August 3, 2025 • 9 mins
The saga of the Seborga shambassy.
In today's edition of Odd News PAC, we're inviting you along on a wild trip to some countries that are certainly off the beaten path. Sit back and learn about exotic places like Seborga, Ladonia, and Westartica. You'll think they sound too good to be true. But don't tell that to their ambassadors. In fact, they'll insist there's something for everyone in their tiny countries. Get ready to discover the bizarre world of micronations and an ambitious individual who built an entire business around them.
Oh. Did we mention the story involves a new song by Clinton? Well, it does!
Plus more classic comedy from the vault!
Then, we carry on with our Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast (PAC) series. Continuing through our 20 years of shows, we've found a great clip for you today. Get ready to revisit a hilarious moment from January 2006. You'll be introduced to Clinton's very expensive, very high-tech new digital camera, the Specular MS-B4500. And it turns out this camera has more than just a lens. It seems to have a mind of its own! You'll laugh as Clinton tries to navigate voice prompts, change annoying settings, and simply take a picture with this gabby gadget.
So, buckle up for a journey into the ridiculous, from international intrigue to inanimate objects with attitude. It's all waiting for you in the latest comedy4cast episode.
>> Support comedy4cast by becoming a patron on Patreon>> Or you can get Clinton a Dunkin' card or a cup of coffee via Ko-Fi>> Follow comedy4cast on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, MeWe, and Mastodon >> Give us a call via the Super Secret Phone Line (213) 290-4451>> Also check out Clinton's other podcast, The Topic is Trek>> Certain sounds effects heard on comedy4cast are courtesy of freeSFX and FreeSound.org
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The comedy4cast Network. Let's dog ear that for now.
It's time once again for the Dog Days of Podcasting, a call for podcasters to
try to put out a podcast every day in August.
For more information and to hear all the shows, go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.
(00:24):
Here at the comedy4cast Studios, we always take this month to provide you
with some interesting, yet totally useless, odd news.
And this year, to celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast,
an event we're calling the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast,
or PAC for short, we'll end each Dog Day episode with part of a classic comedy4cast episode.
(00:50):
So, let's get started with Odd News PAC.
If you're looking for new and relatively unexplored travel destinations,
may we suggest you ask your travel agent about booking you a trip to the sun-drenched
beaches of Seborga, or perhaps the majestic mountains of Lodonia,
(01:12):
or a cruise through the glaciers of Westarctica.
Oh, and if they say they can do it for you, find another travel agent,
because none of those countries exist.
But a small detail like that didn't stop an Indian scammer from defrauding dozens
of individuals and companies by posing as an ambassador from those and other made-up micronations.
(01:34):
You know what? While I tell you the story, why don't we listen to the national
anthem of Seborga? How is that possible?
Easy. I just wrote it.
Music.
(01:58):
Now, back to the scammer in question, one Havarshnar Jain, who set up a fake
embassy in a lavish bungalow in Gehaziabad, India's upscale Navi Najjar area.
He represented himself as a wealthy and well-connected diplomat.
Hmm, did he always wear a tuxedo adorned with a red sash?
I sure hope so, otherwise missed opportunity.
(02:25):
Jane promised jobs for those desperate for employment and lucrative business
deals for business people in exchange for hefty fees. What kind of employment?
What are the major crops of Westarctica? What sort of natural resources can be mined in Povia?
And what sort of cars do they manufacture in Seborga?
I've just decided that they build the four-wheel drive Scammerly Craptastica.
(02:48):
A ride so smooth, it's criminal.
Anyway, Harshvarsnar Jain decorated his cosplay embassy with all the candy.
Outside his rented bungalow, he flew the flags of real countries alongside those
of his fake micro-nations.
I really want to know what those flags looked like. I'm picturing an illustration
(03:09):
of a pile of gold bars on a field of shattered dreams.
Jain also parked four luxury cars with fake diplomatic plates outside his embassy for added effect.
No word if the 2025 Craptastica crossover was among the fleet.
Inside the Not an Embassy, or Shambacy, you could find an array of fake Ministry
(03:32):
of External Affairs documents, 12 fake passports,
34 forged seals of various countries and corporations, and photoshopped images
of Jain palling around with various world leaders.
The 47-year-old suspect was arrested by the special task force of Uttar Pradesh
Police after his fake shambacy in Ghaziabad was raided.
(03:54):
Authorities recovered the above-mentioned nonsense, plus two fake Indian tax
IDs, a collection of luxury watches, and 44-lahk Indian rupees in cash,
which is equivalent to roughly $53,800 US.
What? No Target or Amazon gift cards? They also found two fake press passes,
(04:15):
but there's no word on whether or not Jain is filing reports on his own arrest.
According to senior police officials, Jain is suspected of money laundering
through shell companies in countries such as the UK, Dubai, and several African nations.
Let this be a lesson to you. Anytime someone introduces themselves as an ambassador, just walk away.
(04:37):
They're either a scammer or someone who is just too full of themselves to hang around.
