The Perfect Scam

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Kentucky Fights Back Against Scammers Sep 20, 2019

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Pat, an 81-year-old woman from Kentucky, receives a call that she has won a $7.5 million lottery prize. Pat can't believe her luck. Unaware that the call is a scam, she begins speaking with the scammers multiple times a day. Over the next seven months, they befriend Pat in an effort to convince her that she'll receive the prize money as soon as she pays taxes on her winnings. Slowly they gain Pat's trust, and she starts sending money to the scammers. Every time she thinks she has made a final payment and will receive her prize, the scammers come up with a new issue requiring her to send more money. Eventually the scammers take over $100,000 from Pat. Unfortunately, Pat's story is common among lottery-scam victims. Often by the time these scams are uncovered, victims have lost thousands of dollars, and because of the difficulties in tracking down and prosecuting scammers, most never receive restitution. However, determined to get a better outcome for citizens, the state of Kentucky has dedicated resources to fight back against scammers. Investigators in the Kentucky Attorney General's office have been working to track down and prosecute scammers, and their efforts are paying off. In the last four years the Kentucky Attorney General's office has returned $2.1 million to victims of fraud. When they hear about Pat's case they dive in, following the money, hoping to apprehend the scammers and get justice for Pat.

The Hidden World of Psychic Scams, Part 2 Sep 13, 2019

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After losing her job and boyfriend in the same day, a distraught Debra pays a visit to a psychic shop. Little does Debra know that the shop is part of a larger criminal organization and Sylvia, the psychic who gives her a reading, is a scammer. After a series of readings of increasing cost, Sylvia tells Debra that all of her troubles stem from her trust issues surrounding money. To solve these problems Sylvia prompts Debra to hand over a $28,000 check — to prove that she trusts others with her money. Sylvia promises to hold on to the check and return it the next day. However, Sylvia immediately cashes the check and cuts off all communication with Debra.

Debra tries a number of ways to get her money back — including contacting the police — to no avail. Eventually Debra is referred to Bob Nygard, a private investigator and retired police officer who specializes in helping victims of psychic scams. Debra tells Bob about her case, and he agrees to take it on. Bob works to chase down the facts, trying to get Debra justice. He finds that Sylvia has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims. It takes five years, but Bob finally gathers enough evidence to take down Sylvia.

The Hidden World of Psychic Scams, Part 1 Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Debra is a divorced mother and ballroom dancer who travels between her home in Florida and New York to train with her dance partner. When Debra loses her part-time job in New York and boyfriend in the same day, she's distraught. Without the extra income from her job and a place to stay from her boyfriend, Debra knows she'll have to quit ballroom dancing — even though she and her partner have been climbing the ranks on the Pro-Am circuit. Walking in Greenwich Village, Debra sees a psychic shop she often passes. Today it catches her eye. She is searching for answers and decides to stop in. The shop is well- appointed with lavish decor and plaques that show additional locations in glamorous cities around the world. Sylvia, the psychic who comes to give Debra a reading, is dressed to the nines — like many professionals you would see in New York. After the initial reading, Sylvia says she can help Debra but that she'll need to come back for a deep reading. When Debra returns for the two-hour deep reading, Sylvia determines that Debra has trust issues, particularly when it involves money. Seeking closure and desperate for a solution to her problems, Debra starts to believe and trust Sylvia. The psychic tells Debra to write her a check for $28,000 and promises she will hold on to it for one day. When she returns the check, Sylvia tells Debra that her money and trust issues will be solved. Debra follows Sylvia's instructions and gets the money for the check from a home equity loan. However, as soon as she hands the check over, Debra realizes she has made a terrible mistake.

