How does a normal person become a con artist, a cult leader, or a criminal? The Opportunist is a true crime podcast that doesn't allow you to distance yourself from people who do terrible things. Hosted by Hannah Smith, the podcast examines the stories of regular people who do bad things because the opportunity presents itself.

There’s a dark potential lurking inside us:One of the most recent episodes discusses the all-too-familiar organic supplement fad. Marc St. Onge peddled Black Oxygen Organics, marketed as the most powerful electrolyte in existence, under claims it dissipates COVID-19 side effects, helps with inflammation, and even completely reverses aging.

It was actually just mud. Within months, hundreds of thousands of people were buying and selling Black Oxygen mud at USD 110 a packet, bolstered by a slate of positive testimonials. Turns out, consuming mud is bad for you… really bad for you. Lab tests showed that drinking the recommended amount of Black Oxygen mud led people to ingest dangerous amounts of arsenic and lead.

How did St. Onge con smart, completely normal people? The pandemic, mostly. He had been trying to sell his magic mud since the late 90s, but only when people were desperately searching for alternative medicine in pandemic-induced fear did the product take off. It was the perfect storm that made Black Oxygen Organics popular, and St. Onge jumped at the opportunity.

WHERE TO LISTEN- The Opportunist is available on Apple Podcasts, PodcastOne, Spotify, and Audible.

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