Company offers reward to anyone who loves true crime podcasts — but there's a catch

Just in time for Halloween, those with rather macabre taste in podcasts can potentially get paid for their hours of dedicated listening. Vio Security, a home security company, announced that it’s looking for a mystery aficionado to listen to 31 hours of crime podcasts for the chance to win $1,666. Applicants must state their case in a short essay to be considered to really prove that they’re on the case. Once selected, participants will receive a heart rate monitor to hook themselves up to “record physiological responses as they jump from pod to pod”. The goal of the project is to help the Vio Security research team understand how true crime podcasts affect people. The list of pre-approved podcasts is listed on the application page and includes super popular ones like “Crime Junkies,” “My Favorite Murder” and “Serial”. After 31 hours of listening, participants will receive their $1,666 plus a “True Crime Kit” . “We know that 31 hours of True Crime might leave you feeling a biiiit paranoid. we’re giving the winner a True Crime Kit to help secure their home and keep the pods playing,” the website adds