Episode notes
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…
Podcast
Scam Secrets
BBC Radio 4 · True Crime · English
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
More from Scam Secrets All episodes →
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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31 Jul 2025 · 29 min
'I'm Calling from Your Bank'
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…
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