logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
45m 13s

Criminals Deceive Search Engines With Fa...

AARP
About this episode

You’ve heard the advice: When you receive an unexpected phone call from a company, hang up and call its verified phone number. But can you trust an internet search to find a valid number? Criminals have figured out how to deceive search engines including Google and put fake phone numbers in search results that look like the real thing. This malvertising, or malicious advertising, can lead to disaster for consumers like Marcia whose search for Amazon’s customer service number goes very wrong. 

Up next
Aug 22
Archive Episode: International Crime Ring Sets Up in West Virginia College Town
In this 2023 episode, Huntington, West Virginia, is an idyllic college town on the Ohio River, but it’s also the epicenter of a massive international internet crime ring. Federal prosecutor Katie Robeson hasn’t been on the job long when she learns that a woman in Huntington is ac ... Show More
39m 42s
Aug 15
Bonus: Scam Survivors Use Experience to Help Others
In this bonus episode, Bob talks with two of the nearly 150 trained volunteers who answer calls on the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline. Dee and Mike, both scam survivors, draw upon their experiences to offer emotional support and guidance to people who have recently been target ... Show More
32m 14s
Aug 8
Tech Support Scam Turns Romance Scam
When Joe can’t get his Apple Pay payment to go through, he does a quick search for their customer service number and reaches an operator named Daisy. Daisy informs Joe that his account has been flagged – criminals have compromised his identity and are coming after his life saving ... Show More
47m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
Rerun: Spoofing and Caller ID
How do scam artists disguise their phone numbers when setting up robocalls? We look at Caller ID and spoofing and learn how companies and government agencies are trying to fight back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
53m 37s
Jun 2021
Crimeworld Extra: How The FBI hacked the ANOM phone network in the world's greatest crime sting
Hot on the heels of the Encrochat and Sky ECC takedowns, criminals are again counting the costs of their so called ‘bullet proof’ mobile phone systems. The busted Anom network, co-ordinated by the FBI and Australian law enforcement partners, has seen 800 arrests, the seizure of 3 ... Show More
28m 46s
Jan 2017
Hoax Crime Reports Hurt Real Victims
Kidnapping or missing person cases that turn out to be a hoax hurts victims of real crimes. Police, the media and the public can become suspicious when circumstances are similar. While hoax kidnappings have been around for decades, today’s social media give skeptics a bigger plat ... Show More
19m 25s
Jul 2017
#102 Long Distance
This week, a telephone scammer makes a terrible mistake. He calls Alex Goldman. Further Reading If you suspect you are a victim of a tech support scammer, you see a suspicious pop-up, or get an unsolicited tech support email, you can make a complaint to the Federal Trade Commissi ... Show More
51m 29s
Mar 2019
#138 The Great Momo Panic
We investigate the mystery of why parents across the world became convinced that a half-bird/half-woman monster was going to harm their kids over the internet. And we answer the question of how robocallers are able to fake your telephone number when they call you. Learn more abou ... Show More
34m 58s
Mar 2023
Didn't See That Coming: LifeLock Unlocked
You put your Social Security Number all over the place: magazine ads, billboards, websites. What could go wrong? Lots. But what if you own a company that protects people from identity theft? Doesn't matter. Crimers gonna crime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
45m 54s
Mar 2018
Hack Attack
A mysterious computer crash pushes a thriving manufacturing company to the brink of collapse, jeopardizing the jobs of hundreds of employees. There is no apparent cause and no obvious clues. Forensic investigators must determine if the crash was the result of a computer defect, h ... Show More
21m 21s
Feb 2024
How The Cut's Financial Advice Columnist Was Scammed Out Of $50K
This week, Sara and Danny cover the viral story from The Cut's own financial advice columnist, Charlotte Cowles, who was the unlikely victim of a scam that cost her $50,000. They get into Cowles' article, which details how over the course of just one day, the scammers - posing as ... Show More
44m 27s