AARP's weekly podcast The Perfect ScamSM tells the stories of people who find themselves the target of a scam. Host Bob Sullivan introduces listeners to those who have experienced scams firsthand, as well as professional con artists and leading experts who pull back the curtain on how scammers operate.
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A late-night call from their son Brian has Barry and Joan concerned. Brian sounds panicked and says he urgently needs $280,000. They do not have that kind of money available, and Barry, a trained counselor, immediately senses that something is wrong. Brian then reveals how an online romance evolved into a crypto investment opportunity, and how he now believes he must pay taxes to access his…
In Part 2 of this 2023 episode, criminals are running the grandparent scam all over the San Diego area. Often crimes like this go unsolved, but FBI agent Brady Finta and his law enforcement partners believe this situation is unique. There is a video and an eyewitness. Arresting the messenger who took Susan's $9,000 might just bring down an entire criminal operation. But investigators must proceed…
In this 2023 episode, when Susan gets a frantic call from her "grandson" saying he's been in a terrible accident, she doesn't waste any time. She rushes to get him the $9,000 he requested for legal fees, but as soon as she hands the money to the courier, the phone line goes dead. She knows instantly that it was a scam. Similar crimes are popping up all over her area, and the stack of case files is…
Eunice, a busy mom of four, discovers what appears to be the perfect work-from-home job opportunity with flexible hours and the chance to make some extra income for her family. She must make a small initial investment, but soon the job is paying off. Her husband, Daniel, researches the company and is convinced enough to join as well. Excited by their success and believing they're getting in on the…
Linda Coble is retired from a storied career as Hawaii's first female news anchor, but she stays active in her community through charity work. So when she receives a phone call informing her that she has won a $5 million prize from Publishers Clearing House, she immediately starts dreaming of the good she can do with the money. Coble is told she must make tax payments in order to release the…
After a long day as a school bus driver, Nate checks his voicemail and finds a message from "AT&T" offering a discounted rate and a new phone. He has been a loyal customer and is looking for ways to lower his expenses, so he calls them back. The agent already knows all of Nate's information and walks him through the process of picking out his new phone on the AT&T app. When the phone arrives, Nate…
In part 2, nearly a decade after Pat received the first phone call from a woman believing to be in a relationship with him, he continues to receive regular cards, gifts, calls and visits from scam victims. Criminals have hijacked the pilot's identity to facilitate hundreds of romance scams, turning Pat's life upside down in the process. Around this time, a police detective in South Carolina begins…
When Pam decides it's time to find love again, she signs up for a dating site and soon meets "Pat." He's charming and very kind; they hit it off right away. "Pat" works overseas and can't tell Pam much about his high-security job, but when he needs help getting back into the country, she lends him $20,000. This all sounds very suspicious to Pam's son-in-law, who does some digging and tracks down a…
Beloved Vermont children's entertainer-turned-filmmaker Mac Parker has been raising funds for his film Birth of Innocence for nearly a decade. The film has yet to be completed, and what investors were promised — a three-year, $1 million project — has ballooned in both time and cost. When the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation steps in to investigate irregularities in Mac's fundraising…
Malcom "Mac" Parker aspires to be a filmmaker. In Vermont, Mac is known as a beloved children's entertainer, appearing on public television and performing around the state. Mac is so well respected in his community that when he begins to raise funds for his film Birth of Innocence , investors are quick to jump on board. His promises of high returns and a chance to be a part of the film industry…
