The Perfect Scam

Amid quickly changing technology and social trends, criminals are constantly developing new methods of defrauding consumers. In this bonus episode, Bob talks with Amy Nofziger of the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline to discuss six of the fastest-growing scams. These include new forms of check fraud, celebrity impersonation, sweepstakes and grandparent scams, along with the technology of voice printing and scams related to the upcoming summer Olympics.

The criminal side of the internet, the Dark Web, is unknown to most of us. This week’s guest, criminologist David Maimon, takes us behind the curtain into a world where criminals talk to one another anonymously and the personal identifying information of thousands of unsuspecting victims is up for sale. Learn how Maimon’s research warns of emerging trends and how consumers can protect themselves.

After a divorce, Nancy moves to North Carolina and takes a job as a caregiver for older patients who are in poor health. The work is rewarding but challenging, and to help her unwind after long days, a roommate introduces her to Korean television dramas. She becomes a fan of one actor in particular, Paul Ahn, and follows him on social media. So she is thrilled when she receives a Facebook message from someone claiming to be Paul. They exchange messages, and the relationship quickly becomes romantic. Paul invites Nancy to visit him, but there is a catch: She must pay a reservation fee of $18,500. As she prepares for the trip, he asks for more and more money for travel expenses, leading Nancy to wonder if he really is who he seems.

Marlene is suffering from terrible back pain and preparing to have surgery in a few days when her computer suddenly begins flashing a fraud warning. The tech support operator tells her that her account has been compromised. Fearing the money she needs for her surgery will be lost, she pushes through the blinding pain and races to her bank and a cryptocurrency ATM in hopes of saving her money.

Employment scams are one of the fastest growing types of fraud. The recent surge can be traced to several post-pandemic factors that make these crimes even easier for criminals. In this episode, we will hear from a job seeker and an employer who’ve both been affected, as well as an expert who shares the red flags job seekers should be on the alert for.

In Part 2 of this 2021 episode, young ICU nurse Whitney Kirkpatrick’s life is turned upside down when the police show up at her door looking for her boyfriend of nine months, Gregory Thomas. He is not the wealthy, successful oil executive he claims to be. Instead, Gregory has spun an elaborate web of lies — and he’s been funding his extravagant lifestyle with Whitney’s money. With the support of family and friends, Whitney finds the strength to move on and to educate others about identity theft and white-collar crime.

In this 2021 episode, recent graduate Whitney Kirkpatrick is starting her career as a nurse when she meets Gregory Thomas, young and driven, and already the CEO of an oil company. His Southern charm, ambition and lavish lifestyle win over Whitney, her friends and her family. Then strange things begin to happen: large withdrawals from her bank account, calls from creditors late at night and pieces of Gregory’s story not adding up.

Linda Khandro is a busy college professor who spends her spare time playing her harp in hospitals and hospice facilities. One day her life is turned upside down when a virus alert on her computer leads to a threatening phone call and a four-and-a-half-months long nightmare. The ordeal has her doing things she couldn’t have imagined: retiring early from the teaching career she loves and buying gold bars and putting them into a stranger’s car.

In Part 2, Michael, an Iraq War veteran who has fallen on hard financial times, thinks he has found help from Voyager Financial Group, which pays him a lump sum in exchange for five years’ worth of disability payments. But it has only made his money problems worse. He declares bankruptcy, and now Voyager is suing him. As he prepares to defend himself, Michael make a shocking discovery: The entire scheme is illegal and Candy Kern-Fuller and Andrew Gamber of Voyager have spent years getting rich brokering these deals, while veterans like Michael are left in financial ruin.

The men and women who bravely fight for our nation are too often the target of financial criminals. After serving four years clearing roadside bombs in Iraq, Michael returns home and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. A divorce and a series of medical emergencies leave him struggling financially and searching for some relief. Michael finds the Voyager Financial Group, which offers lump sums for military disability benefits, but Michael soon finds out the scheme will leave him in even worse shape than before.

