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 late. Shari Vahl, who has investigated fraud for the BBC for 20 years, is joined by the criminologist and forensic linguist, Dr Elisabeth Carter, and Alex Wood - a former criminal who now tries to stop scams - to dissect the shadiest techniques criminals use to steal your cash. In each episode, they dig deep into a different scam, with first-hand accounts from the people targeted, forensic analysis of the techniques and mind games being used - and even secret recordings of the scammers themselves. Got a scam you want us to investigate? Email the team: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
31%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchIt 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 late.
Recent episodes include "The 'Money Back' Scam" (24 September 2026, 28 minutes), "Mobile Handset Fraud" (17 September 2026, 28 minutes), and "The Power of Your Email" (10 September 2026, 28 minutes).
Scam Secrets publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 28 minutes across 32 episodes.
Booking probability for Scam Secrets is 31%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Scam Secrets requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Scam Secrets's contact route on record: verified email.
Scam Secrets is a true crime podcast with 32 episodes published.
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Scam Secrets
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...
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
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...
Scam Secrets
<p>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?</p><p>Almost all of the scams we've dissected so far have been...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
Scam Secrets
<p>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?</p><p>Shari Vahl, Alex Wood and Dr Lis Carter unravel an elaborate scam that's aimed at...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
Scam Secrets
<p>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?</p><p>In this...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
Scam Secrets
<p>Scam Secrets is back with a close look at a disturbing and emerging scam technique that can totally clean out its victims.</p><p>In a hybrid scam - or pig butchering, as the criminals describe it - the manipulation...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
Scam Secrets
<p>WhatsApp is part of our daily lives – and criminals know how to weaponise that trust.</p><p>In this episode, Shari Vahl and the team hear how a devastatingly simple trick handed the keys for a Scam Secrets listener's...
Scam Secrets
<p>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...
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