And now, let's celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast with this classic clip.
This clip is from January 2006.
In the episode, I have just purchased a new, very expensive,
(04:57):
very high-tech item that would end up being on the show for several years,
which is surprising because it was a digital camera, the Specular MS-B4500.
Having completed a quick unboxing, I'm about to see what it can do. Let's listen.
Here's a sticker that says, Get started. Press this button. Must be important.
(05:21):
Both sentences have exclamation points.
Camera on. Whoa. Do you wish to use beginner mode voice prompts?
Sure, I'm not proud. Who needs a manual when you can have voice prompts? Beginner voice mode prompts activated.
Okay, let's take a picture with this puppy. Hmm, nothing seems to be happening.
(05:45):
Lens cap is on. Oops, let's pretend that didn't happen. Okay, now let's get started. No, still nothing.
Insufficent light. Please use flash. Wow, I guess you really can't take a bad picture with this camera.
Okay, third time's the charm.
Oh, isn't that cute? It makes it sound like I'm taking a picture with a film
camera. How the heck do I shut that off?
(06:08):
To change sound, press the SFX button. Oh, I see.
Wow, that's super annoying. I'll use that. Annoying selection noted.
What? Do you wish to keep this picture? That was just a test shot.
No reason to keep that. Let's delete it.
Are you sure you wish to delete this image? And I select yes.
(06:31):
Confirm that you wish to delete this image. And I select yes.
Image will be lost. Do you wish to proceed? Hmm, let me think. Yes, yes, yes!
There is no reason for multiple clicks. Sorry. Image deleted.
Wait a minute, why am I saying sorry?
Okay, let's take a real picture. How about one of this magazine cover?
(06:54):
Copyrighted material. Please choose another subject. What?
Oh, fine. Let's shoot a picture of the living room. I'll zoom out to a wide
angle and... Picture is not of sufficient interest.
Please choose another subject. Oh, this is ridiculous. I'm snapping the picture.
Hey, I thought I changed that sound. You don't expect me to listen to that stupid
(07:15):
sound every time you take a picture, do you?
But I... And I'm deleting this picture. It's blurry.
Hey! It's not my fault. If you love me, you'd buy me a tripod.
But I don't love you. You're a camera. It's this wide-angle lens, isn't it?
Admit it. It makes me look fat. Oh, this is silly. How do I shut this mode off?
(07:36):
And you never buy me any nice memory cards.
Here it is. I'm switching to professional mode. Professional mode activated.
Ah, that's better. Now tell me, exactly when did you first start abusing cameras?
What? I can see you are in denial. We have a lot of work to do.
But... And then, we will discuss your fixation with pushing buttons.
(07:58):
Ugh. By the way, that picture really was blurry. Hey!
That about wraps it up for today's Odd News PAC, but first,
a shout-out to the comedy4cast Patreon patrons,
including our producer-level patron, Paul Barry, from the A Window to the Magic
podcast at windowtothemagic.com.
(08:19):
You too can support comedy4cast
and get episodes before everyone else for as little as $2 a month.
Just search for comedy4cast, all one word with the number 4, on Patreon.com.
Script, voices, and original music by me, Clinton Alvord. Copyright 2025.
(08:40):
All rights reserved. Talk to you again next time. But for now,
that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye-bye.
The comedy4cast Network. Let's dog ear that for now.
It's time once again for the Dog Days of Podcasting, a call for podcasters to
try to put out a podcast every day in August.
For more information and to hear all the shows, go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.
(00:24):
Here at the comedy4cast Studios, we always take this month to provide you
with some interesting, yet totally useless, odd news.
And this year, to celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast,
an event we're calling the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast,
or PAC for short, we'll end each Dog Day episode with part of a classic comedy4cast episode.
(00:50):
So, let's get started with Odd News PAC.
If you're looking for new and relatively unexplored travel destinations,
may we suggest you ask your travel agent about booking you a trip to the sun-drenched
beaches of Seborga, or perhaps the majestic mountains of Lodonia,
(01:12):
or a cruise through the glaciers of Westarctica.
Oh, and if they say they can do it for you, find another travel agent,
because none of those countries exist.
But a small detail like that didn't stop an Indian scammer from defrauding dozens
of individuals and companies by posing as an ambassador from those and other made-up micronations.
(01:34):
You know what? While I tell you the story, why don't we listen to the national
anthem of Seborga? How is that possible?
Easy. I just wrote it.
Music.
(01:58):
Now, back to the scammer in question, one Havarshnar Jain, who set up a fake
embassy in a lavish bungalow in Gehaziabad, India's upscale Navi Najjar area.
He represented himself as a wealthy and well-connected diplomat.
Hmm, did he always wear a tuxedo adorned with a red sash?
I sure hope so, otherwise missed opportunity.
(02:25):
Jane promised jobs for those desperate for employment and lucrative business
deals for business people in exchange for hefty fees. What kind of employment?
