The Perfect Scam

A woman in a Texas suburb is enjoying her retirement years with her husband when she gets a call that will change their lives. According to the voice on the phone, she's won an overseas lottery. Millions of dollars and a new luxury car will be delivered to her front door. But before she can collect the cash and other prizes, she must send money to the man on the phone. At first, she's told she needs to pay taxes, then lawyers' fees. As the demands to send cash mount, her bank account is drained. Nine months later, the couple has lost everything and is forced to sell their home. Lottery scams are on the rise in the U.S., with more than a half-million complaints in North America in the past three years. The island nation of Jamaica is a hotbed for this criminal activity. These scams have cost Americans millions of dollars and led to increased gang warfare in Jamaica that has upped the murder rate there. To combat this growing issue, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, along with other U.S. agencies, are dedicating resources to shut down lottery scams. One postal inspector came across a scammer's financial trail that led back to the Texas couple who'd been drawn in by a lottery scam. When the inspector arrived in Texas, he couldn't believe what he found: Not only had the scammer drained the couple's savings, but he was now operating a romance scam — with the woman as his target.

Desiree, the "Sweetheart Swindler," has made off with $15,000 of 76-year-old Jim's money. Once a millionaire, Jim lost his real estate empire during the recession, and now thanks to Desiree he has also lost the savings he worked tirelessly to rebuild. Desiree has moved on to a new mark, Doug, a veteran living in Nevada. This time around Desiree's husband joins her in the con, approaching Doug in a parking lot and offering to come to his home to fix dents in his car. On one such visit, Desiree tags along. Eventually she starts to visit Doug on her own. Each time she enters Doug's house she gathers information, stealing his Social Security number and other personal information. Doug, who has always been close with his sister Patty, calls her when things start to go missing from his home. Patty arrives to find Doug's life in complete disarray. There are papers and unopened mail covering every surface of his house. Patty digs in, finding multiple credit cards in Doug's name that he knows nothing about. There are bills for women's clothes, dinners, cash advances and even a car. Wracked with debt that he can't account for, Doug is on the verge of losing his house. After talking to Doug's home health care worker, Patty figures out that the bills may be connected to a woman who makes frequent visits to the house. Patty tries to track down this woman. Meanwhile, authorities in Texas, where Desiree has a home, are also on the hunt for her, but she's skipped town. Little does Desiree know that her crime spree is coming to an end: Authorities in Texas have tracked her to an address in Nevada — Doug's.

Jim spent much of his life building a real estate empire on the West Coast. In the process he became a millionaire, profiled in newspapers and on television. But in 2007, when the recession hit, Jim lost his vast fortune. At 76, Jim is running a small resort in Lake Tahoe, working to slowly rebuild his finances, when he receives a mysterious call. The woman on the other end of the line asks for Jim by name. She introduces herself as Desiree and asks if Jim remembers her. He doesn't, but Desiree is unfazed, claiming to have met Jim at the resort while she was a guest. She wants to get to know him better and before the call ends, Desiree has arranged another trip to the resort to visit a flattered Jim. Desiree arrives with a business opportunity for Jim, who quickly realizes she thinks he's still wealthy. She's visibly disappointed to find that Jim's house is no longer a mansion but a renovated Airstream trailer. At every turn of the visit, Desiree finds a reason to ask Jim for money — she needs investors for a new business and money to pay a family member's mortgage — but Jim isn't in a position to lend or invest money. Desiree decides it's time to go home. When Jim returns from taking her to the airport, he has an uneasy feeling. He looks to make sure the checkbook the resort keeps to pay vendors is still there. It is, but the stash of cash he keeps in the same drawer, the little savings he has left, is gone. Jim immediately contacts the authorities, but Desiree, who will eventually come to be known as the "Sweetheart Swindler," is just getting started.

Bobby Thompson was once a respected fundraiser, generating millions of dollars for his charity, the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. When a Florida journalist uncovers that the charity is a scam, Thompson goes on the run. Eventually he starts a new life as "Don Morsette" in Portland, Ore. Living in a boardinghouse and claiming to work as a consultant for Boeing, Thompson thinks he's outsmarted the U.S. marshals hunting him. He even keeps a DVD of the movie "Catch Me if You Can" and $1 million in cash in a storage locker. But the marshals arrest him outside his home, ending their two-year manhunt. Although they know Thompson is the man they've been looking for, marshals still don't entirely know who he is. Thompson refuses to give his real name, signing court documents as "Mr. X." Who is Bobby Thompson, and what led him to steal money meant for veterans? Federal investigators are determined to answer these questions. While he sits in jail awaiting trial, they dive back into the case, speaking to people who knew the man who called himself Bobby Thompson. In the end, these conversations reveal two clues, a haircut and eye drops, that will ultimately uncover Thompson's true identity.

