Scam Secrets

Being sent a shiny new phone when you weren't expecting one sounds great - but it most likely isn't. In this episode, the Scam Secrets team investigate mobile handset fraud - a widespread scam whereby criminals gain access to your telecoms account, then order new phones or tablets once inside. Shari Vahl, Elisabeth Carter and Alex Wood hear from two listeners who thought they were dealing with their mobile provider, only to find out they'd become the latest victims of this manipulative scam. There's also a glimpse into the criminals' techniques thanks to the recording of one of them in action.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

What's the name of your first pet? If a question like that holds the key to your email inbox, it might be time to beef up your security. In this episode, Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood talk about why our emails are so valuable to scammers, and hear some of the terrible things criminals will do if they can get inside. From booking a holiday to intercepting the proceeds of a house sale, they've got plenty of options. The team is also joined by Ollie Whitehouse, chief technology officer for the National Cyber Security Centre, to talk about the latest ways to keep your inbox secure. Ollie explains why the NCSC thinks it's time to move on from passwords, and explains the technology of passkeys, which he believes are now the safest option.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Your relative is in the grip of a scam. You can see it - but they can't. Would you know what to do?

It's a situation you never want to find yourself in. And if you do, it can be hard knowing where to turn and how to help.

This episode is inspired by the emails we've received from people whose friends and relatives are being scammed.

With the help of two experts who deal with this question every day - one from a bank, the other from the police - Shari, Lis and Alex set out to offer listeners a 'toolkit' of things to do in this horrible scenario.

They cover how to contact a victim's bank, tips on breaking the spell that the criminals have laid, and what the police will try to do to help.

Let us know your experience, and what else you want Scam Secrets to cover - scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Do you scan QR codes? Since Covid, they've become embedded in many aspects of our lives. But perhaps we're a bit too trusting of them.

On this episode, Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood hear how criminals are finding different ways to exploit those little black and white squares.

Two Scam Secrets listeners give their experience - Les, who scanned a QR code while trying to pay for parking on a trip to the coast - and Keith, who used a QR scanner app he'd downloaded to try to buy a classic car book.

Both of them ended up with criminals taking money from their bank accounts in monthly chunks.

Professor Filipo Sharevski of DePaul University has studied the malicious use of QR codes. He tells Scam Secrets how they're increasingly used in emails to disguise phishing links - a technique known as quishing.

Prof Sharevski also describes his experiments testing the public's willingness to scan QR codes when they're out and about. You might think twice next time you encounter one.

Remember you can get in touch with the programme and tell us about the scame you want us to investigate - scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

What really happens when you report a scam?

In this special episode, Shari takes a trip behind the scenes at the fraud reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For years, this was called Action Fraud - and victims often complained about the way they were dealt with when they tried to report what had happened to them.

Since the start of the year, there's been a new system in place. It's called Report Fraud, and the people in charge say it's a totally different operation.

So we went to check it out. With total losses from fraud estimated at well over a billion pounds last year, and scammers constantly evolving their techniques using the latest technology, there's never a quiet day.

Shari meets call handlers and victim support officers who are on the front line speaking to vulnerable victims, police officers trying to shut down scam sites - and puts listener questions to the overall boss of Report Fraud.

For this episode, she's joined by Professor Mark Button from Portsmouth University, a fraud specialist who has researched the experience of fraud victims in the UK.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Have you ever been desperately trying to contact a company to complain about shoddy service? Or needed to cut through the automated responses and speak to a human who can help? Most of us have - and the criminals have latched onto it.

Scam Secrets takes a journey into the world of customer service scams. Criminals pose on social media as respected brands, going out of their way to help. They'll even offer a refund - but the money only goes in one direction. Shari, Lis and Alex grab their red flags and hear from a listener whose attempts to complain about a parcel delivery led her right into the grip of criminals. They hear about the vast scale of this type of scam - researchers found 350,000 fake accounts impersonating 2,600 brands - and discuss the best ways to avoid getting scammed while you're trying to complain.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Scam Secrets is back with a close look at deepfakes. Lots of the stories we hear involve victims being lured into scams by fake videos or photos of trusted people. Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood hear what happened when a listener confronted the man stealing from her mother during a live video call where he was pretending to be her lover. YouTube scam-baiter Jim Browning joins the programme to talk about the techniques he uses to unmask criminals hiding behind deepfakes - and give a scary glimpse into the future.

Remember you can email the show at scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

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 scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A roofer's at your door - they've spotted a couple of loose tiles and they can fix them straight away. It's only a quick job. Would you know what to do?

Almost all of the scams we've dissected so far have been done remotely - on the phone, by text or online. But what if the criminal is standing right in front of you - perhaps even inside your home? That's what the Scam Secrets team are looking at in this episode. Because while criminals have embraced the digital world and AI, they'll still steal from you face to face too - and many of the techniques are the same.

