Scams & Cons

Learn about our new podcast -- Unseen Influences. It takes you behind the scenes of the techniques others use to guide our behavior. It officially launches in February, but Scams & Cons listeners can listen to early episodes right now. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts or by going to our website, unseeninfluences.com. In this four-minute episode, I'll also bring you up-to-date on what's happening with Scams & Cons and give you details about what shows to expect on Unseen...

The only ways I know to get easy money is to either to be born rich, marry a rich partner or have someone bequeath you a fortune. If someone stepped up to us and said they have a way for us to make a lot of money fast, odds are we’d listen – listening doesn’t cost anything. Unless the person doing the talking is a scammer and they have now set the hook and may very well reel us in. Today we'll talk about Easy Money scams and you'll learn just how easy it is for you to lose your cash.

It's not easy to escape from prison, but when you have a lot of time on your hands and experienced con artists available ... well, it's going to be inevitable. A few weeks ago, we looked at how con artists used their skills to escape a highly secure prison. This time we're looking at the case of the Texas 7 who managed to escape, but not without costing a police officer his life. The Seven were on the lam for 41 days, but then police used cons of their own to bring them back to jail. We...

Fear gets your attention. It throws you off-kilter. It corrupts your judgement. You recover quickly when surprised by a spider. The impact is greater if you awaken in the night and see a stranger standing at the foot of your bed. In this episode, we tell you how scammers use fear to get us to do things that interfere with our ability to reason and recognize the scam for what it is.

The basics of romance scams haven't changed all that much. Find someone who is lonely, gain their trust and affection, then bleed them dry of all the money and assets they have. In this update to season one's story, we tell you how scammers are using new techniques and technology to make their efforts more effective and dangerous.

Why would a good scammer give up their trade just because they are in prison where those skills could be used to escape? If they are bold enough, they wouldn't. This is the tale of the Maze Prison Break. Maze is a prison within a prison within a military base. It took a lot of planning and a lot of cons, but they got out. We'll tell you how.

Nearly all scams are impersonation scams. They need you to believe they are someone else in order to get you to hand over your money. In this episode, we tell you about some of the new ways scammers are using impersonation techniques to rob you and why it's only going to get worse in the future.

In our last episode, I told you about social engineering -- how a con artist's patter can convince you to do anything. But sometimes props are needed to make that tale seem more real. In this episode we talk about the devices and distractions tricksters use to keep you from noticing your money is slipping from your fingers.

Nearly all scams are built around the technique of social engineering. Con artists know how to manipulate you, what buttons to push and allow you to believe you made a choice you never had. In this episode, we explore the techniques of social engineering and why we're all vulnerable to them. And you'll hear a scammer confess to her crime and said she took advantage of an elderly couple because they were "good people."

We're ready to go back to school with Scams & Cons classes that begin Sept. 11. Enjoy the long weekend, then it's back to the fun!

It's time for our summer break so I can prepare new episodes for season 9. Listen in as I give you the details and respond to some listener notes. Have a great summer and make some time away from the news to have some fun. You deserve it!

If you bought tickets to a pop-up taco museum restaurant in San Antonio, you got scammed. If someone wants to hook you up with a priest who does exorcisms, beware. But we begin with the story of a brand new scam called call merging. It involves merging your phone call with a scammer and a bank’s two-factor authentication system, stealing your secret code.

More than 60 hotels are conned by a man who dirtied rooms with roaches and condoms, and scammers are showing up at people’s doors to collect money they say they are owed. And I want to tell you the tale of a gambit that I can't call a con, but it's a great way to lose your money.

We're all vulnerable to scams, but we don't have to be willing victims. Today I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago -- tell you just what to do to thwart scammers.

A new scam is moving across the country that can capture the information on your credit card's chips, plus Minnesota legislators are considering a law that would reimburse victims of scams.

What some of you may remember as the Scopes Monkey Trial is a scam. If you don’t know about the trial, you may know about the movie, “Inherit the Wind,” which – and I’m being charitable here – took poetic license with the truth. Today, as we near the 100th anniversary of the trial, I tell you why. Scopes 100 Celebration

Alabama leads the nation in losses from online scams and a Massachusetts butcher shop owner says he was scammed out of $60,000 of meat. Plus, we'll update you on the Frye Festival scheduled for Mexico, but who knows where in that country it will be?

