121: Jesse Got Scammed by a Furry!

Jesse Cox, host of The Geekenders, recounts a shocking scam that cost him thousands of dollars after he commissioned a custom fursuit for a fan convention. What began as a lighthearted plan to dress as a beloved Final Fantasy XIV plushie villain and have his friend Twiggy cosplay as a streamer character turned into a nightmare when he hired a fursuit maker from South Carolina—later revealed to be operating from Malaysia through multiple fake social media accounts. Despite paying a third of the fee upfront, Jesse received no progress photos for months, only misleading mock-ups and a final product that bore no resemblance to the original design: a wolf-like head instead of a squirrel, a tail that never changed, and a body that looked like a generic kigurumi. When he confronted the scammer, they claimed they couldn’t finish in time and offered to send the flawed suit afterward—then tried to extort him into paying delivery fees to 'prove' they weren’t lying. Jesse, furious and betrayed, posted the scam online, only to find the scammer had already deleted all their accounts and changed identities. The episode ends with Jesse reflecting on the absurdity of losing money over a joke costume, while also praising the wholesome charm of the game *Pragmata* and the upcoming *Vampire Crawlers* spinoff. The story serves as a cautionary tale about trust, online communities, and the hidden dangers of niche fandom economies.