Scam Secrets
Scam Secrets
Podcast Description
It might look like a perfectly ordinary message. It could come from someone you thought you trusted. Or it could be a phone call that catches you off guard. Whatever the method, the goal is the same. They want your money.But if you know their secrets, you can spot the red flags before it is too late.Shari Vahl, who has investigated fraud for the BBC for 20 years, is joined by the criminologist and forensic linguist, Dr Elisabeth Carter, and Alex Wood - a former criminal who now tries to stop scams - to dissect the shadiest techniques criminals use to steal your cash. In each episode, they dig deep into a different scam, with first-hand accounts from the people targeted, forensic analysis of the techniques and mind games being used - and even secret recordings of the scammers themselves.
Scam Secrets will publish weekly from 31 July. Subscribe on BBC Sounds so you never miss an episode.
You can also email the Scam Secrets team - tell them which scams you want them to unpick: [email protected]
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the mechanics of fraud and specific scam tactics, exploring themes such as dating scams, celebrity impersonation fraud, and phone scams. Episode examples include breakdowns of devastating romance scams and the psychological manipulation behind them, as well as firsthand accounts from victims and analyses of audio recordings from criminals.
It might look like a perfectly ordinary message. It could come from someone you thought you trusted. Or it could be a phone call that catches you off guard. Whatever the method, the goal is the same. They want your money.
But if you know their secrets, you can spot the red flags before it is too late.
Shari Vahl, who has investigated fraud for the BBC for 20 years, is joined by the criminologist and forensic linguist, Dr Elisabeth Carter, and Alex Wood – a former criminal who now tries to stop scams – to dissect the shadiest techniques criminals use to steal your cash.
In each episode, they dig deep into a different scam, with first-hand accounts from the people targeted, forensic analysis of the techniques and mind games being used – and even secret recordings of the scammers themselves.
Scam Secrets will publish weekly from 31 July. Subscribe on BBC Sounds so you never miss an episode.
You can also email the Scam Secrets team – tell them which scams you want them to unpick: [email protected]
An old friend is posting about how well his investments are doing – and he’s offering you the chance to get involved too. Would you know what to do?
In this final episode of the series, the Scam Secrets team unpick a fraud which ripped through a group of close mates. One by one, their Instagram accounts were infiltrated as, believing they were chatting to a friend, they handed over their login details, hoping to join a crypto investment scheme. But that gave the criminals all they needed to take over the account and use it as a platform to try the same trick on all their followers.
It’s a modern day pyramid scheme that plays on the victims’ desire to make money and their trust in their friends.
Scam Secrets will be back later in the year. In the meantime, you can contact the team at [email protected].
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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