Frequent Flier Lands in a $12,000 Scam
David is a seasoned traveler who has visited over 30 countries. He and his wife are looking forward to a trip to Budapest when he receives a...
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Society & Culture
The Perfect Scam
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 firs...
Episodes
20 of 333 episodes
Phony Publisher Promises Bestsellers
Writing is Barbara's retirement hobby and her passion. She has several self-published books, but she dreams of her stories reaching a wider...
How One Family Stopped a Crypto Romance Scam
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...
Archive Episode: FBI and Grandmother Bring Down Crime Ring, Part 2
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,...
Archive Episode: FBI and Grandmother Bring Down Crime Ring, Part 1
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...
Friend Group Falls Victim to Large Job Scam
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 ma...
A Hawaii News Icon and a Sweepstakes Scam
Linda Coble is retired from a storied career as Hawaii's first female news anchor, but she stays active in her community through charity wor...
Scam Targets AT&T Customers to Steal Cellphones
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 phon...
A Pilot's Stolen Identity Leaves a Trail of Broken Hearts, Part 2
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...
A Pilot's Stolen Identity Leaves a Trail of Broken Hearts, Part 1
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...
Archive Episode: Million Dollar Movie Ponzi Scheme, Part 2
Beloved Vermont children's entertainer-turned-filmmaker Mac Parker has been raising funds for his film Birth of Innocence for nearly a decad...
Archive Episode: Million Dollar Movie Ponzi Scheme, Part 1
Malcom "Mac" Parker aspires to be a filmmaker. In Vermont, Mac is known as a beloved children's entertainer, appearing on public television...
Scammers Use AI to Make Lost Pet Scams More Believable
Bill and Allison are devoted to their dogs, so when they discover their 11-year-old beagle mix Archer missing one evening, they are distraug...
LA Fire Survivor Faces PayPal Impostor Scam
After escaping the Palisades fire in January of 2025, Ellen doesn't know if she and her husband Steve will have a home to return to. Miracul...
Crossed Wires: Utility Scams Target Consumers
Fed up with the rising cost of electricity, Steve shops around and switches to a new provider in his Boston neighborhood. The process is sim...
Vermont Woman Recoups $1.3M 4.5 Years After a Scam
Jeanette moves back to Vermont, expecting a peaceful retirement in a beloved community, but a tech support scam upends her life. She reaches...
Bonus: Meet the Fraud Fighters Taking on Crypto Kiosk Scams
In this bonus episode, Bob meets some Fraud Fighters working to make their Nebraska community a little bit safer from scammers. When Omaha p...
Deepfake Doctors: AI-Generated Medical Ad Scams
Dr. Maurice Sholas, a pediatric rehabilitation specialist based in New Orleans, discovers that his likeness is being used in an ad when a fr...
California Woman Warns of Facebook Job 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 havin...
Bonus: Avoiding Tax Scams With Michelle Singletary
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 taxpay...