Advertise on podcast: Strange But True Crime

Carrie Jade, a disability campaigner living in Ireland, goes viral after claiming Airbnb guests are suing her because of her Huntington’s disease. But when investigative journalist Katherine Denkinson sees the story, some of the details don’t add up. Kat travels to County Kerry looking for answers and finds a trail of people with troubling stories of their own. What begins with questions about one social media claim develops into an investigation involving different identities, elaborate deceptions and a past that stretches back years. Kat tells Rima how she pursued the story, what she discovered about the woman known as ‘Carrie Jade’, and how that identity led her back to a woman called Samantha Cookes. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Katherine Denkinson Producer: Luke de Costa Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Rima Ahmed explores bizarre true crime, including audacious heists, drug smuggling, elaborate frauds, scams, catfishing, identity theft and cybercrime, alongside BBC reporters who have covered the cases first-hand.

Nathan Newby steps outside St James’s Hospital in Leeds for a vape and finds himself face-to-face with a man carrying a bomb. Nobody else knows what’s happening, and Nathan realises that keeping him talking may be the only way to stop an attack. The man is Mohamed Farouk, an NHS worker who has built a pressure cooker bomb and planned an attack on the hospital where he worked. As patients and staff remain inside, Nathan spends more than two hours trying to move Farouk away from the building, understand what he intends to do and persuade him to change his mind. BBC Yorkshire’s Home Affairs correspondent Emma Glasby tells the story of the St James’s Hospital plot, the investigation into Farouk and the extraordinary actions that later earned Nathan Newby the George Medal. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Emma Glasbey Producer: Luke de Costa Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Rima Ahmed explores bizarre true crime, including audacious heists, drug smuggling, elaborate frauds, scams, catfishing, identity theft and cybercrime, alongside BBC reporters who have covered the cases first-hand.

Liverpool councilor Christine Banks starts receiving anonymous poison pen letters at her home. They’re abusive, deeply personal and relentless. At one point, as many as five arrive in a day. And Christine has a strong suspicion about who is sending them. She soon discovers she isn’t the only target. Other people connected to Liverpool politics have received remarkably similar letters, and one name keeps coming up: former councillor and prominent community campaigner Gerard Woodhouse. BBC journalist Marc Waddington joins Rima to trace the poison pen campaign, the clues that pointed towards its author and the fingerprint that finally gave police their breakthrough. How did a respected local figure become the man behind a campaign of anonymous abuse? Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Marc Waddington Producer: Luke de Costa Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Essex drugs boss, Ben Ransome, is a wanted man. Before police can arrest him he flees the UK and disappears. Ransome continues to sell drugs from his new hideout in Thailand whilst reinventing himself as a prizefighter. Police chip away at his network of trusted drugs couriers in the UK. But who will be first to deliver a knockout blow? Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Lewis Adams Producer: Luke de Costa Executive producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

A mum says severe anxiety has made everyday life a struggle and left her needing financial support. But an anonymous tip-off raises questions about whether the life she has described matches the one she is actually living. Investigators start digging into Catherine Wieland’s benefit claim, using bank records, social media and covert surveillance to compare what she’s said with what they can prove. The deeper they look, the harder those two versions of her life are to reconcile. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Lucy Hunt Producer: Luke de Costa Executive producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

A Warwickshire couple leave their home and beloved pets in the care of a trusted house sitter while they go on holiday. But when they return, a few strange details suggest something is very wrong. Their home looks tidy, yet small clues begin to raise unsettling questions about what happened while they were away. As they look closer, suspicions grow around the woman they trusted with their keys. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Shannen Headley Producer: Luke de Costa Executive producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Model and former reality TV star Matt Peacock discovers his photos are being used to create fake dating profiles and catfish women. What begins as an unsettling case of online identity theft soon becomes far more serious. Women come forward with stories of intimate messages, explicit photos and relationships with a man they believed was Matt. Fake profiles appear as quickly as Matt can have them removed. So, he teams up with private investigator Rebecca Jane to uncover the person behind the deception. Their investigation leads to a dramatic sting operation and a confrontation with the man who has been impersonating Matt. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Katherine Bainbridge Producer: Luke de Costa Executive producer: Luke Eldridge Researcher: Bethan Davies Video Producer: Fede Marilotti Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Tanya Nasir’s stellar CV lands her a prestigious job on the neonatal unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital. But is she really who she says she is? Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Reporter: Colette Hume Producer: Luke de Costa Executive producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Recorded at the 2026 Crossed Wires Festival, Rima Ahmed takes you inside a BBC investigation to catch a catfish. Ray McDonald is a prolific scammer with a cruel knack for love bombing women and stealing thousands of pounds from them. He’s been jailed numerous times but as soon as he’s out, he’s back on dating apps and looking for his next victim to con. How do you stop a professional love bomber, like Ray McDonald? Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Philippa Goymer Producer: Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies Social Media: Fede Marilotti Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Peter Brooks is a high-flying plastic surgeon and burns specialist. But he has major beef with his fellow plastic surgeon, Graeme Perks. To make matters worse, he’s facing an employment tribunal and Perks is a key witness against him. Brooks’s career, his life, everything is on the line and he sees no way out. So he plots to take out his rival by burning their house to the ground - whilst they’re inside! Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Liam Barnes Produced by Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies Social Media: Fede Marilotti Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Rita thinks her care home will be a temporary place to rest and recover before returning home. But the 83-year-old is being targeted by the very people trusted to look after her. When care home manager Jamiel Slaney-Summers discovers Rita has no will, she sees an opportunity. With the help of care home owners Graham and Lyn Walker, a fake will is drawn up - one that will help them seize Rita’s house, savings, and estate. But they haven’t counted on Verna, Rita’s fiercely loyal cousin. She knows something is wrong and she is determined to put a stop to it. Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Josh Sandiford Produced by Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies Social Media: Fede Marilotti Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Sophie Zaherali’s XL Bully, named Ghost, escapes her home during a medical emergency. He is is tracked down by armed police and destroyed in the street. Sophie believes the police didn’t need to destroy her beloved family pet and takes her fight online. But who is to blame? Get in touch with us [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Chloe Aslett Produced by Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies Social Media: Fede Marilotti Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

A vexed farmer wages war on a major supermarket, threatening innocent families with a deadly game of Russian roulette. He hides shrapnel in jars of baby food and places the jars back on supermarket shelves. Detectives race against time to intercept the contaminated food and unmask the culprit. Get in touch with us [email protected]. Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Luke de Costa Produced by Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies Social Media: Fede Marilotti Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Young hackers infiltrate the social media accounts of the world’s biggest celebrities and spark internet-wide chaos. This is the story of the 2020 Twitter hack. Get in touch with us [email protected]. Presenter: Rima Ahmed Guest: Joe Tidy Producer: Luke de Costa Researcher: Bethan Davies

Rima has some exciting news! For tickets, go to crossedwires.live/fringe. Get in touch with the show at [email protected] Presenter: Rima Ahmed. Produced by Luke de Costa. Researcher: Bethan Davies. Social Media: Fede Marilotti. Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge. Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin.