Podcast · True Crime

Scam Secrets

It might look like a perfectly ordinary message. It could come from someone you thought you trusted. Or it could be a phone call that catches you off guard. Whatever the method, the goal is the same. They want your money. But if you know their secrets, you can spot the red flags before it is too la

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 28 min
Latest: 24 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

24 Sep 2026 · 28 min

The 'Money Back' Scam

Being scammed once can be a devastating, life-changing experience. But the criminals we hear about on Scam Secrets don't care about that. They'll often come back for more, with bogus offers to help you get your money back. It's known as recovery fraud, and its impact can be worse than the original crime. Often the criminals will be the same ones that stole your money in the first place. More than £200 million was stolen like this last year, according to Report Fraud. Sometimes it'll be an official looking letter, perhaps pretending to be a genuine company, offering assistance. Sometimes…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

17 Sep 2026 · 28 min
Mobile Handset Fraud
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…
10 Sep 2026 · 28 min
The Power of Your Email
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.…
3 Sep 2026 · 29 min
How to Help Someone Who's Being Scammed
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…
27 Aug 2026 · 28 min
QR Code Scams
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…
20 Aug 2026 · 29 min
Inside Report Fraud
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…
13 Aug 2026 · 29 min
The Customer Complaints Scam
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…
6 Aug 2026 · 28 min
How To Spot A Deepfake
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 [email protected] PRESENTER:…
4 Jun 2026 · 28 min
The Instagram Takeover Scam
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…
28 May 2026 · 28 min
The Knock at the Door
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…
21 May 2026 · 29 min
The Trial Shift Scam
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…
14 May 2026 · 28 min
The Customer Service Returns Scam
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…
7 May 2026 · 28 min
The Podcast Scam
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,…
30 Apr 2026 · 28 min
The Booking.com Scam
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…
23 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Behind the Fake Profiles
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…
16 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Following the Trail
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…
9 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Please Call Me
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…
25 Dec 2025 · 28 min
Could You Grab Me Some Gift Cards?
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…
18 Dec 2025 · 28 min
The WhatsApp Takeover
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…
11 Dec 2025 · 28 min
We've Noticed Your CV
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…
4 Dec 2025 · 28 min
How Do I Get My Money Back?
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…
27 Nov 2025 · 28 min
The Winter Fuel Text
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…
20 Nov 2025 · 29 min
The Police Are On The Phone
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…
18 Sep 2025 · 28 min
We're Coming For Your Furniture
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…
11 Sep 2025 · 28 min
Hello Mum? I Can't Hear You
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…
4 Sep 2025 · 28 min
Would You Like This Piano?
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…
28 Aug 2025 · 28 min
Investment Scam: The Crypto Coach
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
21 Aug 2025 · 28 min
Fake Company In Your House
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…
14 Aug 2025 · 28 min
The Great Knitted Cardigan Scam
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…
7 Aug 2025 · 29 min
Dating Fraud: Don't Worry, I'm Rich
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.…

About Scam Secrets

Scam Secrets is a English true crime podcast from BBC Radio 4. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BBC Radio 4
Language: English
Category: True Crime
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 28 min
Latest episode: 24 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1828899532
Rights: (C) BBC 2026

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