There are con artists who have pulled off major cons. What they do is so ballsy, it’s hard to believe anyone would fall for them. Yet, in the annals of history, they live on. Today on Scams And Cons, we'll tell you their stories.

We'll tell you the story of con artists who preyed on the elderly with home remodeling scams. One was brazen enough to outright tell the homeowner what needed to be done and begin work.

Is this written by me or an AI? Will you hear my voice or an AI voice in this podcast? (Spoiler, you'll hear both) AI voices and images are so easy to create these days that it's easy to throw someone into a money-gushing panic if they get a phone call from a friend claiming to be in trouble. The key is not to try and recognize the voice, but to recognize the scam. We'll tell you how and it's not that difficult to learn.

In this week's news, Thailand takes the unusual step of cutting off electricity to 500,000 people to stop scammers and con artists are staging car crashes to collect insurance money. Plus, Georgia exempts banks from protecting customers from scammers even though they say they want a law requiring them to do so. Listen at ScamsAndCons.com or wherever you get podcasts.

Is this written by me or an AI? Will you hear my voice or an AI voice in this podcast? (Spoiler, you'll hear both) AI voices and images are so easy to create these days that it's easy to throw someone into a money-gushing panic if they get a phone call from a friend claiming to be in trouble. The key is not to try and recognize the voice, but to recognize the scam. We'll tell you how and it's not that difficult to learn.

A man got taken by a scammer and called a local TV station for help. The scammers weren't caught, but they later called the man back, pretending to be the anchor and tried to shake him down again. It didn't go well for the scammers. Hear this story and more on Scams & Cons News

Groups of con artists roam the country, sweeping into a community and taking it for all they can until the police get wise. They're called Travellers and we'll tell you how they work and why they are different from other scammers.

The pigeon drop -- and oldie, but a goodie -- is misdirecting people so their new expensive purchases can stolen and fake Amazon customer service agents targeted a woman and tried to clean out her bank accounts. Support the podcast

If you've been scammed, will you get your money back? Will you get justice? The answer, unfortunately, is no. While it may be your life savings, the amounts are generally too small and police have such limited resources that they can't help. Your best hope is that your scam was part of a much larger operation that police can get resources to chase. This week we tell you while justice is so elusive and that the best defense is a good offense. Protect yourself.

Your child is safe at home, but scammers are calling to get info about them to put into a state "registry." It's a scam ... don't fall for it. Hear this story and more on Scams & Cons News.

It's easy to think of a scammer as a slick, sophisticated character, ready to outsmart your every move. Not so fast. Scammers do stupid stuff too, and we're here to tell you about them. Listen in for a good laugh and relief that they aren't as clever as we think they are.

In the early days of computing, we were afraid that if we pushed one wrong button, we'd lose all our work -- and that frequently happened. Nowadays, the risk isn't so high and total losses are rare, but scammers have figured out how to convince you to push just one button that allows them to steal your money and anything else personal on your computer. We'll tell you about that and about a former TV anchor who was arrested for taking money intended for the poor. Listen at ScamsAndCons.com ...

We're kicking off season 8 with a look at some really stupid scammers, then come back by asking if victims can ever really get justice. The news is back with some changes and we'll be taking several dives into how AI is being used by scammers and con artists. Plus, beginning this season, you'll be able to text me with your comments, questions or anything that's on your mind. I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks for listening!

