168 episodes
The Perfect Scam AARP
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- True Crime
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4.6 • 742 Ratings
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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 firsthand, as well as professional con artists and leading experts who pull back the curtain on how scammers operate.
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FBI and Grandmother Bring Down Crime Ring, Part 2
In Part 2, criminals are running the grandparent scam all over the San Diego area. Often crimes like this go unsolved, but FBI agent Brady Finta and his law enforcement partners believe this situation is unique. There is a video and an eyewitness. Arresting the messenger who took Susan’s $9,000 might just bring down an entire criminal operation. But investigators must proceed carefully.
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FBI and Grandmother Bring Down Crime Ring, Part 1
When Susan gets a frantic call from her “grandson” saying he’s been in a terrible accident, she doesn’t waste any time. She rushes to get him the $9,000 he requested for legal fees, but as soon as she hands the money to the courier, the phone line goes dead. She knows instantly that it was a scam. Similar crimes are popping up all over her area, and the stack of case files is pretty big by the time it lands on FBI agent Brady Finta’s desk.
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A Texas Hospice Provider’s Deadly Scheme, Part 2
As FBI Special Agent Cook and partners at the Department of Health and Human Services dig deeper into the records of Novus Healthcare, they are shocked to find fraud every step of the way. From falsifying required doctor visits to providing kickbacks to referring doctors, Novus CEO Bradley Harris and doctors, nurses and administrators are driven by greed. Together, the hospice group defrauded Medicare of more than $27 million and may have contributed to the premature deaths of countless patients.
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A Texas Hospice Provider’s Deadly Scheme, Part 1
Hospice is an essential service that many families depend on during a difficult time, but the combination of loved ones under emotional stress plus hospice benefits provided by Medicare can attract unscrupulous operators. When Judy’s mother enters care with Novus Healthcare, a Dallas-based hospice provider, Judy soon realizes that something isn’t right. Rather than providing comfort, Novus staff push back on even the most basic care requests. Meanwhile, Novus and its CEO, Bradley Harris, are attracting the attention of FBI Special Agent Thomas Cook. What he and his colleagues uncover is even worse than they imagined.
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Bonus: Trending Scams to Look Out for in 2023
In this bonus episode, Bob Sullivan invites anti-fraud activists Frank McKenna and Ayelet Biger-Levin to take stock of where we are in the fight against fraud and look ahead to the trends listeners should watch for in 2023. Learn how criminals exploit advances in technology (such as bots, deep fakes and ChatGPT) and how an old scam is making a big comeback.
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Fake Doctor Runs Phony Medical Spa Scheme, Part 2
In part 2, Jill Alper has already made a $10,000 investment in Dr. Dan’s medical spa business when her friend Holly Saunders learns that he is a con man with a lengthy criminal record. Determined to stop him from targeting his next victim, the friends team up with the FBI to lay a trap for Dr. Dan, culminating with a dramatic sting operation at a restaurant.
Customer Reviews
Listen to this!
I have learned so much by listening yo this Entire series. I really thought I would be scam-proof but there are so many ways people get scammed that I am already much more protective of myself and my information
Speaking of scammers!
I would credit you all more for your exposés on fraud if I weren’t looking at one of the kings of fraud right there on your page! When are you going to take responsibility for promoting Frank Abanale who has lied and cheated his whole career? Maybe you could have Pretend’s Javier Leiva on as a guest, hmmmm?
Excellent!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the rich and detailed information about common and current scams…in all of their iterations. I appreciate the guests who come on, and tell their stories of being scammed-they are doing a tremendous service.
I have been scammed myself, but have since been able to avoid further attempted scamming, and this podcast has helped me. It is so much easier to scam older people, particularly if they are living alone and don’t have a lot of family support (like me).
And finally, host, Bob Sullivan makes this podcast what it is. He speaks in a gentle manner, with wisdom and tremendous compassion. Covering these scams in a story and interview format, with him as the host, is ‘the perfect match’.
(Also appreciate Frank Abagnale-and so many of the podcast guests who are working to stop these crimes. Thank you.)