Melissa Caddick: The Vanishing Fraudster

Melissa Caddick: The Vanishing Fraudster

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast June 3, 2025 Duration: 47:40
She was wealthy, stylish, and living the dream life in Sydney, Australia—designer clothes, luxury vacations, a $6.2 million mansion. But when Melissa Caddick vanished without a trace the day after authorities raided her home, what followed would unravel one of Australia's most bizarre financial scandals. Melissa had been running a $23 million Ponzi scheme, stealing from friends, family, and colleagues to fund her extravagant lifestyle. On November 12, 2020, Melissa left for her morning run and never returned. She left behind her phone, wallet, and all personal belongings. Three months later, her decomposing foot—still wearing an expensive running shoe—washed ashore on a beach 250 miles away. But the rest of her body was never found. Did Melissa fake her own death and escape? Did she jump into the ocean? Or was she murdered by someone she scammed? This case explores the audacious lies, fake documents, and lavish spending that fooled dozens of victims—and the mystery that remains unsolved. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com #TrueCrime #Podcast #FloridaMoms #MelissaCaddick #Australia #PonziScheme #FinancialFraud Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
[Unsolved] The Missing Millionaire: Captain Loewenstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:47
In 1928, Belgian millionaire Alfred Loewenstein was flying over the English Channel in his private plane when he mysteriously vanished mid-flight. His body was later found in the sea, but the circumstances of his death r…
Justice for Megan Trussell: An Unsolved Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:01
An 18-year-old college freshman, full of creativity and ambition, walked out of her dorm room one cold February night in 2024 and never made it back. Megan Trussell was a gifted artist and bright student at Arapahoe Comm…
Dr. Sam Sheppard: The Trial That Gripped America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:39
In 1954, Dr. Sam Sheppard's pregnant wife Marilyn was brutally murdered in their Ohio home. Sheppard claimed a "bushy-haired intruder" attacked them both, but prosecutors believed he was the killer. The sensational trial…
[Serial Killer] Belle Gunness: America's Most Deadly Widow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:15
Belle Gunness was a Norwegian immigrant who turned her Indiana farm into a graveyard. Between 1884 and 1908, she lured dozens of suitors through "lonely hearts" advertisements, promising marriage and a life on her prospe…
Charles Ponzi: The Original Pyramid Scheme [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:37
Before Bernie Madoff, before cryptocurrency scams, there was Charles Ponzi—the man who gave his name to one of history's most infamous fraud schemes. In 1920, the Italian immigrant promised investors a 50% return in just…
[Wrongful Conviction] Michael Politte: Framed for Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Politte woke up to find his Missouri home engulfed in flames and his mother dead inside. Within hours, investigators decided Michael was the killer, despite a complete lack of physical eviden…
[Crossover] Barefoot Bandit + The Knife Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:09
At 19 years old, Colton Harris-Moore became one of America's most wanted fugitives—and a folk hero to some. Dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he often committed crimes without shoes, Colton stole cars, boats, and even…
[Unsolved] The Televangelist Mail Bombings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
In 1990, two of America's most prominent televangelists became targets of a mysterious mail bombing campaign. John Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston and Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network both receive…
[Mystery] Lake Lanier: Georgia's Cursed Waters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:44
Lake Lanier, Georgia's largest lake, is one of the deadliest bodies of water in America—with over 700 deaths since its creation in 1956. But the lake's dark history goes deeper than tragic accidents. Built by flooding en…