We hear from Jane, who got one of those knocks on the door from a 'roofer' - before long, she'd had thousands of pounds stolen by criminals who even used a fake video of birds on her roof to try to steal more.

It's not just rogue traders though - who can resist helping someone in need? We'll hear what happens when a man approaches people at a motorway service station with a simple-sounding request for help...

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A group of young jobseekers are gathered outside a dental surgery in West London, nervously waiting for a trial shift for the job they've just applied for. But as time ticks on, they realise there is no shift. In fact there is no job. But it gets much worse - their identities have all been stolen.

Shari Vahl and the Scam Secrets team hear from one of those people, Joe. For him, the real impact of what the criminals had done only hit home several months later.

What started as a plausible looking job posting on a big recruitment site, from a business that checked out, ended with him trying to extract himself from thousands of pounds' worth of loans and the lingering fear of what the criminals would do next.

It's a growing scam aimed at anyone browsing online recruitment sites. Would you spot the red flags?

Remember you can get in touch with the Scam Secrets team: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

If you buy from a website that turns out to be fake and run by criminals, your first thought is probably about the money you've parted with. But that's not all they're after. Because you're also handing over personal data that can be far more lucrative than whatever you paid for the rubbish clothes that you're left with.

In this episode, Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood revisit the Great Knitted Cardigan Scam to find out what happens to the information victims enter into these sites. Email address, phone number, bank details...Shari calls it identity bingo. She's uncovered an audacious technique where victims' details are used as returns addresses to make these bogus sites look legitimate. And it doesn't stop there - cyber security expert Matthew Gracey-McMinn reveals how our data changes hands on the dark web and some of the other uses criminals make of it.

Remember you can contact the Scam Secrets team and tell us the scams you want to see investigated - scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've been invited onto a well-known podcast (not this one). They'll even pay you to take part. Would you know what to do?

Shari Vahl, Alex Wood and Dr Lis Carter unravel an elaborate scam that's aimed at people and organisations with a big social following. They hear from a dog groomer who was tricked into handing over her Facebook account by an extremely convincing-sounding invitation to appear on a US podcast. The same trick has been used on other charities and influencers and it's made even harder to spot because the podcast does exist. So how are you supposed to check?

And crucially, what are the criminals really after?

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've booked a holiday and the hotel gets in touch to ask for a payment to confirm your booking. They know your name and they've got all the details of your reservation. Would you know what to do? In this episode, people using booking.com are targeted by a hard-to-spot scam where official-looking messages arrive, asking for payment. Needless to say, that payment doesn't go to the hotel. But how do the criminals do it? And what chance do you have of spotting it?

Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood find out, with the help of cyber crime expert Rafe Pilling.

Remember you can contact the programme at scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Whether we're chatting, texting, buying or dating, the tech services we all use are being abused by criminals to worm their way into our lives. So what are these huge businesses doing to keep us safe?

In this episode of Scam Secrets recorded at the United Nations Global Fraud Summit in Vienna, some of the biggest names in consumer tech chat to Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood about the threats they're facing.

Red flags at the ready, we ask Amazon what the world's biggest online marketplace is doing to protect users. Match Group, owner of Tinder, Hinge and a host of other well-known dating sites tells us it's trying to weed out fake profiles. And Virgin Media/O2 lifts the lid on how those Winter Fuel Allowance texts arrive on your phone.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A message pops up. It's a scam, you can spot that. But who sent it? Where in the world did it come from? And how has it ended up in your inbox? For this special episode of Scam Secrets, the team visit the United Nations Global Fraud Summit in Vienna. Pretty much everyone engaged in the world fight against scams is there too, from politicians and police to the biggest tech companies on the planet. Challenged by listener Catherine to find out more about the criminals who stole £200,000 from her dad in the previous episode, Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood ask Interpol why it isn't easier to track criminals down. And the organised crime chief of the United Nations tells us how networks of global organised crime lie behind that message you received - and offers harrowing evidence of why the scammers are often victims too.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Scam Secrets is back with a close look at a disturbing and emerging scam technique that can totally clean out its victims.

In a hybrid scam - or pig butchering, as the criminals describe it - the manipulation reaches new levels as investment and romance scams are combined. Shari Vahl, criminal language expert Dr Lis Carter and former fraudster Alex Wood hear from Catherine, whose father was targeted in this way. A chilling voicenote reveals the romantic element to the scam, while a criminal pretending to be an investment adviser was busy stealing more than £200,000 from the 84-year-old.

One of the leading experts on this trend, Dr Martina Dove, tells the team how she's read detailed scripts guiding criminals through how to psychologically manipulate different types of victims to a terrifying level of detail.

