Pension Scams

A lifetime of savings can disappear in moments.In this episode of Scam Detectors, host Jane Wakefield explores how fraudsters target pensions and retirement savings through romance, fake investments and increasingly sophisticated impersonation.Enola shares how an online relationship led to the loss of her retirement savings and left her deeply in debt. Susanna Streeter, Chief Investment Strategist at Wealth Club, explains how fraudsters exploit trust, urgency and fear of missing out. We also hear from Mike Bloomfield of the UK Pensions Regulator about the professional websites, persistent contact and AI techniques being used to make scams appear legitimate.This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or legal advice.

We’re back for Season 3! In this episode of Scam Detectors, Jane dives into the unsettling world of holiday scams. Holidays should be all about relaxing, not working out whether your booking is real, or travel agent is who they say they are! We hear from: Jan, who nearly lost £4,000 after scammers impersonating a real travel company promised a great deal to Australia Eddie, who discovered an apartment booking in his account that he hadn’t made Lisa Webb from Which?, who covers the different tactics they’ve seen scammers used when it comes to holiday scams. With the summer holidays coming up, it’s a timely reminder to slow down and watch out for warning signs before booking your next well-deserved break.

In this episode of Scam Detectors, host Jane Wakefield explores the growing threat of tech support scams. The episode features a personal account from producer Sarah Treanor, insights from Steven Masada of Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit on how scammers use AI, and Kausar Kenning from Visa on ecosystem-wide scam disruption and prevention.©2026 Visa. All rights reserved. Visa and the Visa logo are trademarks of Visa. Featurespace and the Featurespace logo are trademarks of Featurespace. Microsoft and the Microsoft logo are trademarks of Microsoft.This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Visa or Featurespace.

In this episode of Scam Detectors, host Jane Wakefield explores the surprisingly persistent and evolving threat of check fraud.While checks may feel like a relic of the past in many countries, they remain a core part of the financial system in North America, creating fertile ground for increasingly sophisticated scams. This episode sets out to explain how check fraud works today, why it is on the rise, and who is most at risk.Listen to the full episode and find out how you can keep yourself safe online.References:One major US credit union cut its check fraud losses by over 90% over two years by integrating an AI approach whilst reducing overall fraud alert volumes by 35% and seeing a 15% increase in fraud capture rates. Major US Credit Union own data, 2025.©2025 Visa. All rights reserved. Visa and the Visa logo are trademarks of Visa. Featurespace and the Featurespace logo are trademarks of Featurespace. LinkedIn and the LinkedIn logo are trademarks of LinkedIn.This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Visa or Featurespace.

In this episode of Scam Detectors, we dive into the elaborate world of job scams.Job scams are on the rise globally, with the US Better Business Burea reporting that 14million people in the US and Canada have been exposed to employment scams, with an average monetary loss of $1,000. In the UK, job seekers have been warned to watch out for scammers after complaints about job and recruitment fraud to Action Fraud more than doubled from 2,000 in 2022 to nearly 5,000 in 2024.In this episode, Jane is joined by:Andrea, who landed her dream teaching job in the UAE, only to met with demands for payment for her work visa and local bank accountLisa Webb, who shares insights on how data breaches are fuelling employment scam contact listsChristina Leeb, who explains how scammers are increasingly using AI to craft convincing communications to get through company recruitment systems.©2025 Visa. All rights reserved. Visa and the Visa logo are trademarks of Visa. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified attorney. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Visa or its affiliates. References to third-party products, services, or organizations are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement by Visa. Visa assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the content. Any statements about future plans or features are forward-looking and subject to change without notice.

In this episode of Scam Detectors, we explore the evolving world of online shopping scams, which are especially prominent during peak shopping periods like Black Friday.We hear from Patricia, who shares her story with a fake logistics company, a fraudulent contract and how she overcame the persistent threats to pay the scammers. Graham Cluley, a cyber security expert, talks about the sophisticated tactics hackers are using to exploit customers through popular travel sites. And Dave Laramy, Head of Group Fraud and Tax Evasion at Danske Bank, shares how banks are using AI and machine learning to protect customers.Listen to the full episode and find out how you can keep yourself safe online this holiday season.©2025 Visa. All rights reserved. Visa and the Visa logo are trademarks of Visa. Featurespace and the Featurespace logo are trademarks of Featurespace.This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Visa or Featurespace.References:Visa’s Scam Disruption Service identified $1 billion in fraud, Visa data 2024-2025Research conducted by independent research agency Opinium - research of 2000 UK adults (weighted to be nationally representative) and 500 Senior decision makers in banks and financial institutions in the UK between 22nd August – 5th September.

In this episode, we dive into the growing threat of crypto scams, with Jane drawing on her own experience of being impersonated in AI-generated fake news articles. We hear from Karen, who was lured into investing thousands, while undercover scam hunter Jim Browning exposes a “recovery scam” in real time. Investigative journalist Jamie Bartlett discusses the infamous OneCoin fraud and the psychology behind get-rich-quick schemes.

To kick off Season 2, we have a very special LIVE episode of Scam Detectors, recorded at the Featurespace Customer Forum 2025.Host Jane Wakefield was joined by Steve Goddard, Becky Holmes and Suzanne Lynch for an insightful and energetic conversation on what keeps them up at night, the difference between scams and fraud and how we can better equip ourselves in the fight against the fraudsters.

The season finale of Scam Detectors plunges into the world of Deepfakes. That familiar voice at the start? It wasn't host Jane Wakefield – it was a deepfake!In this episode, the real Jane Wakefield explores how voice clones, capable of deceiving even close family, and deepfake videos placing everyday people into fabricated scenarios, are evolving at lightning speed.

The growing threat of money muling is explored in this episode of Scam Detectors, where criminals build entire "scam cities" to manipulate individuals into laundering stolen funds.We explore how these scammers use sophisticated tactics, often turning the tables by claiming you are being offered a legitimate opportunity, when in reality, they are setting you up to commit a serious crime.Learn how scammers recruit mules and get essential tips on spotting this type of fraud.