The man known to Washington's elite and powerful politicians as Captain Bobby Thompson has disappeared. Due to an investigation by a Florida-based journalist, it's been revealed that Thompson's charity, the US Navy Veterans Association, is an elaborate scam. For years this charity has fraudulently collected millions of dollars under the guise of supporting military veterans. Rather than face up to his crimes, when a warrant is issued for his arrest, Thompson goes on the run. U.S. marshals are hot on his trail, but with more than 19 fake ids, Thompson is a hard man to catch. Every time authorities close in on him he proves to be one step ahead of them. Nearly two years go by, but law enforcement refuses to give up the chase. Finally, in 2012, a man going by the name of Don Morrissette shows up in Portland. He rents a room in a boarding house and claims to be a consultant for Boeing but spends his days at a local bar. It's in this bar that U.S. marshals catch up with Bobby Thompson.

The U.S. Navy Veterans Association claimed to be a charity headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded by Bobby Thompson, known to top politicians as a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, the charity's stated purpose was to support veterans and their families. Using telemarketing firms, the association secured contributions from donors big and small, collecting from everyday people who wanted to honor the service of men and woman in the U.S. military by giving back to veterans in need. While that was a noble cause, nothing about the U.S. Navy Veterans Association was what it seemed. Buoyed by the eccentric Bobby Thompson, the association thrived on more than $20 million in revenue. Thompson's status as a well-respected fundraiser allowed him to circulate among Washington's elite, pose for pictures with presidents and donate large sums to political campaigns under the guise of championing veterans. But when Jeff Testerman, an investigative journalist from Florida, tracked Thompson down to ask a simple question about one of his political donations, Thompson was evasive and combative. Testerman knew there was a secret hiding behind Thompson's behavior and dug in. Little did Testerman know how deep the lies and secrets of the charity and Thompson went. The U.S. Navy Veterans Association wasn't sending money to veterans; it was an elaborate scam. And Jeff Testerman discovered that its founder was not a retired naval officer — nor was his name Bobby Thompson.

Darren Berg's crimes are catching up to him. Through his company the Meridian Group, Berg has been operating Washington state's largest Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors of more than $100 million. The FBI, the U.S. attorney's office and the IRS are all on the case, combing through Meridian's financial records. People like best-selling author J.A. Jance, who invested a half-million dollars with Berg on the recommendation of her financial adviser, are realizing they may never see their retirement savings again. Other investors who have already retired are grappling with the fact that they may lose their homes as a result of Berg's crimes. Darren Berg is charged with nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Considered a flight risk, he's remanded to custody. Berg claims to be cooperating with authorities, but they aren't sure he's being truthful. They think he might be hiding funds and planning an escape, and what happens next proves their suspicions.

It's 2009 and Bernie Madoff has pleaded guilty to stock and securities fraud in New York. Covered heavily by the media, Madoff's Ponzi scheme is front of mind for many Americans. It also has a group of investors on the West Coast concerned. They've placed their hard-earned savings with the Meridian Group, a company operating out of downtown Seattle. Its founder, Darren Berg, a well-known and respected businessman, reassures his investors that their retirement savings are safe. His firm has passed several audits, and Berg promises that there is no "magic" behind the company's robust rate of returns. Besides Meridian, Berg runs a successful charter bus company with high-profile clients like Nike, the NFL and Google. In Washington state people trust Berg, and his charismatic personality has helped him assuage investors for years. But in 2010, the house of cards Berg had built begins to fall. One of Meridian's largest investors wants to cash out, and Berg is unable to pay. Complaints roll in to the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington and the FBI. The authorities take a deeper look into the Meridian Group and confirm investors' worst fears: They are part of the largest Ponzi scheme the state has ever seen. Darren Berg's lavish lifestyle of yachts, mansions and private planes has been fraudulently funded by his investors. With the authorities working to shut the scheme down, the end of the Meridian Group is imminent, but Berg has one more trick up his sleeve.

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.

When Dr. Maunglay moves to Michigan, he's excited to join Dr. 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.

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.

Single mother Sara is growing suspicious of the man she met online. He claims to be an Army major stationed in South Africa, but Sara's family worries she's being scammed. Meanwhile, another woman approaches law enforcement to report that she's been swindled out of thousands of dollars by the same man in a romance scam.