People are coming back from the future. Some want computers to help solve problems for which the need ancient software, while others need some cold, hard cash to survive in this primitive world of ours. People are handing money over to these con artists without asking a simple question: Why are future IT people too stupid to keep their technology up-to-date and they need to travel back in time so we can fix it for them? Support the podcast

Think of all the music jingles you've heard over the years, promising that this pill or that one will help prevent cancer, ease your aching bones or guarantee you a longer, healthier life. It's snake oil and in this episode we tell you the difference between Western medicine, alternative medicine and outright frauds. Pay close attention, because some people will swallow anything. Support the podcast

We're talking about squatters again, primarily because they are improving their tactics and because they can rob you of your single largest investment. And it's a scam you don't see coming until it has already happened.Squatters are also organizing. They are forming unions of sorts to change or create laws that protect what they see are their rights.Scammers are always one step ahead of us. Listen in because we can't afford to be left behind.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

Adoption agencies can be difficult to work with. They have many requirements that must be met, and justifiably so. They want to make sure an adopted child finds a good and safe home.But some potential parents are patient. They want a faster process and are willing to pay to move to the top of the line. Desperation and fear is where scammers like to operate and today we'll tell you how they do it.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The old scam called the swoop and squat is back! It involves two cars with one swooping in front of a another, then coming to a halt. The scammers hope the rear driver will pay up without involving an insurance company. If no crash occurs, the scammers just put their car in reverse and slam into the car behind.Cars and trucks that have been flooded as part of recent storms, are being patched together and shipped to other states for sale. Don't be a sucker, check your prospective new car out b...

Fake websites are the hot thing this holiday season and they'll be popping up everywhere.You'll be amazed at how easy it is to set up a fake website. We'll tell you how it happens -- not how to do it.Listen to Scams and Cons wherever you get podcastsSupport the podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone knocks on your door, you're not expecting them to ask for sex. That's what some scammers are doing. They are offering sexual partners online, then send the mark to an address to receive the service. The homeowners aren't expecting the dozens of people who show up at their house.And black marketers sell a name for $10 allowing the scammer to rob $4,500 from a mark's account.Hear these stories and more on Scams & Cons, wherever you get your podcasts.Support the podcastLearn mor...

Our last episode told the story of Brittani Ard who had her heart stolen by a romance scammer. Well, technically not a romance scammer, he didn't ask for money, but he did want to be part of her life. He also wanted to be a part of the lives of many other women at the same time.In this episode, we ask Dr. Cortney Warren about whether this is a love con, a sex con or something else. She helps us understand why some people want to steal hearts, not money.Why would a guy described as good lookin...

We''ll tell you about a pastor who said he may have misunderstood God by selling cryptocurrency and an 82-year-old woman you don't want to mess with. She set up a successful sting to catch a scammer.Then there is a Cricket Wireless store in Athens, Georgia that was hit by a scam, resulting in a loss of approximately $12,000. The incident involved a fraudster posing as a company vice-president and sent an employee out to buy the tools needed to break into a safe.Learn more about your ad choice...

