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This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. I was on the phone with her, working through contractions. For CBC and the BBC World Service, The Con, Caitlin's baby. Something was off. There was somebody out there who's faking pregnancies. There had been other victims scammed by the same person. We don't want any other doulas to go through this. The Con, Caitlin's baby. Available now.
Hi, it's Yemi Siadegoke here, one of the presenters of World of Secrets, the BBC's global investigations podcast. We thought you'd like to know what's coming next, as well as news about developments in some of our previous seasons. Our investigative teams are working hard on six new investigations. So if you haven't yet followed or subscribed to the podcast, now's the time to do so, so you'll get all seasons and all episodes automatically.
We launched World of Secrets in 2023 with an investigation into claims of sexual exploitation made against the former chief executive of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jefferies. The former boss of clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch is accused of exploiting young men for sex. He and his British partner have now been arrested and charged with running a prostitution and international sex trafficking business.
The investigative reporter and presenter was Rhianna Croxford. So much has happened since my three-year investigation into Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, and his partner Matthew Smith. The FBI opened a nationwide investigation after hearing this podcast. And last autumn, the pair and their middleman, James Jacobson, were arrested on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution.
They've all pled not guilty and are now out on bail under house arrest. We're waiting to hear about a criminal trial. Meanwhile, there have been a lot of lawsuits. Last year, we told the story of the apartheid killer, about a three-year bloodbath in the 1980s in South Africa, carried out by a man called Louis van Scor. He killed so many, he lost count. As a result, South African police have reopened their investigation.
And then there was Al-Fayed, predator at Harrods. A BBC documentary has revealed that the late Mohammed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods, the UK's largest luxury department store, has been accused of rape by five female ex-employees. Accusations of rape and attempted rape against the late billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed were told by women who worked for him. Police say more than 100 women have now made allegations against him.
So what's coming up on World of Secrets? Well, talking in advance about our investigations is challenging. Our journalists often need to keep what they're doing really quiet. Sometimes only a small number of people, even within the BBC, know about the story. Here are some of my colleagues to tell you what they can without jeopardising their work. I came across an internet rumour so disturbing I was compelled to investigate. I discovered that nothing is as it seems.
It's even darker than we could have imagined. We're looking for the masterminds behind a suspected scam that seems to be exploiting families all around the world at a time when they are most vulnerable. I'm on a quest to hold those behind it to account.
I'm one of the producers working on a story which takes us to a country not yet covered by World of Secrets. At the same time, in many ways, this is a global story. The name of the person at the centre of it is known by millions around the world. And it's a story which raises so many questions. And right now, we're doing our best to try to get some answers. And this upcoming investigation will take us to the heart of a disturbing story, the ramifications of which are still being felt years later.
roaming like some animal in the woods, shivering. It was so incredibly scary. Such a leap of imagination so many years later that... What was that? Everyone who saw that, they remember it.
That's all coming up on the podcast, so watch this space. In the meantime, while we're working on these investigations, we're bringing you a guest season of World of Secrets, a chance to listen to another brilliant BBC investigative podcast. You won't want to miss it. News of this is coming very soon. Don't forget to follow or subscribe. Please leave reviews and let everyone know about World of Secrets.
I was on the phone with her, working through contractions. For CBC and the BBC World Service, The Con, Caitlin's Baby. Something was off. There was somebody out there who's faking pregnancies. There had been other victims scammed by the same person. We don't want any other doulas to go through this. The Con, Caitlin's Baby. Available now.