Sara thought she knew everything about the Army major and single father she met online. After months talking she found herself falling for him. But what Sara didn't know was that the man she'd fallen in love with was actually the ringleader of a romance scam that bilked nearly $2 million from its victims.

On this special episode of The Perfect Scam, Frank breaks down all the ways fraudsters try to scam you through voicemail and email by claiming to be everything from IRS agents to bank officials. Frank gives the skinny on each scam, who's behind them, and what you should and shouldn't do if you get a scam message. Plus, the show producers share their own voicemails from scammers.

Bryon, a retired pastor, thought he'd met his dream girl online. For five years he conversed over the internet with Joy, who claimed to live in London. So when Joy asked Bryon to transport real estate papers, he had no idea he was being used in an elaborate plot to smuggle drugs. Bryon is one of hundreds of Americans over the age of 60 who were conned into unwittingly serving as drug mules in what the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging calls one of the worst scams it has uncovered.

Every year thousands of Americans get fraudulent calls from con artists claiming to be from the IRS. Working from call centers around the world, these fraudsters pressure targets with threats of jail, liens and garnished wages to scam them out of money. We uncover how these call centers work and speak to a 19-year-old who helped the FTC shut down one of the largest.

Jeff has lived for decades as a couch-surfing con man preying on the kindness of the outdoors community. He spins tales of hikes he's never completed and exploits the sympathy of his marks with sad stories of his past to rip them off. Now Jeff's lies are finally catching up with him. After stealing a car and credit cards, the con man has turned fugitive with the police hot on his trail.

When Melissa met Jeff Cantwell online, the two connected immediately. He was friendly, well spoken and shared her love of the outdoors. Jeff told Melissa stories of the daunting hikes he'd completed and shared the tragic loss of his family in a car accident. But these were just stories: In reality, Jeff "Cantwell" was Jeff Caldwell, a con man who'd spent decades ripping off members of the close-knit outdoor community.

Deep within the internet is the dark web, a space where criminals can anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and private information. Known as the "original internet godfather," Brett Johnson created one of the dark web's first online stores where criminals bought stolen credit cards, Social Security numbers, drugs and guns. After serving seven years in prison, Brett turned his back on criminal enterprise and became a consultant for the Secret Service. Brett walks us through how he became a con man, why he changed his ways and how you can protect yourself from cybercriminals.

A prominent philanthropist and the epicenter of the New York society scene, Brooke Astor lived a tumultuous but glamourous life. Left a fortune by her third husband, Vincent Astor, Brooke planned to live out her later years at her country estate. But when Brooke's son refuses to let her do so, then sells his mother's favorite painting (worth over $30 million), grandson Philip decides to step in. Philip's efforts to return his grandmother to the country home she loved would uncover one of the most prominent cases of financial elder abuse in U.S. history, with millions lost and a family torn apart.

MSNBC anchor Richard Lui commutes from New York to San Francisco to help care for his father. Stephen Lui, who spent his career as a pastor and social worker, is now retired and suffers from dementia. After Stephen responds to mail from scammers, they begin bombarding him with hundreds of calls asking for money for fake charities and lotteries. But the Luis' story is about more than being scammed, it's about Richard and his family's dedication to caring for Stephen.

CNN journalists Melanie Hickens and Blake Ellis have spent years investigating psychic Maria Duval. Letters in her name were sent to millions around the globe promising psychic protection in exchange for money. In 2016, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service permanently shut down the fraud scheme in the United States, but investigators have yet to find Maria, leaving Melanie and Blake to wonder whether she even exists.

A letter arrives in the mail from a woman claiming to have psychic abilities. She warns you of danger but promises good fortune — if you send her money. This is the setup for one of the longest-running scams in U.S. history. These predatory letters were sent to millions of Americans and raked in over $200 million. At the center of it all is the elusive French psychic Maria Duval. Who is Maria Duval, and is she really the mastermind of this fraud scheme? Or has she unknowingly lent a face and a name to one of the biggest cons in history?

Valerie, a 90-year-old retiree, believes she's won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. She's handed over tens of thousands of dollars to scammers in order to collect a prize that doesn't exist. No matter how her daughters try, they can't convince their mother she's being scammed. With the stress from the scam damaging Valerie's health, her daughters take drastic measures.

Valerie, a social and energetic retiree, can't believe her luck when she receives a letter stating that she's won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. When Valerie shares the news with her adult daughters, they don't think much of it. Then large sums of money start disappearing from Valerie's bank account, her telephone rings nonstop, and she retreats from social life. Concerned, Valerie's daughter's launch their own investigation and discover that their mother has been sucked into a dangerous scam.