Scammers are getting personal by sending email to you, by name, and including pictures of your home. If you don't pay up, they promise to release your confidential information.Police arrest a scammer, release him on bail and the process repeats itself 13 times. Why?Hear these stories and more on Scams & Cons.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is not an episode about romance scams. The techniques involved are the same, but it seems to me that it involves love, sex and attraction to many women at a time. Never does the scammer ask for money or favors, but the scammer does receive trust and love.This is the strangest story I've told so far. Listen in and tell me what your think. contact@scamsandcons.comYou Probably Think This Story Is About YouSupport the podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Brad Pitt a romance scammer? How did CoinStar get caught up in a scam? Did half the people in a survey acknowledge they had been caught up in a scam or con?We have the answers on Scams & Cons News.Support the podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A scammer convinced a man to turn over $8,000 to collect winnings from a bogus Publishers' Clearing House prize. The man hoped to help his family and when he realized he'd been duped, he took his own life.And a record company comes the the aid of a dying girl who was scammed out of Taylor Swift tickets and sent her to the Eras tour, all expenses paid.Support the podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. Scammers are anything but civilized.In this episode, we'll tell you about how scammers get into public money and how they drain millions away. Public officials should know better and train employees in how to avoid scammers' traps. It's a bugaboo of mine, so you'll hear more stories in our News segments. It's a big issue. This is a great place to understand how vulnerable your money is.Support us on Patreon!Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Someone walking beside you can steal your credit card information without touching your wallet. We'll tell you how it's done and just because you died, doesn't mean landlords stop charging your rent, despite what the law says.Hear these stories and more on Scams & Cons, wherever you get your podcasts.Support the podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 13-year-old girl is used as a money mule for scammers trying to grab a man's life's savings. Fake monks seeking money from monastery clones, and a scammer didn't realize the mark's phone number had changed and now belonged to a federal agent. It did not go well for the scammer.Hear these stories and many more on Scams & Cons News, wherever you find podcasts.Support the show!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Magicians are masters of deception. So are con artists. I went to a magicians' convention to see how they compare.Listen as magicians talk about their techniques and whether they are similar to how con artists work.It's a fun episode with lots of laughs.Thank you very much!Support us on Patreon!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s news, con artists are preying on people released from jail, telling them that there are expenses that must be paid and scammers are scamming scam victims with promises of getting their money back. Then there are those in California trying to drive beachgoers away from the shoreline. Guess who the real scammers really are!Support us on Patreon!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another government loses money to a scammer, but this time it tries to hide it from taxpayers.And truckers are targeted with scams to steal their money and their loads.Scary stuff. Listen to Scams & Cons News to learn more.Support us on PatreonLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You'd think people who are at the top of their game -- the big money folks -- would be savvy enough to not get scammed. You'd be wrong.There are all kinds of people who have the intelligence and ability to spot a con, but are taken in anyway.Today we'll tell you their tales, what scams took them in and how it worked.Support us on Patreon!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s news, scammers are leasing private swimming pools for parties and the homeowners aren’t pleased. Gold is gaining ground on gift cards as a way of paying off scammers and we tell the story of a scammer who topped off his victim's phone card to continue a pitch.Support us on Patreon!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Arkansas, scammers are tricking pastors into urging parishioners to buy gift cards. Another city loses more than a million to scammers and city leaders believe it was a good thing. And in Las Vegas, skimmers are being used to copy credit card information before running up huge bills.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 7 begins Sept. 2 and there's a lot to talk about.Scams & Cons News moves to Monday and a new edition will come out each week.Regular episodes will continue on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. We've got stories about child birth scams, easy money scams and interviews with magicians who compare their skills of misdirection against those of con artists.It's going to be fun! See you in September -- and don't let me lose you to a summer love!Learn more about your ad choice...

In this week's news, we'll tell you about a woman who lost a half million dollars in a Social Security scam, con artists who offer up free pianos, then trick the customer into paying high shipping fees. You'll also hear how your smart TV could be robbing you.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's news, a man disguises himself as a woman to scam the groom out of his estate and pet owners are being told their companions are in danger in order to con people out of medical expenses.Hear these stories and much more on this week's Scams & Cons News.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Woman told she is on "secret probation" loses hundreds of thousands of dollars, 60 Minutes Australia asks if Belle Gibson is a liar and Canadian police bust an international scam ring.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the difference between a hoax and a scam? Are they the same thing? In this episode, we take a crack at the answer -- unless this whole program is a hoax.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A woman falling down escalator marks return of pigeon scam, members of British Parliament get caught in a honey trap and a Pennsylvania man loses $165,000 to romance scammer. Hear these stories and much more at ScamsAndCons.com or wherever you get podcasts.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Uber driver was killed while delivering a package for a scammer and a Canadian scammer in jail for a $175 million e-mail fraud in the U.S. while a man cons people into letting him use their phones, then drains their bank account.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A woman scammed by promise of free home make-over, a scammer tries to hoodwink Drew Barrymore's guests and an Alabama woman has admitted to faking her own disappearance after earlier claiming she had been kidnapped.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you write a check, you expect it to be secure, after all, you did write it in ink.That means bupkus unless you used a secure check and security pen. These days, scammers can use household chemicals to eliminate what you have written and fill in the blanks with whatever they want to whomever they want. They will even trace your signature so the banks won't notice.In this episode, we'll tell you about the rising crime of check washing and how you can protect yourself from it.Learn more abo...

