Strategic PR Turns Johnathan Walton’s $100K Con Story Into National Media Coverage
Johnathan Walton is a former Emmy-winning journalist who is now a well-known fraud buster. He switched from working on shows including “American Ninja Warrior” and “Shark Tank” to focus on experiences being scammed out of more than $100,000. He also hosts several investigative true-crime podcasts, including “Queen of the Con,” “Cocaine Air,” “The Quarterback and the Con Artist” and “The Handyman of West Texas.”
He selected Bospar to promote his book, “Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters and Thieves,” which called on his personal experience and knowledge.
He was victimized by a close friend who turned out to be a fraud and scammed him out of a devastating amount of money. The woman who stole his money, known in the media as “The Irish Heiress,” was a serial fraudster with a string of other victims. Thankfully, she was convicted in the fall of 2025 during a trial in Northern Ireland at which Walton appeared.
Challenge
The client engaged Bospar to generate national media attention around both the book and the dramatic real-world story behind it. Bospar needed to elevate Walton’s profile as a credible fraud expert while also generating media interest in the book, his story and the international trial of the woman who defrauded him. The team also needed to raise his credibility with true-crime audiences and readers seeking practical advice on avoiding scams.
Strategy
Bospar’s PR experts dove into this fascinating story with gusto, working to create a strategic approach that covered the client’s experiences with broader con artist narratives. The public relations team’s wide-ranging strategic approach to generate interest in the book included developing strong pitches to attract broad syndicated TV coverage for the launch.
The multi-tiered media campaign was designed to highlight the client’s expertise in the world of con artists. The campaign also emphasized the book’s unique story. The team amplified the story by emphasizing that the client was attending the Northern Ireland trial and turning the event into a compelling story of justice and the intricacies of investigative law enforcement.
Bospar’s strategic media plan established the client as a recognized authority on con artists, generating broad national and international coverage. The campaign highlighted the book launch while weaving in dramatic, real-world examples. Our team of public relations experts also conducted extensive successful newsjacking on fraud-related topics such as elderly-focused scams, the latest phishing schemes and other related topics.
Media placements across top-tier outlets, including NewsNation and The Guardian, drove awareness of the book, the client’s expertise and his ongoing work advising victims. The expansive coverage and the Bospar team’s coordinated messaging further established the client as a go-to expert in fraud prevention and personal finance protection.
The book launch earned considerable broadcast station coverage at WCAU‑TV, Philadelphia, Pa., KTIV‑TV, Sioux City, Iowa, WEAU‑TV, Eau Claire, Wis., KTTC‑TV, Rochester, Minn., KGNS‑TV, Laredo, Texas, WVIT‑TV, West Hartford, Conn., WILX‑TV, Lansing, Mich., WVNC, Watertown, N.Y., WBTS‑TV, Boston, Mass, and WGN‑TV, Chicago, Ill.
- Yahoo! Syndicated Ramon Antonio Vargas’s article “‘Queen of the Con’ Convicted of Fraud in Northern Ireland with Help from True Crime Podcaster”
- IMDB writer Cynthia Littleton reported “Producer Turned Podcaster Johnathan Walton Pens ‘Anatomy of a Con Artist’ Guide to Spotting Scams”
- The New York Times journalist Claire Moses wrote “American Who Posed as Irish Heiress Is Found Guilty of Theft and Fraud”
- MSN journalist Emma Weidmann created the article “Former San Antonio TV Personality Writes the Book on Catching a Con Man”
- The Guardian journalist Ramon Antonio Vargas wrote “‘Queen of the Con’ Convicted of Fraud in Northern Ireland with Help from True Crime Podcaster”
- The Spectator writer Anne de Courcy delivered “Deception by Stealth: The Scammer’s Long Game”
- USA Today podcaster Taylor Wilson shared Walton’s guidance in “The Red Flags You Need to Know to Avoid Being Conned | The Excerpt”
- The ForbesTV staff covered the story in “I Got Scammed Out Of Nearly $100K. Con Artists Are Everywhere— Here’s How To Spot Them: TV Producer”
- Variety reporter Shane Lopes wrote “Producer Turned Podcaster Johnathan Walton Pens ‘Anatomy of a Con’ Guide to Spotting Scam Artists”
The client, who is also a podcaster, also appeared on several additional podcasts, including Oh My Fraud, DEVIANT and the James Altucher Show.
“Curtis and his team at Bospar booked me a bunch of different on camera media interviews with news stations across the country. They even got me on News Nation to promote my book: Anatomy of a Con Artist.”
— Johnathan Walton
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