Therin Miller's exciting new business venture with his roommate, Brant Holloway, is quickly becoming a nightmare. Not only does the luxury-car dealership seem to be part of an elaborate scam, but his girlfriend, Kirsten, uncovers a connection to some very dangerous people, including notorious Russian-born mobster Mani Chulpayev. Therin could be an accessory to some serious crimes. Terrified of going to prison, or worse, he and Kirsten come up with a plan.
Mar 18, 2022•34 min•Ep. 116
National Guardsman Therin Miller never imagined that placing an online ad for a roommate would result in something far scarier than anything he faced on two tours of combat zone duty. His new roommate, Brant Holloway, is a friendly, well-mannered local business owner. The two become fast friends, so when Brant suggests they go into business together, Therin is intrigued. Before he realizes it, Brant and his adviser, Lyle Livesay, have drawn him into a crime ring involving luxury cars and the Rus...
Mar 11, 2022•34 min•Ep. 115
Brad is in an uphill battle he never expected: He can't convince his father that he's the victim of a classic lottery scam. Even after talking to a veteran police detective and having a judge declare his son the conservator of his finances, Brad's father just won't stop sending money to the criminals. By the time his father has lost almost all of his life's savings, Brad can't believe it could get any worse. Then, he learns his father is not only a scam victim, but is also working for the scamme...
Mar 04, 2022•32 min•Ep. 114
Believing he has won a multimillion-dollar lottery prize, Paul heads to the airport to claim his winnings. When he returns empty-handed, his son Brad learns that his father has wired $50,000 in prize fees to criminals outside the country. Despite Brad's efforts to convince his father of the scam, Paul remains optimistic the prize money is still coming and sends even more money, nearly $150,000. Desperate, Brad enlists the help of a police detective and becomes conservator of his parents' finance...
Feb 25, 2022•22 min•Ep. 113
Recently widowed, Janet has dedicated her life to helping others. When a friend tells her about a charity serving disabled veterans, she is eager to do what she can. The founder, John Paul Hope, is disabled and ill with terminal cancer. Together, they come up with a plan: Janet will give John Paul three acres of the land on her ranch on which he will build tiny homes for veterans in need. After the deed is signed, she realizes he has actually taken 30 acres! Janet comes to the terrible realizati...
Feb 18, 2022•30 min•Ep. 112
After building up his side business and Instagram following over a few years, Tim takes the leap to run his business full time. When he sees a testimonial video from an Instagram friend boasting of her successful cryptocurrency investment, he decides to make a small investment with extra cash from his booming sales. He is, in turn, asked to make his own testimonial. Before he knows what has happened, his account has been hijacked and a hacker is using the video to steal money from his friends....
Feb 11, 2022•29 min•Ep. 111
The Perfect Scam returns February 11th with more shocking tales of fraud and deceit. Host Bob Sullivan, along with fraud experts, helps equip listeners with the tools to protect themselves against scams.
Feb 04, 2022•56 sec
In the 2019 episode, the FBI is on to Farid Fata, an oncology doctor in Michigan who has been administering unnecessary cancer treatments in order to steal $34 million from Medicare. George, the practice's office manager, has gathered enough evidence to bring the case to the authorities. It lands of the desk of Agent Drake during his first week with the FBI's health care fraud team. Investigators are disgusted by what they find and work to bring Fata to justice.
Jan 28, 2022•37 min
In this 2019 episode, when oncologist Soe Maunglay moves to Michigan, he's excited to join Farid Fata's practice. But Fata's controlling and odd ways make him question his decision to take the job. When Maunglay looks into a patient's records, he's shocked at what he finds: Fata is giving chemotherapy and other treatments to patients who don't need it, some of whom don't have cancer at all. His motive? Stealing money from Medicare.
Jan 21, 2022•32 min
In this 2019 episode, a bustling oncology practice in Michigan is hiding something sinister. Patients come to Farid Fata at their most vulnerable, after they've been diagnosed with cancer or to receive the life-altering diagnosis. But when Angela, an oncology nurse, arrives at one of Fata's well-regarded clinics for an interview, she finds that nothing is as it seems. Horrified by what she sees, she reports the doctor for committing an unthinkable form of Medicare fraud.