An East Tennessee woman stops a scam by people posing as a representatives of Publishers Clearing House and a Wisconsin woman must pay taxes on $200,000 she lost to a scammer. A federal law once protected such victims from taxes. The law was cut.We also tell the story of a Toronto man who encountered a scammer that left him physically broken and unable to walk.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Identity theft was once fairly easy. Watch someone's mailbox for a credit card offer, then send it in with a new address; discover something like your Social Security number, then route that money to their bank account. There were lots of ways.But now there's a new one -- a fabricated synthetic identity. It's you without really being you. It can take your money in a quick hit or drain your money slowly.In this episode, we'll tell you how it's done and what -- if anything -- you can do about i...

In separate incidents, a man and a woman are arrested for romance scams. A boy in Taiwan agrees to have both legs amputated to gain insurance money and a woman who wanted a puppy pays the money, only to be told it's a scam.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It sounds exotic to fake your death, then just walk away, expect it almost never works. One woman was found in her home closet. Another was found by just pinging her phone.Then there is the woman who researched how to fake her death and took it so far as to hold her own death certificate in her hands.There are many ways to fake your death, but we don't advise that you try them ... unless your willing to sacrifice your own body.Frank AhernBooks by Frank AhernLearn more about your ad choices. V...

News: A Nebraska woman is conned out of a gold bar and a woman buys the wrong kind of gift card, frustrating a scammer, but still losing her moneyLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

t would seem if federal and state governments wanted you to disappear for your safety, it would be an easy thing to do. They can create all the documents you need, give you some money to get started and grease the wheels needed to get a new job.If only that were the case. Being uprooted is just as difficult -- if not more so -- than taking a powder on your own.In this episode, you'll hear from some people who were scooped up in the night to disappear and you'll hear from the people who create...

Woman recovers $147k from scammer and a man tries to own the New York HotelLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The theme of this series has been the long con of vanishing. Instead of a scammer targeting you, you are the one scamming everyone else. To be successful, you must do this the rest of your life, making it possibly the longest con of all.Maureen is the victim of this con. Her husband went missing and while she verified he was still alive, she doesn't know why he left -- or even if he is still alive.In this episode, you'll hear her tragic story and her best guess on what really happened, althou...

Scams & Cons News for March 21, 2024Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once you've decided to vanish, the question is: where do you go?In this episode we explore those possibilities and what you need to keep in mind when choosing a place.The odds are you'll end up somewhere that's not familiar and among people you don't know. That loneliness is one of the main reasons that a vanishing con fails. We'll tell you how people cope with that ... and sometimes it just means living on the street.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scams & Cons News for March 7, 2024Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The longest con of all may be vanishing -- leaving the place you know, going somewhere unfamiliar and never having contact with anyone or anything from your past life.In this episode, we tell you how to go missing and avoid those who will be looking for you.Private Investigative ServicesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scams & Cons News for February 15, 2024Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A good scam creates a reality where the mark thinks it makes perfect sense to go along with the con. A great con is when everyone else is fooled and you are the only one to know the truth.The next few episodes are about the longest con of all -- vanishing. These are people who voluntarily disappear. It does not include those who are running for the law or legal obligations. It doesn't include those in witness protection programs. It's about people who want to abandon one life and start again....

Regular listeners are accustomed to hearing about different variations of a con in each regular episode. In season six, we're doing something different. We'll be focusing on one con -- vanishing.Vanishing may be the longest con of all because, if you're successful, no one will hear from you again.We'll talk about why people want to voluntarily disappear. We won't be talking about those trying to escape the law or legal obligations. Our focus will be on those who want to trade their current li...

Are you being smed? It's a scam that involves both texts and social engineering. A dating app leads to a carjacking in Florida and a Swiss bus museum. A cashier stole more than $1 million between 2008 and 2019 by reselling museum tickets twice.These stories and MUCH more on Scams & Cons News.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any con, any story of a con, begins in the head of the author. Lee Goldberg isn't a con artist -- unless you count how he leads readers toward wrong conclusions -- but he does write successful books and TV shows that involve cons.In this episode, Lee talks with us about how he does it, how he comes up with his ideas and what it's to deal with publishers and television story runners. It's a great listen.Lee GoldbergLee's WorksMalibu BurningDreamtownLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

What time is it? 4:23? Thanks.You could have gotten the answer from your phone, a sign in front of a bank or dozens of other sources. So, why spend $150,000 for a Rolex to give you the same information.Luxuries are perceptions and scammers use those perceptions to make you think you're getting a very good deal on something that can perform the same function for far fewer dollars. Scammers have exploited those dreams for centuries, but now marketers have refined those techniques to scam us in ...