Remember if there's a scam you want the team to investigate, or if you want to let us know what you thought of the programme - get in touch at scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

It's coming up to Christmas, and you might have gift cards on your mind. The perfect present choice for many scenarios - but also the perfect weapon for criminals. In 2023, Action Fraud got more than 6,000 crime reports about gift cards. More than £13 million was stolen.

So what turns these versatile gifts into gold dust for criminals? That's what Shari Vahl, Elisabeth Carter and Alex Wood will be finding out, along with the shocking story of Sarah, who thought she was helping out her boss while on work experience but ended up buying £1,300 in gift cards for criminals.

As always, the team will get under the skin of the scam, hearing how criminals target their victims and why even a simple LinkedIn post could put you at risk.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

WhatsApp is part of our daily lives – and criminals know how to weaponise that trust.

In this episode, Shari Vahl and the team hear how a devastatingly simple trick handed the keys for a Scam Secrets listener's WhatsApp account to a scammer. Along with expert linguist Dr Elisabeth Carter and former criminal Alex Wood, Shari finds out what the hacker did next - and how an old friend was tricked into handing over money.

As ever, there will be red flags waving to show you what to watch out for - and essential tips from our guest expert to keep your account secure.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You might be on the lookout for work - so when a message arrives with a job offer, the timing is perfect. This is what happens to the people who are drawn in by the fake recruitment text scam that has been bombarding people's phones.

Shari Vahl, Dr Elisabeth Carter and Alex Wood hear how one man was lured in with promises of payment for simple tasks - then trapped in a cycle of payments and false earnings, even unwittingly becoming a money mule for the criminal pretending to be his boss. Just to ramp up the psychological pressure, his 'co-workers' were also in on the act.

The Scam Secrets team will dissect the criminals' methods, revealing what lies behind this extremely common and seemingly innocuous text message. And they'll wave their red flags so you can safely steer clear of what could turn out to be a very expensive job offer.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've just been scammed. The red flags didn't work this time and criminals have stolen your money. Your mind's all over the place. Will you ever see that cash again? In this special episode of Scam Secrets, Shari Vahl and a cast of experts walk you through the process so you know your rights. She'll point out the factors that improve your chances of a refund - as well as the dreaded circumstances that could mean your money is lost forever. And they'll walk you through the crucial steps you should take as soon as you realise what has happened, because the actions you take in the aftermath can have a big impact on getting your money back. For this episode, Shari is joined by David Geale, executive director of the Payment Systems Regulator, Richard Daniels, head of fraud at TSB and Paul Hampson, director at CEL Solicitors.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've probably got the scam Winter Fuel Payment text at least once. You might well have ignored it. But what happens when the criminals hit the jackpot, the circumstances fit, and you try to take up the offer?

That's what happened to Peggy - and in this episode her experience is analysed by Scam Secrets regulars Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood.

With the help of a convincing but very fake website, a one time passcode trick and the mind games that scammers deploy, the criminals wanted to go on a shopping spree on Peggy. But just as they were getting ready to splash her cash, an unexpected plot twist scuppered them.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A phone call from the police out of the blue. You want to help. Who wouldn't?

Scam Secrets returns with the chilling story of an audacious scam that reached all the way to the doorstep of its victims.

Jane and Neville were so convinced they were part of a police operation that they handed over their life savings - more than £670,000 - to criminals behind a scam known as courier fraud.

Fraud investigator Shari Vahl, criminal language expert Dr Lis Carter and former criminal Alex Wood analyse the tactics used - the fake emergency call, the mind games and the relentless contact - to lift the lid on how the criminals did it.

Along with guest expert DCI Jon Hodgeon, they'll raise their red flags to highlight the things you can watch out for - so you'll know whether the police officer you're talking to is a criminal in disguise.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Getting an unexpected phonecall can be unnerving. If it's from a bailiff saying he's coming to take your possessions and is 40 minutes away, it can be terrifying.

In this episode, Shari Vahl and the Scam Secrets team hear from two people who were subjected to this scarily plausible scam. Linguistics expert Dr Lis Carter and former fraudster Alex Wood pick apart the language used, and explain how the tactics are all designed to manufacture a 'fight or flight' response that plays into the hands of the criminals.

As ever, red flags will be waved - so you'll end up better informed about this sophisticated and manipulative scam.

And on this last episode in our first series of Scam Secrets, we'll even hear exactly what happened when a scammer tried similar tactics on Shari.

If there's a scam you want the Scam Secrets team to look at, you can get in touch: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Your phone pings - it's a loved one who needs your help. Would you know what to do?

Lots of us have received the 'Hello Mum' text - sometimes it's dead easy to spot. But what if the circumstances fit, and they catch you completely unawares?