Jan 14, 2022•23 min
When 96-year-old Mary steps off the plane in California for a vacation with her sisters, her niece can tell that something isn't right. Her normally vibrant aunt looks tired and frazzled. But the truth is even wilder than she thinks: Aunt Mary believes she's in the midst of an elaborate operation working with a government agent to catch the criminals who have stolen her identity.
Jan 07, 2022•34 min•Ep. 110
In this 2019 episode, journalist Alex Palmer tells the story of his great-granduncle, colorful conman John Duval Gluck, who created the Santa Claus Association. Before Gluck started his charity, letters from New York City children to Santa were destroyed, unopened, by the U.S. Post Office. Gluck saw an opportunity and created the Santa Claus Association in 1913. The organization claimed to use the donations it collected to answer children's letters to Santa and deliver them Christmas gifts. For ...
Dec 17, 2021•22 min
When Shirley Gibson learns that her property in Miami's historic West Grove neighborhood has been sold by someone using a forged deed, she is determined to fight. Working together with journalist Phil Prazen and lawyer David Winker, they uncover an elaborate real estate scam targeting dozens of elderly property owners in this historically Black neighborhood. Law enforcement is soon on the trail of the criminals, but will Shirley get her land back?
Dec 10, 2021•24 min•Ep. 109
Miami's historic West Grove neighborhood has recently become a hot real estate market. So hot, in fact, that it has attracted the attention of scammers. It wasn't always so. Shirley Gibson's family has owned property in West Grove since her great-grandmother immigrated from the Bahamas over 100 years ago. Now in her 80s, Shirley had hoped to pass on the property to her niece and nephew. But when Shirley goes to pay her taxes one day, she learns that her property has been sold without her knowled...
Dec 03, 2021•25 min•Ep. 108
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...
Nov 19, 2021•48 min•Ep. 107
Young ICU nurse Whitney Kirkpatrick's life is turned upside down when the police show up at her door looking for her boyfriend of nine months, Gregory Thomas. He is not the wealthy, successful oil executive he claims to be. Instead, Gregory has spun an elaborate web of lies — and he's been funding his extravagant lifestyle with Whitney's money. With the support of family and friends, Whitney finds the strength to move on and to educate others about identity theft and white-collar crime.
Nov 12, 2021•38 min•Ep. 106
Recent graduate Whitney Kirkpatrick is starting her career as a nurse when she meets Gregory Thomas, young and driven, and already the CEO of an oil company. His Southern charm, ambition and lavish lifestyle win over Whitney, her friends and her family. Then strange things begin to happen: large withdrawals from her bank account, calls from creditors late at night and pieces of Gregory's story not adding up.
Nov 05, 2021•30 min•Ep. 105
When her parents begin to show signs of memory decline, Kay Bransford steps in to help manage their finances. She quickly discovers a caregiver's nightmare: An abundance of questionable charities have homed in on her generous parents. Angered that her parents are being targeted because of their cognitive challenges, Kay creates a system to help other caregivers protect their loved ones. CharityWatch director Laurie Styron shares advice on how to be cautious while still being generous.
Oct 29, 2021•43 min•Ep. 104
Dave Lieber is intrigued when he receives an invitation to attend a real estate seminar hosted by Tarek and Christina of hit HGTV show Flip or Flop. The event is packed with fans and hopeful real estate flippers, but instead of meeting their favorite stars, attendees sit through a pitch for get-rich-quick seminars costing thousands. Dave, a journalist for the Dallas Morning News , is so shocked at what he sees, he investigates further, uncovering a slew of unethical practices by Zurixx LLC, the ...
Oct 22, 2021•28 min•Ep. 103
When Isabella realizes the man she loved is a fraud, she turns her heartbreak into a determination for justice. Working with local law enforcement and the FBI, Isabella uncovers information linking her case to a large organized crime syndicate. Her tenacity pays off when Robert Asante and accomplices are arrested and charged with stealing millions of dollars. Isabella now has the strength to share what she's learned and helps other victims of romance scams
Oct 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 102
When 70-year-old widow Isabella finally tries online dating, she's quickly swept off her feet by a handsome man named Michael who's been hired by General Petraeus for an important mission in Afghanistan. When his luggage is lost, including a vital piece of equipment, Isabella steps in to help, lending Michael more than $17,000 to replace it. Thanks to her, the mission is a great success and there is a reward — of gold bars. Though Isabella pays more than $100,000 to a company, neither Michael no...