It’s a simple game. It’s just a guy flipping three cards on top of a worn cardboard box.If you’re the sucker, the game is easy. It’s meant to be that way. A lot of effort by a lot of people has gone into creating that scene. No wonder Three Card Monte is called the longest running show on Broadway.The sucker sees it as a game of skill. They believe they can outwit the tosser. What the sucker doesn’t realize is that the game is not about the cards, it’s about getting the sucker to put all the ...

If you are a six and a 10 shows interest in you, at the very least you’d feel flattered. You might even spend a little time with them just to feed your ego.And if that contact happens online, it seems even better. No dinners to buy. No gifts to exchange. And you can walk away at any time.But if the person on the other end of the line is a scammer, it might not be as easy as you think. You’ll be showered with attention, endless flattery and the person will seem to have a genuine interest ...

We're taking a break for the holidays, but we'll be back early next year. In the meantime, please enjoy some replays that have been a hit among our fans.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think of all the music jingles you've heard over the years, promising that this pill or that one will help prevent cancer, ease your aching bones or guarantee you a longer, healthier life.It's snake oil and in this episode we tell you the difference between Western medicine, alternative medicine and outright frauds.Pay close attention, because some people will swallow anything.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've done stories about robo calls before, but this one is different -- we're telling you how the technology works, who makes the calls and how you can make money by simply listening to the sales pitch, getting answers to a few questions and mail a complaint.robocalls@scamsandcons.comKit for challenging robo callsSample challenge letterLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our lasts episode asks how con artists reconcile the impact of their actions and how it harms their victims beyond the money they have stolen.This time we ask what is it about people that make them suckers for scammers. Certain behaviors signal scammers that we're good for some cash. Listen in and find out what they know about you and how they use it against you.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scammers are pulling gasoline dispensers from customers' hands to fill their own cars.Canadian women are more willing to report scams than men.And ProPublica says a scammer has succeed in getting people kicked off Instagram, then blackmailing them to release the account. He claims to have made $300k off the con.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scammers might take people for a little or a lot of money. Sometimes their scams ruin people's lives and leave them feeling unsafe -- maybe for the rest of their lives.In this episode, scammers tell us how they became scammers and how they rationalize what they do.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scammers become other people to convince you to turn over your money, but sometimes they want something else. Your pity, your admiration or your love.We take a look at imposters and why they do what they do.And check out the Pretend podcast. It's one of our favorites and when you hear Javier's story about a reported stalker, you'll be amazed!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People are coming back from the future. Some want computers to help solve problems for which the need ancient software, while others need some cold, hard cash to survive in this primitive world of ours.People are handing money over to these con artists without asking a simple question: Why are future IT people too stupid to keep their technology up-to-date and they need to travel back in time so we can fix it for them?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Con artists are using wanting to get into your pants for a wallet, but there are those who are looking for something else.In this episode, we tell you how pick-up artists, wings and matchmakers work.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 5 launches September 7 and here's a full episode on how con artists use misdirection to sucker people in.We believe Season 5 is our best yet with stories about pick-up artists, time travel scammers, how con artists justify what they do, fake medical cures and much, much more.Plus we're going weekly with our new feature called Scams & Cons News that will bring you up-to-date with real scams happening in the field right now.We look forward to being back with you again and that's no m...

Scams & Cons News begins officially this September, but we thought we'd give you and update on some of the things happening this summer.See you in September!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm headed off on summer hiatus and to produce shows for Season Five. I'm really excited about Season Five because we're producing shows on Pick-Up Artists, Time Travelers and Imposters -- plus a lot more. It will be fun!We'll also be adding a new feature called Scams & Cons News about recent scams from around the world. This episode provides a preview and I'd love to hear what you have to say, so drop me email at news@scamsandcons.com.Scams & Cons News will be released on oppos...