The Perfect Scam

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Scammers Fabricate Drug Cartel to Steal Family's Life Savings May 01, 2020

Show notes

In Utah, Machal is busy caring for three of her grandchildren while her daughter recovers from surgery, when she gets a phone about her Social Security number. The man on the phone claims to be from the Social Security Administration and says that multiple bank accounts have been set up by a drug cartel using Machal's number. He tells Machal that her family is in danger, she needs to act quickly. She is told that the drug cartel is watching her, so for their safety, she is to tell no one what's happening. Especially not her husband Kyle, a member of Utah's house of representatives. Kyle shares how he found out about the scam that stole his family's lifesavings.

Phishing Scam Targets Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran Apr 24, 2020

Show notes

Barbara Corcoran is known for her business acumen, and with nearly 50 years in real estate under her belt, the 70-year-old mogul is still going strong. Corcoran can be seen every week as an investor and judge on ABC's hit showShark Tankand remains an active player in real estate development. Armed with this knowledge, scammers employ an elaborate email phishing scheme in an attempt to steal Barbara's money.

Grandmother Entangled in Money Mule Scam Part 2 Apr 17, 2020

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Annie and her children think the worst of the romance scam is over, until she comes home to flowers on her doorstep. Annie assumes they're from Mark, the man she has learned is a con artist, but the flowers are addressed to a woman named Sasha, and sent by a man Annie's never heard of. As Annie looks into the mysterious delivery, she and her family discover this scam is bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Grandmother Entangled in Money Mule Scam Part 1 Apr 10, 2020

Show notes

Annie makes the tough decision to put her husband of 35 years into a nursing home for his dementia. She finds her new life without him lonely and decides to join an online dating site to look for a platonic friend. After some time she meets Mark, a widower and architect living in California. Annie, who lives in the Midwest, finds the distance perfect as she wants only a friendship. Annie believes she's found the perfect friend, but in reality she is being lured into an elaborate romance scam.

Terror Over the Phone: Virtual Kidnappings, Part 2 Feb 14, 2020

Show notes

In part two of this special two-part episode on virtual kidnappings, we speak with the FBI to discuss how these scams started, why they're so successful and what is being done to stop them. We talk to the FBI Special agent who cracked a virtual kidnapping ring, and — with virtual kidnappings on the rise in the U.S. — you'll learn what to do if you receive a call. Then, for the first time ever, fraud expert and our host Frank Abagnale and his son, FBI Special Agent Scott Abagnale, sit down to do an interview together. They talk about growing up in the Abagnale household, Scott's road to becoming an FBI agent, and what it was like when Frank taught one of Scott's classes at the FBI Academy.

Terror Over the Phone: Virtual Kidnappings, Part 1 Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

On an uncharacteristically rainy Southern California day, Kathie gets a call that will change her life. Her cellphone displays the caller as unknown. Even though she's hesitant, Kathie decides to answer. On the line she hears screaming and a man claiming to have Kathie's daughter. The man addresses both Kathie and her daughter by name, but something about the interaction feels off. Terrified, Kathie isn't sure what to do next. Unbeknownst to Kathie, she has been drawn into a "virtual kidnapping," a horrific extortion-based scam that's claiming victims across the country. In the first half of this two-part episode, you'll learn how these scams operate and why they're so successful.

Bonus Episode: You've Got Mail, With Frank Abagnale, Second Edition Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

On this special episode of the podcast, our host, fraud expert Frank Abagnale, answers your questions. We dive into viewer emails to get Frank's take on a wide variety of subjects, including using public Wi-Fi, DNA testing and cash transfer apps. Tune in to hear the answers to your burning questions and get Frank's tips on how to protect yourself against fraud.

Bonus Episode: You've Got Mail, With Frank Abagnale, Second Edition Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

Stolen Homes: Mortgage Relief Scams Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

During the housing market crash, homeowners across the United States found themselves drowning in mortgage payments that they could not afford to make. Scammers like Jonathan Herbert took advantage of this crisis to steal money from unsuspecting homeowners. Herbert created Federal Mortgage Marketplace, a company that claimed to be government affiliated and able to help homeowners reduce their mortgage payments. Herbert preyed on homeowners whose desperation to avoid foreclosure made them particularly susceptible to the scam. Instead of providing any form of assistance as he promised, Herbert stole his clients' mortgage payments, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars lost, with some victims even losing their homes.

Good Vs. Evil: Inside the World of an Ethical Hacker Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

Hackers are thought of as villains who use their advanced computer skills to gain unauthorized access to data and wreak havoc. But "ethical" or "white hat" hackers help companies protect themselves against attack. These information security experts use the techniques employed by malicious hackers to reveal real-world vulnerabilities that could result in a hack. Ethical hacker Jason Glassberg is a founder of a company that has been hired by Fortune 500 companies to hack into their systems and expose weaknesses. On this episode of the podcast, Jason discusses his work and the emerging technologies hackers are using to scam companies and individuals.

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