When a fire destroys his Wisconsin home, Royce Babcock and his family are forced to live out of their garage. Desperate to get his home rebuilt, Babcock hires Tyler Hansen, who has excellent reviews and reasonable rates. Delay after delay and myriad excuses leave Babcock with no choice but to take his complaints to law enforcement. This reveals a history of Hansen and his wife defrauding homeowners all over the state.

In Part 2, Homeland Security Agent Justin Deutsch and colleagues pursue Mary Marr, the leader of a fraud and money laundering ring that defrauded hundreds of victims who thought they were buying tech stocks. A member of an elusive organization called the Knights of Malta, Marr uses a diplomatic passport to evade capture across many countries before her arrest in a beauty salon in Serbia.

In 2014, Homeland Security Agent Justin Deutsch inherits a case concerning an international fraud and money laundering ring. Callers from “boiler rooms” pose as investment brokers and peddle stocks that don’t exist. Working on tips about suspicious bank accounts in Florida, Deutsch and other agents follow the money – eventually leading to the ringleader, Mary Marr. The investigation unravels a scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims around the world out of millions of dollars.

Todd Alper is a recently retired lawyer and teacher in New York City. One day in 2020, he learns that there are many people trying to locate the lawyer Todd Alper, even though he hasn’t actively practiced law in several years. To his astonishment, an online search reveals a website for a law office in his name. Criminals are impersonating him in an elaborate scheme targeting owners of timeshares. Todd is devastated that his name is being used to defraud innocent people, and he begins the long fight to regain his identity and his sense of control.

In Part 3 of this 2022 episode, when Therin Miller walks into the FBI office to throw himself on the mercy of the government, he’s not sure if he will leave a free man. To clear his name, he becomes an FBI informant, recording conversations with his roommate and business partner, Brant Holloway, and his associate Lyle Livesay. Therin’s work results in indictments on multiple counts of bank fraud related to the luxury car scheme, plus the arrest of a Russian mobster in Ukraine. But even with the criminals behind bars, will Therin’s life ever go back to normal?

In part 2 of this 2022 episode, Therin Miller’s exciting new business venture with his roommate, Brent Holloway, is quickly becoming a nightmare. Not only does the luxury-car dealership seem to be part of an elaborate scam, but his girlfriend, Kristin, uncovers a connection to some very dangerous people, including notorious Russian-born mobster Mani Chulpayev. Therin could be an accessory to some serious crimes. Terrified of going to prison, or worse, he and Kirsten come up with a plan.

In this 2022 episode, National Guardsman Therin Miller never imagined that placing an online ad for a roommate would result in something far scarier than anything he faced on two tours of combat zone duty. His new roommate, Brant Holloway, is a friendly, well-mannered local business owner. The two become fast friends, so when Brant suggests they go into business together, Therin is intrigued. Before he realizes it, Brant and his adviser, Lyle Livesay, have drawn him into a crime ring involving luxury cars and the Russian mob. His escape ― helped by his girlfriend, also a National Guard member ― is a tale of courage and honesty.

The heartwarming story of a homeless veteran, Johnny Bobbitt, who spends his last $20 to help a stranded woman captures national media attention when the woman and her boyfriend start a GoFundMe campaign to help him get on his feet. Kate McClure and Mark D’Amico raise more than $400,000 in just a few weeks. However, when things don’t seem to add up, investigators quickly learn this story is all based on a lie.

In part 2, Kelly and her husband Ryan, who is retired from the Navy, are reeling from the theft of his Facebook account and fear it may be used for military-related scams. World-famous wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen is fighting his own battle against scammers impersonating him on social media. His impostors have stolen thousands of dollars from fans who think they are donating to his causes or carrying on a romantic relationship with him. To make matters worse, both Kelly and Paul have reported impostor accounts to Meta and have been told those fake accounts aren’t violating the terms of service.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen is renowned for incredible, one-of-a kind images of polar bears, leopard seals, narwhals and other unique species in some of the world’s coldest, most menacing climates. Sharing these intimate portraits and his experiences in places few will ever visit has gained him a large, devoted following on social media. Unfortunately, scammers have also taken notice and are operating hundreds of impostor accounts targeting his followers. Meanwhile, a veteran and his wife fight to reclaim his highjacked Facebook account from scammers.