Hosted by Laci Mosley
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this episode of Scam Goddess, host Laci Mosley is joined by guest Lennon Parham to discuss a bizarre and devastating case of identity theft spanning thirty years. Matthew Kirins stole the wallet of his coworker William Woods at an Albuquerque hot dog cart in 1988 and spent the next three decades assuming Woods's identity, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, getting married, and working a remote job as a systems architect. Meanwhile, the real William Woods experienced severe hardship, living on the streets and eventually being arrested and committed to a psychiatric hospital after banks and police believed the imposter rather than him. The hosts break down the absurdity of the situation, the failures of the justice system, and how Woods ultimately tracked down evidence and DNA to clear his name and put the con man away.
Lacey Mosley opens the episode, welcoming listeners and introducing the theme of scams and fraud.
Lacey introduces guest Lennon Parham, highlighting her comedic background and previous work.
Lennon shares personal anecdotes about scams she encountered growing up and as an adult.
The episode shifts to a detailed recount of Matthew Kirin’s long‑term identity theft of William Woods, including the legal fallout.
Discussion of William Woods’ arrests, psychiatric treatment, and the eventual conviction of Matthew Kirin.
Lacey and Lennon close the show, encouraging listeners to report scams and follow the podcast on social media.
A listener shares how their father unbothered took calls for years from angry customers because his cell number was one digit off from a scam business.
Thirty-Year Identity Theftdata
Matthew Kirins assumed William Woods's identity for three decades, leading to the real William being jailed and institutionalized.
The multi-decade con began in 1988 at an Albuquerque hot dog cart when Matthew stole William's wallet containing his social security card.
The imposter worked remotely as a systems architect under William's name, earning at least $700,000 over a ten-year period.
Gathering DNA Evidencestrategy
The real William Woods had to hire an investigator and collect DNA from the hospital to prove his true identity.
The Accidental Confessioninsight
The imposter was caught when a detective asked for his father's name and he accidentally gave his real father's name instead of the fake one.
“We might laugh at them, but we'll never laugh at the victims because it's not your fault.”
“I think that they were trying to stage it to look like it was a robbery when really it was the locksmith.”
“I feel like the, the lasting help is better, not the one-time handout.”
“He was living the middle‑class dream with somebody else's name.”
Writer, comedian, and director Lennon Parham is no stranger to true-con. Once, a locksmith robbed her home, though not as intelligently as one might hope a locksmith would approach the job. With Laci, she discovers the strange story of Matthew Kieran's identity theft. William Woods, an unhoused man, has his identity stolen by a con artist, Matthew Kieran. The state of California was so classist and so convinced by the fraudster that they told the victim, William, he could no longer use his own name. Thirty years later, they were so entangled in one another that a child even got caught in the crossfire, and William had to spend time in a psych ward. You'll never believe how the truth came to light. Keep the scams coming and snitch on your friends by emailing us at [email protected]. Follow on Instagram: Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod Laci Mosley: @divalaci Lennon Parham: @lennonparham See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7,987 words · 8 speakers
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