The Art of Fraud: Vicky Baker on crafting True Crime podcasts

While many of us spent the first week of the Christmas holiday stressing about deadlines, I had the opportunity to sit down with senior BBC journalist and podcast producer Vicky Baker (while also stressing about deadlines). In a media landscape saturated with true crime content, Vicky has carved out a unique niche investigating stories of deception and fraud. Her acclaimed podcasts Fake Psychic and Fake Heiress don’t just recycle sensational headlines – they delve deep beneath the surface, exploring the complex web of human relationships that make fraud possible. 

Speaking from her home, Vicky reflects on how these intricate investigations often begin with the smallest leads. A casual internet search about psychic mafias led her to an obscure book that would become Fake Psychic. Her ability to spot these hidden gems – stories overlooked or forgotten by mainstream media – has become her trademark at the BBC. 

But what sets Vicky’s work apart isn’t just her nose for a good story. It’s her careful approach to complex narratives, weaving together multiple perspectives while never losing sight of the real human cost behind these tales of deception. Her journey to becoming one of the BBC’s most compelling podcast creators, however, followed its own unexpected path. 

The Foundation Years 

For someone who began by uncovering hidden gems for The Guardian and National Geographic Traveller, Vicky’s evolution into one of BBC’s leading investigative podcast creators might seem surprising. Yet the skills honed in travel journalism – getting under the skin of places, finding fresh angles, and crafting compelling narratives – would prove invaluable in her future role creating investigative podcasts. 

In narrative podcast you really want to transport people to locations and help them create the place in their minds

“I think the early jobs I did for really small publications ended up proving such good experience,” Vicky reflects, acknowledging how these seemingly modest beginnings shaped her current success. “I think the things that I learned from travel writing have made me a better writer, a more creative writer… who tries to get under the skin of places. And I think that helps in narrative podcast because you really want to transport people to locations and help them create the place in their minds.” However, Vicky became disillusioned with travel writing, stating that it ‘’had become a bit too associated with PR in some cases,” she explains and that the “line was being a little bit muddled” 

What sets Vicky apart in the investigative journalism field is her comprehensive skill set which she built up doing a variety of jobs at different publications, including a stint as a sub-editor for The Telegraph. While speaking about this role she said- “There are a lot of investigative journalists who haven’t done that much writing and that’s not their skill set.’’ Her early work at smaller publications also taught her to find fresh angles, a skill that would become crucial in her podcast work. “You’re always trying to do this with any form of journalism… find new angles and things that haven’t been written about before.” 

Finding Stories in Unexpected Places 

Through experience, Vicky came to learn that the most interesting stories came from the most unexpected places. An example of this would be Fake Psychic, which began with a random online search. “It was a chance Google that led me to it in the first place, I Googled ‘has there ever been a psychic mafia’ and came across the book where Lamar writes about the psychic mafia,” Baker recalls. “We got it on eBay because it’s difficult to find.”

What began as an attempt to solve a decades-old attempted murder evolved into something more nuanced – a story of potential redemption. 

The challenge with Fake Psychic lay in Lamar Keene, an unreliable narrator. “The nature of the narrator… unreliability, being a con man, being a confessed liar, what could we trust of what he said?” This complexity forced Vicky to adapt her investigative approach. What began as an attempt to solve a decades-old attempted murder evolved into something more nuanced – a story of potential redemption. 

The Challenge of Character 

When crafting these narratives, Vicky faced a unique challenge: building compelling portraits of people she couldn’t directly interview. “When you haven’t got access to the individual themselves, you’re trying to build a picture of them… but you’ve got to recognise your limitations,” she explains. The fact that Anne Delvey was in jail and Lamar Keene was dead led to her creating a narrative through those that knew them. “It’s more kind of impressions that other people have had of them that were going on.” 

This was particularly evident in her work on Fake Heiress. While telling Anna Delvey’s story, Vicky had to maintain a careful balance. “I’ve always been conscious of not glamorising her or the crimes that were committed,” she notes. This challenge became even more complex as Delvey’s public profile grew, eventually leading to appearances on shows like Dancing With the Stars while wearing an ankle monitor. 

 The Anatomy of a Podcast-Worthy Story 

What makes a story suitable for the podcast format? Vicky is clear about the essential elements: “You have got to have really strong characters first and foremost… Got to really have people that have a story to tell, are intriguing.” But character alone isn’t enough. “It’s got to have twists and turns and hooks,” she emphasises, noting that “the best ones are where you think they’re going in a certain direction and then they don’t.” 

The skills Vicky learned from travel writing proved invaluable in podcast storytelling, where creating a sense of place and atmosphere is crucial. “To be able to combine hard news writing – straight to the point, succinct, getting it grammatically correct – with the creative writing of travel writing and long-form features, then combining that with investigative journalism, is why I’ve moved into podcasts,” she explains. 

The Impact of Immersion 

Spending extensive time investigating frauds and cons has left its mark on Vicky. “I think I’m sceptical. I think I’m a massive sceptic,” she admits. However, this scepticism is balanced with compassion, particularly for those who fall victim to sophisticated scams. 

Anybody can be conned. These people particularly play on emotions and look for vulnerabilities.

“I think from what I have learnt, anybody can be conned,” she observes. “These people particularly play on emotions and look for vulnerabilities.” This understanding has shaped her approach to storytelling, leading her to “have respect for the victims and certainly not present anybody who falls for a con artist as being foolish.” 

Looking Forward 

After more than two decades in journalism, Vicky maintains her enthusiasm while staying grounded in the fundamentals of good storytelling. “I love working in podcasts and investigations at the moment,” she says, while acknowledging that the future might hold new directions. 

Her advice to aspiring journalists draws directly from her own experience: “If you’re working in journalism, in whatever area, for however big or small the publication, it can all be useful for the bigger journey… Enjoy what you’re doing at each step of the way.” 

The key to longevity might lie not in sticking to a single path, but in being willing to embrace new challenges

Through her work, Vicky demonstrates that the best storytelling often comes from a combination of rigorous journalism and creative narrative techniques. Her success in true crime podcasting isn’t just about finding compelling stories – it’s about telling them with integrity, nuance, and respect for all involved. 

“Who knows where I will go from here?” she muses, embodying the adaptability that has characterised her career. In an industry that continues to evolve, Vicky’s approach suggests that the key to longevity might lie not in sticking to a single path, but in being willing to embrace new challenges while maintaining core journalistic principles.