They Stole My Savings in Minutes: Social Security Scam Aug 30, 2019

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Rob, a veteran in his 70's, was a caretaker for his wife for years. He is still grieving her death when he receives a call from a woman claiming to be from social security. The woman tells Rob that his social security number has been used to defraud multiple banks and there is a warrant out for his arrest. Even more troubling for Rob, the woman tells him that he will need to get all new identification cards. Rob has been looking forward to taking his special needs daughter on a much needed vacation and worries he won't be able to get a new license in time for the trip. In a frenzied state, he begins to comply with the instructions of the woman on the phone. But as her directions get stranger, Rob begins to question if he's doing the right thing. He realizes that he may be the victim of a scam. Unfortunately, by this time the scammers have already emptied out Rob's savings account. Rob is distraught as this means he'll have to cancel his trip with his daughter. But, just when he's about to lose all hope, Rob's community steps in to help.

Stolen Valor, Stolen Hearts: Military Romance Scam Aug 23, 2019

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After 26 years of service, U.S. Army Col. Bryan Denny retires from an incredible career in the military and begins to receive odd messages. They're coming from women around the world who claim to be in online relationships with him. But Bryan isn't on any dating sites. Meanwhile Kathy Walters is learning about the online boyfriend of her friend Sharon. They plan to marry, but Sharon has never met the man in person because he claims to be in the military stationed overseas. Sharon shows Kathy a picture of the man she knows as Ross, but the name on his uniform reads Bryan Denny. Unsure if her friend is in a real romance or caught up in romance scam, Kathy begins to investigate. She heads to Facebook, and what she finds is shocking. The same picture Kathy's friend has fallen in love with is featured in multiple profiles across the internet under a wide variety of names. That's when Kathy knows she needs to track down the real Bryan Denny. After some digging, Kathy is able to locate him and reaches out to see if Bryan has any knowledge of what's going on. Bryan has been fielding calls, emails and sometimes in-person visits from women who've fallen in love with his picture. Together, Bryan and Kathy uncover hundreds of fraudulent social media and dating site accounts that are using Bryan's image, as well as images of his family members, to entice women into romance scams. Disgusted by what they've found, Kathy and Bryan decide to fight back against these scammers.

Robocall King Meets the FCC, Part 2 Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

TripAdvisor and the Federal Communications Commission are conducting separate investigations into the same series of robocalls that have caused a public nuisance. The FCC became aware of the calls when they shut down a paging service used to communicate with emergency personnel. TripAdvisor began to investigate when its customers reported that these calls were fraudulently using the travel site's name to sell vacation packages. Finally, after months of investigating, the head of TripAdvisor's anti-fraud ("anti-fraud," not "fraud" team) team, Fred Garvin, gets a break in the case. He personally receives one of the robocalls that have been plaguing TripAdvisor's customers. Working backward to find the source of the call, TripAdvisor gathers the information it needs to track down where the calls are coming from. Once it has sufficient evidence, TripAdvisor reaches out to the FCC. To the website's surprise, the FCC has also been tirelessly investigating the same robocalls. Now working together, TripAdvisor and the FCC build a case against the source of the calls, "Robocall King" Adrian Abramovich. The FCC finds that in a three-month period, Abramovich is responsible for making more than 96 million robocalls. These illegal calls use the names of companies such as TripAdvisor, Marriott, Expedia, and Hilton to trick victims into purchasing vacation packages. With the culprit identified, the FCC gets to work shutting down Abramovich's operation.

Robocall King Meets the FCC, Part 1 Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

The average American is on the receiving end of more than 150 robocalls a year. Some robocalls, which are automated telephone calls placed by a computerized auto dialer, have legitimate purposes. Unfortunately, many of these calls are used to pester or scam consumers. In June 2019 alone Americans received 4.35 billion robocalls, with scams and telemarketing making up over 50 percent. Curious about the barrage of robocalls he himself receives, journalist Alex Palmer decides to look into how robocalls work and why they've become so popular. He finds that advances in technology and the low cost of placing robocalls—as little as 4 cents per dial—have made this nuisance a popular marketing tool for scammers. After digging deeper into the trend, Alex discovers the case of a set of illegal robocalls that temporarily stalled a Virginia-based paging provider, disrupting the ability of hospitals to get in touch with emergency services personnel. As a result, local doctors, nurses, EMTs and firefighters were at risk of missing critical pages. Due to the resulting public safety hazard, the Federal Communications Commission made tracking down the source of these robocalls a top priority. Meanwhile, travel-review website TripAdvisor is being inundated with complaints from customers that it is soliciting them through robocalls to use its travel rewards program. But TripAdvisor isn't making the calls and doesn't have a rewards program. With its reputation at stake, TripAdvisor puts its top fraud experts on the case. The FCC and the travel site will eventually learn that they are on the hunt for the same man, Adrian Abramovich.

