The Perfect Scam

After taking a break from her tech career to care for her aging mother, Dawn is reentering the workforce in her mid-50s, and she isn't having much luck. She takes a chance on an offer for a new kind of job at "Facebook." Guided by a "mentor" through an onboarding process, she learns that her new role involves placing Facebook ads as part of an AI testing initiative. Dawn will have a digital wallet into which she must add her own money to pay for ad placements, but she will receive a percentage of the ad revenue. Dawn is reassured when she signs on to the platform and can see all the posts and private messages in her Facebook account. As required investments increase, Dawn deposits $176,000, only to have her account frozen when she tries to withdraw funds. Realizing that it is all an elaborate scam, Dawn comes forward to warn others about this sophisticated job scam.

It's tax time, and that means it's also tax scam season. The Federal Trade Commission warns about a recent surge in fake IRS calls to taxpayers. Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary joins host Bob Sullivan to discuss how AI might be supercharging these age-old scams, how recent changes in the way the federal government issues refunds could create new opportunities for scammers, and some practical tips for protecting yourself against these and other scams.

When Anola returns home from a picture-perfect trip to France, she finds an unexpected flirtation with a man who reaches out to her on LinkedIn. He showers her with love and attention, and over time, he steals thousands from her. When she discovers the deception, Anola reaches out to the real man behind the photo the scammer used, drawing her into a second betrayal. Criminals have figured out how to hack our brains, bypassing the rational and going directly for the emotional response. Austin Cusak, an expert in behavioral science at the FDIC, joins host Bob Sullivan to discuss the phenomenon known as "amygdala hijacking."

Richy and Terri send a check to their son and daughter-in-law for their anniversary, but it never arrives. After a tough year of medical issues and the death of a close friend, they open a bank statement to see that their account is $10,000 short. They learn that a criminal has stolen their check from the mail, "washed" it, and fraudulently cashed it for big bucks. This sends the couple on a monthslong quest to try to get their money back.

When Brian receives an email from "PayPal," he thinks it must be the refund he's been waiting for, but he is instead drawn into a scam that has him running all over town feeding money into crypto kiosks and exchanging cash for gold coins to hand off to a courier. Brian soon grows suspicious, but he resists the urge to confront the criminals and goes directly to the police. Brian helps detectives set up a sting operation to ensnare the courier and expose a crime ring.

Patricia is enjoying a quiet night babysitting when she discovers that her phone has no service. When she switches to Wi-Fi, a sudden barrage of notifications shows that someone is moving money out of her accounts. This sets Patricia off on a race against time to save her assets from criminals who are even cashing out her stocks. Bob talks with Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, about practical steps we can all take to protect ourselves from SIM swapping scams.

Eric's day-to-day interactions at the gas station where he works have taught him to recognize when something isn't quite right with one of his customers. He's also aware that the crypto kiosk in the store is a tool that is used by criminals to steal money from fearful victims. So one day when Ellen enters the store, talking on her cellphone while frantically looking for the store's crypto kiosk, Eric knows it's time to step in.

Joyce is a retired teacher who works part-time with special needs kids. She's recently divorced after a long marriage, facing a cancer scare, and acting as the primary caregiver for her 96-year-old mother. With all of this weighing on her, she becomes the target of a tech support scam. Over months of instilling fear, the criminals steal more than $1 million from her retirement savings. Kathy Stokes of the AARP Fraud Watch Network stops by to discuss the new "Pause. Reflect. Protect." campaign aimed at combating scams like these.

Josh loves his job as a full-time novelist, but writing and working from home don't give him many opportunities to meet people. So he decides to try a dating site and connects with a woman named Hannah. After months of conversation and growing closer, Hannah tells Josh about her cryptocurrency investments and encourages him to invest as well. Over time, he puts in more than $100,000 and watches his money grow. When he tries to withdraw money from his account, it is frozen and Hannah disappears. Panicked, Josh searches for help online and finds a company that claims to trace and recover stolen crypto funds. The tragedy only deepens when he turns to family for help paying the company's fees.

When Manny, an Air Force veteran living in Las Vegas, loses his wife of 62 years, he turns to playing Publishers Clearing House online games to help ease his loneliness. He is thrilled when, one day, he receives a call from Publishers Clearing House informing him that he has won a $7.5 million prize. Manny dreams of finally replacing his old water heater, fixing up his house, and leaving a substantial legacy for his children, but first he must pay fees to release the prize money. The scam continues for months, draining Manny's savings, until Manny's daughter receives a call from an FBI agent. The story has a hopeful ending as local media and businesses come to Manny's aid.

