hosted the Earwolf podcast Scam Goddess, in which she and a guest preach to the CONgregation about swindles, robberies, fraud, and the like. And on the show she has perfected a special blend of public-service announcement, historical storytelling, and ribald commentary that often spins out into highly entertaining tangents (including one that sparked that “drama” between Ayo Edebiri and Jennifer Lopez). And now, she’s stepping out from behind the microphone in this new Freeform series, digging into six true-crime stories (some of which have been covered on the podcast).

Expectations need to be shifted a bit when approaching the TV show version of SG. The podcast takes a “sometimes we love them, sometimes we hate them” look at its subjects, with neither the host nor guest knowing the full story ahead of time, which can lead to drastic shifts when something truly unsavory is revealed or squeals of delight when someone pulls off a particularly sweet con. Freeform’s Scam Goddess, on meanwhile, casts a bit more of a sympathetic eye on those swept up in dupers’ webs. 

And it turns out that Mosley’s charisma as a host on-mic easily translates to the small screen. She has a knack for doing goofy sketches and bits without making them feel overbearing and can gently poke fun at some of the spots she visits while avoiding punching down. (She seems pretty charmed by every place she travels to, whether it’s as small as Opelika, Alabama, or as big as Miami.) She’s also an engaging, witty interviewer, knowing the exact amount of mugging to do and when it’s time to pop a joke or, most importantly, cede attention to the victims so that their voices feel heard (which is probably the main difference between this adaptation and the original). 

For whatever bits fans may miss from the podcast (like those aforementioned, occasionally riotously vulgar tangents), the show compensates with slick editing, compelling stories, and some killer outfits, with Mosley changing into a different on-theme look every episode. It’s those hints of playfulness—and our host’s reactions of incredulity to twists and turns—that keep the show from turning into just a string of sad stories. Which isn’t to suggest that everything is sunny here: Underneath all of the good-natured fun is still a lot of very real pain and betrayal. 

Shame, in fact, is a key ingredient. So many of the interviewees talk about being embarrassed for having fallen for these scams, of not wanting their family to know because of how stupid they felt. Scam Goddess is often entertaining, yes, and it’s fun to see Mosley bopping about and cracking jokes. But she expresses a deep well of empathy for these victims. She’s spoken before on the podcast about wanting to destigmatize the shame around being swindled, and she really delivers on that front in the show, sounding genuine whether she’s sitting down with those affected by the scam or the scammers themselves.

In the end, Scam Goddess rises above the avalanche of documentaries and reality shows that cover this subject on the strength of its host and her ability to spin a great yarn. As much as one may miss the wild comedy of the original, Mosley adapts nicely into a traveling investigator here, managing to retain her comedic chops without coming off as condescending. And fans of the podcast, don’t worry: Freeform hasn’t sanitized their queen but instead provided newbies with a worthy introduction to her.  

Scam Goddess premieres January 15 on Freeform