The Lottery Scam That Almost Turned Deadly, Part 2 Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

In a Texas suburb, a typical lottery scam has turned into something much more sinister. A scammer has promised a retired couple a fictitious lottery payout if they continue to send him money for fees and taxes. With their life savings gone, the victims are forced to sell their home. But the swindler isn't done with them yet, as his constant calls have created a bond between him and the 70-year-old woman, who may be suffering from dementia. He realizes that she has grown fond of him and pivots from a lottery to a romance scam. He promises her a beautiful life together on the sandy beaches of Jamaica, where he's based. The con man tells her that all he needs is money in order to start building an oceanfront dream home that they can share. To come up with the funds, he proposes a disturbing plan. He demands that she kill her husband and flee to Jamaica with the proceeds of their home sale. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which has been monitoring a trail of cash making its way from the U.S. to the scammer in Jamaica, discovers the couple in Texas and sends an agent to their home. When the agent arrives, little does he know he's about to walk into a murder plot.

The Lottery Scam That Almost Turned Deadly Part 1 Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

A woman in a Texas suburb is enjoying her retirement years with her husband when she gets a call that will change their lives. According to the voice on the phone, she's won an overseas lottery. Millions of dollars and a new luxury car will be delivered to her front door. But before she can collect the cash and other prizes, she must send money to the man on the phone. At first, she's told she needs to pay taxes, then lawyers' fees. As the demands to send cash mount, her bank account is drained. Nine months later, the couple has lost everything and is forced to sell their home.

Lottery scams are on the rise in the U.S., with more than a half-million complaints in North America in the past three years. The island nation of Jamaica is a hotbed for this criminal activity. These scams have cost Americans millions of dollars and led to increased gang warfare in Jamaica that has upped the murder rate there. To combat this growing issue, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, along with other U.S. agencies, are dedicating resources to shut down lottery scams. One postal inspector came across a scammer's financial trail that led back to the Texas couple who'd been drawn in by a lottery scam. When the inspector arrived in Texas, he couldn't believe what he found: Not only had the scammer drained the couple's savings, but he was now operating a romance scam — with the woman as his target.

Sweetheart Swindler Part 2 Jun 03, 2019

Show notes

Desiree, the "Sweetheart Swindler," has made off with $15,000 of 76-year-old Jim's money. Once a millionaire, Jim lost his real estate empire during the recession, and now thanks to Desiree he has also lost the savings he worked tirelessly to rebuild. Desiree has moved on to a new mark, Doug, a veteran living in Nevada. This time around Desiree's husband joins her in the con, approaching Doug in a parking lot and offering to come to his home to fix dents in his car. On one such visit, Desiree tags along. Eventually she starts to visit Doug on her own. Each time she enters Doug's house she gathers information, stealing his Social Security number and other personal information. Doug, who has always been close with his sister Patty, calls her when things start to go missing from his home. Patty arrives to find Doug's life in complete disarray. There are papers and unopened mail covering every surface of his house. Patty digs in, finding multiple credit cards in Doug's name that he knows nothing about. There are bills for women's clothes, dinners, cash advances and even a car. Wracked with debt that he can't account for, Doug is on the verge of losing his house. After talking to Doug's home health care worker, Patty figures out that the bills may be connected to a woman who makes frequent visits to the house. Patty tries to track down this woman. Meanwhile, authorities in Texas, where Desiree has a home, are also on the hunt for her, but she's skipped town. Little does Desiree know that her crime spree is coming to an end: Authorities in Texas have tracked her to an address in Nevada — Doug's.

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