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The Perfect Scam

The Perfect Scam

By: AARP
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Summary
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.AARP Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Inside a Romance Scam with Nat Geo's Mariana van Zeller
    Nov 13 2026

    In this special episode, Bob welcomes back investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller. She has spent years venturing into some of the world's most dangerous places, chasing interviews with underworld figures as she discovers truths about black markets and the business of fraud. With her latest documentary project for National Geographic, Super Scam Me, Van Zeller goes undercover to become the target of a romance scammer. What starts with a disguise and an invented dating profile will take her face-to-face with a would-be romance scammer on the other side of the world. We learn how scams are enabled by networks of criminals working together and how technology is reshaping the way criminals slip into victims' lives.

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    46 mins
  • Couple Held in Virtual House Arrest by FBI Impostor Scam
    Nov 6 2026

    Mike and Cathy are preparing for retirement and a move from New Jersey to Florida. During the stressful period of downsizing and transitioning their business, Mike is caught off guard by a call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent. He is initially skeptical but becomes convinced to join a video call with an "FBI agent." The agent informs Mike that he is being investigated for involvement in a money laundering scheme and could face extradition to Vietnam. Over weeks of fear, manipulation and constant surveillance of Mike's phone, the scammers persuade Mike and Cathy to send $250,000 in bail money.

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    46 mins
  • Influencer Couple Caught Running Home Construction Scam
    Oct 30 2026

    Chris and Raquelle Judge market themselves as the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, showcasing custom homes and renovation projects across their social media channels. But behind the polished image, clients say problems emerge soon after construction begins. From improperly installed plumbing and electrical to crooked walls, suspicion grows about the couple's true credentials. Weary homeowners seek second opinions and are left to pick up the pieces of their unfinished, unlivable homes when the Judges stop returning their calls.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
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