What are the major crops of Westarctica? What sort of natural resources can be mined in Povia?
And what sort of cars do they manufacture in Seborga?
I've just decided that they build the four-wheel drive Scammerly Craptastica.
(02:48):
A ride so smooth, it's criminal.
Anyway, Harshvarsnar Jain decorated his cosplay embassy with all the candy.
Outside his rented bungalow, he flew the flags of real countries alongside those
of his fake micro-nations.
I really want to know what those flags looked like. I'm picturing an illustration
(03:09):
of a pile of gold bars on a field of shattered dreams.
Jain also parked four luxury cars with fake diplomatic plates outside his embassy for added effect.
No word if the 2025 Craptastica crossover was among the fleet.
Inside the Not an Embassy, or Shambacy, you could find an array of fake Ministry
(03:32):
of External Affairs documents, 12 fake passports,
34 forged seals of various countries and corporations, and photoshopped images
of Jain palling around with various world leaders.
The 47-year-old suspect was arrested by the special task force of Uttar Pradesh
Police after his fake shambacy in Ghaziabad was raided.
(03:54):
Authorities recovered the above-mentioned nonsense, plus two fake Indian tax
IDs, a collection of luxury watches, and 44-lahk Indian rupees in cash,
which is equivalent to roughly $53,800 US.
What? No Target or Amazon gift cards? They also found two fake press passes,
(04:15):
but there's no word on whether or not Jain is filing reports on his own arrest.
According to senior police officials, Jain is suspected of money laundering
through shell companies in countries such as the UK, Dubai, and several African nations.
Let this be a lesson to you. Anytime someone introduces themselves as an ambassador, just walk away.
(04:37):
They're either a scammer or someone who is just too full of themselves to hang around.
And now, let's celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast with this classic clip.
This clip is from January 2006.
In the episode, I have just purchased a new, very expensive,
(04:57):
very high-tech item that would end up being on the show for several years,
which is surprising because it was a digital camera, the Specular MS-B4500.
Having completed a quick unboxing, I'm about to see what it can do. Let's listen.
Here's a sticker that says, Get started. Press this button. Must be important.
(05:21):
Both sentences have exclamation points.
Camera on. Whoa. Do you wish to use beginner mode voice prompts?
Sure, I'm not proud. Who needs a manual when you can have voice prompts? Beginner voice mode prompts activated.
Okay, let's take a picture with this puppy. Hmm, nothing seems to be happening.
(05:45):
Lens cap is on. Oops, let's pretend that didn't happen. Okay, now let's get started. No, still nothing.
Insufficent light. Please use flash. Wow, I guess you really can't take a bad picture with this camera.
Okay, third time's the charm.
Oh, isn't that cute? It makes it sound like I'm taking a picture with a film
camera. How the heck do I shut that off?
(06:08):
To change sound, press the SFX button. Oh, I see.
Wow, that's super annoying. I'll use that. Annoying selection noted.
What? Do you wish to keep this picture? That was just a test shot.
No reason to keep that. Let's delete it.
Are you sure you wish to delete this image? And I select yes.
(06:31):
Confirm that you wish to delete this image. And I select yes.
Image will be lost. Do you wish to proceed? Hmm, let me think. Yes, yes, yes!
There is no reason for multiple clicks. Sorry. Image deleted.
Wait a minute, why am I saying sorry?
Okay, let's take a real picture. How about one of this magazine cover?
(06:54):
Copyrighted material. Please choose another subject. What?
Oh, fine. Let's shoot a picture of the living room. I'll zoom out to a wide
angle and... Picture is not of sufficient interest.
Please choose another subject. Oh, this is ridiculous. I'm snapping the picture.
Hey, I thought I changed that sound. You don't expect me to listen to that stupid
(07:15):
sound every time you take a picture, do you?
But I... And I'm deleting this picture. It's blurry.
Hey! It's not my fault. If you love me, you'd buy me a tripod.
But I don't love you. You're a camera. It's this wide-angle lens, isn't it?
Admit it. It makes me look fat. Oh, this is silly. How do I shut this mode off?
(07:36):
And you never buy me any nice memory cards.
Here it is. I'm switching to professional mode. Professional mode activated.
Ah, that's better. Now tell me, exactly when did you first start abusing cameras?
What? I can see you are in denial. We have a lot of work to do.
But... And then, we will discuss your fixation with pushing buttons.
(07:58):
Ugh. By the way, that picture really was blurry. Hey!
That about wraps it up for today's Odd News PAC, but first,
a shout-out to the comedy4cast Patreon patrons,
including our producer-level patron, Paul Barry, from the A Window to the Magic
podcast at windowtothemagic.com.
(08:19):
You too can support comedy4cast
and get episodes before everyone else for as little as $2 a month.
Just search for comedy4cast, all one word with the number 4, on Patreon.com.
Script, voices, and original music by me, Clinton Alvord. Copyright 2025.
(08:40):
All rights reserved. Talk to you again next time. But for now,
that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye-bye.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com