We'll be back with new episodes of The Perfect Scam on July 27. In the meantime, enjoy this bonus episode featuring the producers of the podcast showing off their fraud-busting skills in a pop quiz. And don't forget to nominate The Perfect Scam for The People's Choice Podcast Awards at www.podcastawards.com. Nominations open July 1.

In this episode of The Perfect Scam, Frank discusses his favorite scams. Then Will speaks with AARP Fraud Watch Network experts Kristin Keckeisen and Amy Nofziger to learn more about being on the front lines and helping victims who've been scammed.

In this episode of The Perfect Scam, we pull back the curtain on call centers and learn about the rise and fall of one call center employee who scammed victims daily. We've talked a lot about scams but not big-news breaches. Frank discusses major online breaches such as at Equifax, checking your credit scores, and monitoring your kids' credit/identity.

When Elaine makes a connection with a man on a dating site, she believes this could be something really special. Over time, the online relationship turns romantic. So when Elaine's new boyfriend claims to be overseas on business and needs money, she's willing to help. In the end, the man disappears — but only after Elaine had sent him thousands of dollars in cash. Online romance scams are the No. 1 scam for money reported lost. It happens every day, and con artists are only getting more clever on how to pull at your heartstrings.

Ann was the victim of something called a re-scam. The scammer claimed to be from her credit card company and was calling to notify Ann of fraudulent charges on her account. Ann is normally wary of giving out information over the phone, but her husband had recently been diagnosed with cancer — so she was distracted and let her guard down. By the time she realized it was a scam, it was too late. The scammer used the information she provided to steal thousands of dollars from Ann's bank account.

George and Sandra are retirees in Santa Monica, Calif. On a typical afternoon drive, they are confronted by a driver who claims George and Sandra hit his car. He demands that they pull over, and when a second driver pulls up claiming to have witnessed the accident, George and Sandra are shocked. But these two aren't gullible. They tell the drivers to follow them, and when the fraudsters realize they are being taken to the police station, they quickly drive away. TIPS: Intimidation and urgency are red flags that someone is trying to scam you. Go to a police station or call the police if you feel unsafe. If you are in an accident, have an impartial professional assess the damage.

Beth receives a phone call and a follow-up message on her computer from a man claiming he's from Dell. The message is strong: Her bank account is being hacked by Russians, and if she doesn't pay up, they'll steal even more of her money. Typically, Beth is able to pick up on scams, but Dell is a client she works with regularly — so her guard is down. The "Dell" representative tells her that she owes $3,998. "He gives me an address. I write the check out and mail it." After quickly learning it was a scam, Beth is heartbroken and embarrassed. However, thanks to local law enforcement, Beth is able to recover all her money!

Andrea's husband secretly operated a Ponzi scheme for 15 years and stole millions of dollars from investors, including their relatives, friends and neighbors. This is her story of how she found out about the scheme and what's happened to her life after her husband was convicted.

Tracy is looking for companionship when she makes a connection online with a widower. They begin talking every day. Her new boyfriend tells her he must leave the country for work, but once he's overseas he starts asking Tracy to send money and electronics. Tracy thinks she is helping him with his business, but really she is being scammed. She sends him thousands of dollars in products before she learns the man is a known scammer. Despite her best efforts, she never gets her money back.

After her father dies, Grace is in charge of investing his lifetime savings. She decides to put the money into gold and silver. Along the way, she realizes the investment isn't what she had thought it was.

Alex Goldman is the host of the Reply All podcast. When he gets a peculiar phone call from someone claiming to be from Apple tech support, Alex quickly realizes it's a scam — and he wants to learn more about the scam artist and the industry he works in. Alex goes on a deep dive into the shady world of call centers and makes some startling discoveries.

Richard is a retired journalist who receives a call from someone claiming to be his grandson in jail. The young man on the other end of the line tells Richard he needs money to help him get out. By asking the right questions and not giving in, Richard discovers the man is a con artist.

Martha gets a message from the police department saying she's missed jury duty and there's a warrant out for her arrest. In order to avoid being arrested, she needs to send $1,000 to the courthouse immediately. Wanting to do the right thing and not get in trouble with the law, Martha follows the instructions from the man on the phone. After a frantic chase around town — in which she purchases reloadable money cards and fears the police are following her — Martha sends the money.

Coming soon from AARP, The Perfect Scam.