The Perfect Scam

In part 2, victims of a nationwide fraud scheme join forces on a Facebook group and share their stories with investigative journalist Lou Raguse of KARE in Minneapolis. Someone is selling water purification devices to entrepreneurs, who think they are getting in on the ground floor of a great opportunity, but then fails to deliver the promised gadgets. Lou discovers the criminal's identity is Charles Fields, a suburban Minneapolis father who uses a host of aliases to pull off the scheme. Lou and the victims' dedication, along with the discovery of key evidence in an unusual place, help law enforcement successfully bring Fields to justice. 

Job seekers all over the country answer ads for sales positions at a water filtration company. The offer is promising, and the contracts look professional. The only catch is the initial $5000 investment in a water purification unit. However, when the prepaid units never arrive, people begin to realize they are victims of a scam. They form a Facebook group, band together, and convince investigative journalist Lou Raguse to take up their cause. Will they get justice?  

Online criminals love cryptocurrency for many reasons – it's anonymous, can't be traced, and payments are irreversible. So when Paul discovers he has been targeted by a crypto scam and the thieves have stolen $450,000, he is resigned to the fact that he may never see that money again. That is, until an online search leads him to Wisconsin police detective Scott Simons. Following the trail of the stolen money, Detective Simons traces it to a private crypto wallet and eventually recovers $80,000 of Paul's money. Detective Simons works with the non-profit Operation Shamrock to offer hope to scam victims and fight transnational organized crime. 

A tech support scam leads to criminals stealing one woman's life savings in gold bars. Gold bar scams have exploded in popularity as gold prices hit all-time highs. In this episode, Bob talks with a gold store dealer and a detective who are sounding the alarm about this trend. Hear how they are using gold bar sting operations to nab the criminals.  

In part 2, a call from Reuters journalist Brian Grow confirms Diana's worst fears about what really happened to her stepfather's remains. As Brian digs deeper into the story, the truth he uncovers about Sunset Mesa Funeral Home and the body brokering scheme is worse than anyone could have imagined. The conviction of Megan Hess brings some needed closure to families devastated by her shocking betrayal of trust.

Planning a loved one's burial or cremation is a difficult experience under the best of circumstances. When Diana's stepfather, Cactus, gets sick during the early stages of Alzheimer's and sees a billboard advertising simple cremations for $695 at Sunset Mesa Funeral Home, he requests that his family cremate him and not spend a lot of money. But when Cactus dies and his cremains go missing under mysterious circumstances, it sets off a series of events that not only exacerbates the family's grief, but also tips off a lengthy investigation by Reuters journalists that rocks a small community in western Colorado and exposes the dark, unregulated side of the body trade industry. 

In this 2023 episode, Huntington, West Virginia, is an idyllic college town on the Ohio River, but it's also the epicenter of a massive international internet crime ring. Federal prosecutor Katie Robeson hasn't been on the job long when she learns that a woman in Huntington is acting as money mule, transferring millions of dollars overseas. Following the money, Katie and her team uncover an elaborate network of criminals, based in Huntington, targeting people all over the country.

In this bonus episode, Bob talks with two of the nearly 150 trained volunteers who answer calls on the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline. Dee and Mike, both scam survivors, draw upon their experiences to offer emotional support and guidance to people who have recently been targeted. The helpline is a free resource available 5 days a week. If you or a loved one has been targeted by a scam, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.   

When Joe can't get his Apple Pay payment to go through, he does a quick search for their customer service number and reaches an operator named Daisy. Daisy informs Joe that his account has been flagged – criminals have compromised his identity and are coming after his life savings. But there is nothing to worry about, Daisy works directly with the FBI, and she will help him protect his assets. Over the following months, Joe is in constant contact with Daisy as she helps him transfer his savings and precious metals investments to safe accounts. He tells her all about his wife, who recently passed away, and she shares details about her life. As their connection grows deeper, they make plans for a future together. But as soon as the money is gone, Daisy disappears, leaving Joe heartbroken. 

A trusted friend introduces Taylor to a man named Sylvein William Maximilian D'Habsburg XVII, a tech whiz and the inventor of a fascinating new robotic technology. His gigantic insect-like robots promise to be a game changer in military applications. He offers her what feels like the opportunity of a lifetime, getting in on the ground floor of this innovative tech, and she invests $50,000 of her inheritance. But the returns she is promised never materialize, and when she seeks to withdraw her funds, Sylvein makes excuses and reveals he's under investigation by the FBI. Ultimately, Sylvein pleads guilty to stealing nearly $6 million from investors, including many members of the local Filipino church community, and using the money to purchase luxury cars and rare antiques.

Diane is still mourning the death of her boyfriend when a game of Words With Friends leads to a connection. The man claims to be actor Keanu Reeves. While initially skeptical, the video chat and voice messages he sends eventually convince her of his identity. As the relationship deepens over three years, "Keanu" will borrow thousands of dollars from Diane for an ongoing legal battle with a former manager. He also asks for her help receiving funds for his charity, which unwittingly makes her a money mule. When a police detective comes knocking at her door, she realizes the man is an impostor who stole over $160,000 from her. 

John is in the market for a pickup truck when he comes across a Facebook Marketplace ad for a 2021 Dodge Ram. It needs a little TLC, but it's a reasonable price, and he's had luck buying used cars online before. He does his research by checking the VIN on multiple sites, consulting friends in the auto business, and even taking a mechanic friend with him to pick up the truck. So, a couple of weeks later, when he finds himself in his new truck suddenly surrounded by police cars, he is shocked to learn that the vehicle is stolen, and he is the victim of a sophisticated VIN cloning scam.

Dreama and Larry's house is undergoing renovation after a tree fell on it. Since they cannot live there during the repairs, they set up security cameras to monitor the property. To their surprise, they notice a couple repeatedly visiting the house. Alarmed, Dreama and Larry register for a free alert system that will notify them of any changes to their property records. Just two days later, they receive an alert. Unbeknownst to them, Michelle Cherry and Victor Rodriguez have filed a quitclaim deed that will quickly and easily transfer ownership of their home. A quitclaim deed is typically used for transferring properties without a sale, such as from a parent to a child. However, in this case, criminals exploit it to steal from unsuspecting homeowners. Will Dreama and Larry be able to reclaim their home and help catch these "title pirates"?

Karen is experienced in investing, but she hopes to boost her retirement savings by joining an investors group on WhatsApp. After a few months of receiving positive trading tips, she follows the advice to invest in several stocks in Asian markets. Her portfolio plummets, losing tens of thousands of dollars. Karen is the victim of a classic "pump and dump" scam: scammers buy a very cheap stock, persuade investors to buy by spreading deceptive claims, and then sell their shares once the price rises, leaving investors with a loss. Learn how AI and an army of bots are making this age-old scam easier for criminals.

In this 2021 episode, Rochelle scores a great deal on a house in northern Virginia, only to have her dream home transformed a few months later into Pet Scam Central. Day after day, strangers show up on her doorstep, claiming they've arrived to pick up a puppy they paid for. Some have driven over six or twelve hours with their family. Unfortunately, Rochelle must break the news that she has no puppies to sell, and the hopeful would-be owners leave heartbroken, confused and out hundreds of dollars. Even worse, over the course of a year, Rochelle finds herself accused of being the con artist. Desperate, she turns to a local news station for help in putting an end to the scam.