Oct 08, 2021•39 min•Ep. 101
In this 100th episode, host Bob Sullivan revisits some of the most popular episodes and welcomes special guest Amy Nofziger, AARP's director of victim support. Bob and Amy hear from listeners who have used what they've learned to avoid becoming victims and offer tips for protecting yourself from scammers. They also discuss why it's so important to change the narrative of victim blaming.
Oct 01, 2021•37 min•Ep. 100
In this bonus episode, Bob Sullivan and his team of scam busters discuss the business of scams with Brett Johnson, also known as "The Original Internet Godfather." Johnson walks viewers through why scammers want gift cards, the potential dangers of cryptocurrency and how you can best protect yourself against swindlers.
Aug 20, 2021•17 min
When Charlotte Robinette receives a phone call from kidnappers demanding a ransom for her daughter Kristen, her daughter's voice on the phone convinces her that the situation is dire. Over the next four grueling days, the kidnappers wear Charlotte down, keeping her on the phone, sending her all over Phoenix and having her wire money to Mexico. Finally, she's instructed to travel with the remaining cash to a small town across the border, where she's told she can rescue her daughter. Little does s...
Aug 13, 2021•31 min•Ep. 99
After anxiously waiting for her fiancé, Tony, to arrive at the airport, Kate Kleinert is shocked when she receives a call from his attorney, who says that Tony has been arrested on a drug charge. He tells Kate that he'll need $20,000 to bail Tony out of jail. Out of money and insisting that she be allowed to visit the man she expects to marry, Kate begins to suspect something is off, especially when Tony makes odd requests for more payments. Brokenhearted, Kate leans on her sisters and finds the...
Aug 06, 2021•33 min•Ep. 98
Eleven years after losing the love of her life, 68-year-old widow Kate Kleinert receives a friend request online from Tony, a handsome surgeon working in Iraq for the United Nations. After accepting his request, she gets caught up in a whirlwind romance, and they quickly fall in love. A few months later, Tony asks to borrow money, initially for help with his daughter's expenses. She sends him money via gift cards and continues to do so whenever he asks, even though his attempts to pay her back b...
Jul 30, 2021•21 min•Ep. 97
As 72-year-old Steve Steele is released from jail, not only can he hardly stand or walk, but he is worried about how he will recover the property stolen by Elizabeth, the caregiver who worked for him. That's where Steve's attorney, Brent Smith, comes in, waging what becomes a nearly two-year battle.
Jul 23, 2021•28 min•Ep. 96
After 72-year-old Steve Steele's life partner passes away, his housekeeper, Elizabeth, offers to work as his caregiver. Over time, Elizabeth takes over Steve's finances, even persuading him to deed her his homes. It all comes to a head one Christmas Eve, when Elizabeth accuses Steve, who can hardly stand or walk, of assault and the police cart him off to jail for months. When the public defender's investigator meets Steve, though, she quickly senses this is elder abuse. The judge agrees and rele...
Jul 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 95
Rookie FBI agent Mike meets 80-year-old Alan, who has sent $600,000 to "friends" he met online. Typically, international scammers are notoriously hard to prosecute. After hearing that Alan visited the scammers in the Middle East and Africa, though, Mike senses a unique opportunity to lure the con artists to the United States. The pair devise a scheme so that the swindlers can be arrested and convicted of their crimes.
Jul 09, 2021•30 min•Ep. 94
After 80-year-old Alan returns from a trip to the Middle East and Africa, where he visited new "friends" he made online, his wife grows suspicious that he's involved in a scam and contacts the FBI. That's when rookie FBI agent Mike gets involved. Over the next nine months, Alan becomes Mike's informant as they work to prosecute scammers who aren't even on American soil.
Jun 25, 2021•20 min•Ep. 93
