Meet Ray Trapani: a kid from New York who became one of the 21st Century’s most prolific con artists. In this sneak peek of Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned, his best friend goes inside Ray’s mind to learn why he dreamed of being a criminal and how he had a knack for exploiting the exploitable. From a prescription pad hustle to cashing in on a glitch in a popular payment app, Ray’s small-time scams were the stepping stones to his biggest scam yet, Centra Tech.

At 26 years old, Ray Trapani and his two partners founded one of the hottest tech startups: Centra Tech. The company touted partnerships with some of the biggest banks, had the endorsements of DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather, and was fronted by a Harvard-educated CEO. Centra Tech was about to take over the world…until it didn’t.

Ray’s company was a giant lie built on empty promises, fake executives, and fraudulent contracts. All the while, Ray took millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors and was living the high life until it all came crashing down.

If you're an iHeart True Crime+ subscriber, you can listen to ALL episodes of Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned 100% ad-free, so you can binge the entire season. And if you are NOT an iHeart True Crime+ subscriber, go to Apple Podcasts and search for iHeart True Crime+ and subscribe today! Episodes will be premiering free to listeners starting Wednesday, April 3rd on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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In "Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned", we’ll meet Ray Trapani. Ray grew up in a modest shore town outside of New York City. Once a happy-go-lucky kid, Ray's innocent summers on the beach quickly turned to sex, drugs, and schemes. By high school, Ray orchestrated an elaborate opioid prescription scam that made him more money than any sophomore could imagine. Ray's desire for wealth came at an early age and clouded his moral compass. His schemes didn’t stop in his teens. In 2017, Ray stumbled upon what would be the fraud of his life.

This season, we’ll explore how Ray and two friends started their company, Centra Tech, which very quickly became one of the hottest tech startups of 2017. They signed exclusive deals with the world’s largest banks, hired an incredible executive team, and partnered with DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather. They raised over $30 million dollars overnight. They were on the path of disrupting the financial industry. Until they weren’t. There was one small problem. It was all a lie.

Episodes will be premiering free to listeners starting Wednesday, April 3rd, on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Creating a Con is a true crime anthology podcast series that goes inside the minds of the most prolific modern-day con artists. These criminals are finding opportunities to exploit our modern world for their own personal gain. Their schemes may be new, but their tactics are tried and true. We've seen the rise of modern-day fraudsters like Anna Delvey, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Elizabeth Holmes. We've heard their stories. In Creating a Con, you'll hear the names and crimes of some of the greatest con-artists you don’t know of...yet.

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“For as long as I can remember I was always trying to make a couple pennies.” That’s Ray Trapani, one of the co-founders of the crypto-currency company, Centra Tech. In the premiere episode of Creating a Con: The Story of Bitconned, we hear the origin story of Ray, the guy who, in his own words said, “I always wanted to be a criminal since I was a kid”. Was it destined in his nature? Or would this prolific con artist be shaped by his environment and the influences on his life from an early age?

If you would like to reach out to the Creating a Con team, please email us at creatingaconpod@gmail.com

To get an inside look into Ray Trapani, Centra Tech and all the characters in the podcast, check out Bitconned, exclusively on Netflix… available to stream now.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.