In this episode, Shari Vahl, Alex Wood, and Dr Elisabeth Carter discuss how the scam, which preys on parental instinct and urgency, is getting increasingly cunning - and they examine the tools the fraudsters use to manipulate us.

Listener Anne, who was almost conned out of £2,000, tells her story. Guest expert Nick Sharp from the National Crime Agency tells us how these criminals are targeting us - and he's no exception, having recently received a Hello Dad message that landed on his work phone.

As ever, the red flags will be waving when there's something to watch out for, and you'll be armed with the knowledge to steer well clear of the criminals.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Who could resist the offer of a free grand piano? Or a remarkably cheap campervan? Just as long as you pay for delivery - but that's a small price to pay, right?

This episode of Scam Secrets is about those times when you're offered something - perhaps something you've always fancied - on amazingly good terms. It's a scam - otherwise Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood wouldn't be talking about it. Luckily they've got their red flags ready to tell you what to watch out for.

In this episode, Lis delves into the language used by the criminals - explaining how they trigger our desire for a musical instrument we didn't know we wanted - and former scammer Alex shares his insight into how people are manipulated by delivery scams like these.

The Scam Secrets guest expert is Dr Jack Whittaker - an academic who wrote his PHD on precisely this kind of fraud. He tells the team where these scams come from and how to see them coming.

Remember - if there's a scam you think we should be talking about, you can email the show: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A trusted celeb seems to be promoting a crypto investment. Would you know what to do?

In this episode of Scam Secrets, Shari Vahl, Dr Elisabeth Carter and former criminal Alex Wood hear how an apparent endorsement from a trusted celebrity paved the way for the relentless psychological manipulation of a couple, with devastating consequences.

The team discuss how helpless people can even be made to lie to their own banks while under the spell of criminals, and they highlight the red flags to watch out for so you can spot what the fraudsters are doing.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

A letter arrives at your home - addressed to a company you've never heard of. Would you know what to do?

Criminals are registering companies at innocent people's addresses at a shocking scale - sometimes covering an entire street at a time. In this episode, Shari Vahl, Dr Elisabeth Carter and former fraudster Alex Wood find out the alarming consequences if your home is targeted - and how to fight back.

Fake companies expert Graham Barrow joins the programme to explain what the criminals are after, and to discuss whether Companies House's latest crackdown is working.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've spotted a nice cardigan on social media - the website looks legit. So you buy one. It doesn't feel like a scam...

In this episode, Shari Vahl and the Scam Secrets regulars - Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood - unravel a global scam that relies on people buying pieces of clothing they've seen advertised on social media. As the team find out, what arrives is very much not what they've been hoping for. Who is doing this, and why? And how do you spot the red flags that mean you'll be bitterly disappointed if you click 'purchase'? But this is a scam that goes way beyond a rubbish cardigan and the criminals aren't just after your money.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

You've met someone online. You chat every night and it's going well - but then they need your help. Would you know what to do?

Romance fraud cost people more than £400m last year - and that's just the cases that were reported.

In this episode, BBC reporter Shari Vahl, criminologist Dr Elisabeth Carter and former scammer Alex Wood dissect the harrowing story of a woman who sent £80,000 to a man she believed was her soulmate.

Step by step, they uncover the criminal's elaborate tactics - from the powerful use of silence and love bombing, to a fake banking app and lies about a trip to hospital.

They highlight the red flags to watch out for and how to see criminals coming.

You can email the team at scam.secrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Your bank is on the phone. The man knows all your details. He says there's a problem on your account. Would you know what to do?

Scam Secrets is the new series lifting the lid on the techniques criminals use to steal your money.

BBC reporter Shari Vahl is joined by criminologist and forensic linguist Dr Elisabeth Carter and former scammer Alex Wood to get inside the mind of the criminals and highlight the red flags that should set alarm bells ringing.

In this first episode, they hear how a seemingly innocuous TV licensing email paved the way for a scarily sophisticated scam that drained a businesswoman's bank account.

If you've got a scam you want the team to dissect, email scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Criminals will try anything to steal your money - but if you know their techniques, you can see the scams coming. In this series, BBC fraud reporter Shari Vahl analyses some of the most shocking scams she's covered, dissecting how they work piece-by-piece.

To do this, she's joined by the criminologist and forensic linguist Dr Elisabeth Carter, and Alex Wood - a former criminal who stole millions then dedicated his life to trying to prevent scams from harming others. Together they will arm you with the inside knowledge you need to beat the fraudsters.

In this special introduction episode, they reveal what is coming up in the series – everything from a devastating dating scam to fake celebrities and a bizarre cardigan - with terrifying phone calls, victim testimonies and secret recordings of the criminals themselves.

Scam Secrets will publish weekly from 31 July. Subscribe on BBC Sounds so you never miss an episode.