David is a retiree who remains active in his Florida community, but he would like to have someone to share his life with. When an Indiana woman named Bonnie strikes up a friendship with David on Facebook, he is delighted but cautious. A video call is reassuring, and their relationship deepens over several months. They make plans to move in together after Bonnie completes a large interior design job in Australia. Bonnie will be paid millions for the job, so when she needs to borrow $25,000 to pay the upfront cost for workers, David is confident she will pay him back. But when the bank notifies him of another transfer from his home equity line of credit, David knows that Bonnie is a fraud and possibly an AI creation. Ricardo Amper, founder and CEO of Incode Technologies, explains the surprising ways AI may be used in scams and why the best tool to combat AI scams may just be … AI.

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.

Have you ever thought about who might be on the other end of those scam calls and messages we all receive? The answer could be far more sinister than you might imagine. The "scammer" may also be a victim of human trafficking. These people are lured by the promise of well-paid jobs to travel to countries in Southeast Asia and are then forced to work in prison-like scam compounds. A BBC journalist and brave volunteers work to expose this brutal practice.

Remote work, which was a necessity for many during the pandemic, is now commonplace. While it's hard to beat the commute, criminals are paying close attention to this trend too. In this episode, a recent MBA graduate lands what feels like her dream job at a start-up that advocates for women's empowerment. The company culture is great and the job is interesting. But when her paychecks never show up, she begins to suspect the work-from-home job is too good to be true.

Amy Nofziger, Sr. Director of Victim Support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network™, stops by The Perfect Scam to discuss some new variations on old scams and the tactics criminals are using to exploit our vulnerabilities during this busy time of year. Learn what you should never do if you receive a mysterious package and why you should always hang on to those little receipts that come with your gift card purchases. Amy also shares the latest AARP research on holiday scams.

Hilarie, a dedicated Philadelphia sports fan, plans a weekend doubleheader to attend both a Phillies and an Eagles game with a friend. After successfully purchasing Phillies tickets through a Facebook resale group, she uses the same method for Eagles tickets—only to discover the promised tickets never arrive. Meanwhile, the NFL notices a rise in ticket fraud and seeks assistance from the NYPD. Detective Mike McCaffrey identifies the culprit, Nikhil Mahtani, who has defrauded sports fans and stolen thousands of dollars in a massive, multi-state ticket scam spanning five years.

A call from someone claiming to be from the Federal Trade Commission sends Linda on a quest to transfer $25,000, believing that she is assisting them in catching a criminal. The caller warns her not to tell anyone what she's up to, but perceptive bank employees at multiple branches suspect a scam and throw up roadblocks. Meanwhile, they alert Linda's children, who work quickly to get between their mother and the criminals.

A prominent philanthropist and the center of New York society, Brooke Astor lived a tumultuous yet glamorous life. Left a fortune by her third husband, Vincent Astor, Brooke planned to live out her later years at her country estate. But when Brooke's son refuses to let her do so, then sells his mother's favorite painting (worth over $30 million), grandson Philip decides to step in. Philip's efforts to return his grandmother to the country home she loved would uncover one of the most prominent cases of financial elder abuse in U.S. history, with millions lost and a family torn apart.

Jana always tries to do the right thing, so when she receives a call from the sheriff's office stating that she missed jury duty, she panics. She thinks back to studying for her American citizenship exam and learning how important it is to respond to a jury summons. She doesn't remember receiving a notice, but the officer knows all her personal information and says she will have to pay a $9,000 bond or face arrest. Jana spends the next several hours driving from the bank to various crypto ATMs, trying desperately to meet the payment demands. When Jana discovers that it's a scam and calls 911, she learns that seven other people in her county were victimized the same day.

After several years of investing in crypto, Glen has built up a sizeable nest egg. The money means security and the ability to buy a home. One day, when trying to log in to Coinbase, he realizes that his account is locked. Seconds later, he receives a call from "Coinbase support." The customer service agent explains that due to a major data breach and the high volume of hacks, they are now being instructed to reach out and assist customers directly. He walks Glen through the account recovery process, which is reassuring, but within a day, Glen's account is drained of $180,000.