Influencer Couple Caught Running Home Construction Scam

In this special episode, Bob welcomes back investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller. She has spent years venturing into some of the world's most dangerous places, chasing interviews with underworld figures as she discovers truths about black markets and the business of fraud. With her latest documentary project for National Geographic, Super Scam Me, Van Zeller goes undercover to become the target of a romance scammer. What starts with a disguise and an invented dating profile will take her face-to-face with a would-be romance scammer on the other side of the world. We learn how scams are enabled by networks of criminals working together and how technology is reshaping the way criminals slip into victims' lives. 

Mike and Cathy are preparing for retirement and a move from New Jersey to Florida. During the stressful period of downsizing and transitioning their business, Mike is caught off guard by a call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.  He is initially skeptical but becomes convinced to join a video call with an "FBI agent." The agent informs Mike that he is being investigated for involvement in a money laundering scheme and could face extradition to Vietnam. Over weeks of fear, manipulation and constant surveillance of Mike's phone, the scammers persuade Mike and Cathy to send $250,000 in bail money. 

Chris and Raquelle Judge market themselves as the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, showcasing custom homes and renovation projects across their social media channels. But behind the polished image, clients say problems emerge soon after construction begins. From improperly installed plumbing and electrical to crooked walls, suspicion grows about the couple's true credentials. Weary homeowners seek second opinions and are left to pick up the pieces of their unfinished, unlivable homes when the Judges stop returning their calls. 

When Sheratan Johnson receives a call from an unknown number, she's startled to hear the man on the other end of the line claim he's kidnapped her daughter from gymnastics class. Hearing her daughter's screams, Sheraton follows all the kidnapper's demands, and also texts her ex-husband, Brian, who goes into battle mode. Armed and ready to take on the kidnapper, he races across the city to get their daughter back, leading to a dramatic confrontation at a foreclosed house.

In part two, residents of the upstate New York hamlet of Hamilton learn of a financial scandal that touches nearly every corner of the community. Burt Marshall offers investment accounts that promise 8% interest, and he's been paying the interest for years. But when his house of cards suddenly comes crashing down, it exposes a Ponzi scheme so widespread that it ensnared not only individuals, but institutions ranging from the local fire department to the cemetery. All the while, Marshall carries on as if nothing has changed, still biking through town daily and living comfortably in his five-bedroom Victorian home in the town center. His crimes, however, soon attract the attention of the New York attorney general.

In the charming small town of Hamilton, New York, home of Colgate University, Burt Marshall is a well-known figure. He prepares taxes and sells insurance to many residents, sponsors local youth sports teams, and is frequently seen riding his bicycle on Main Street. When clients visit Burt's office, a sign on the wall offers an enticing deal: Invest with him and earn 8% return. Nearly 1,000 people take him up on the offer. But the neighbor that everyone knows and loves is hiding a dark secret.

In this 2024 episode, Daniel no longer lives in his hometown of Fairfield, Connecticut, but he still owns a plot of land that was essentially his childhood backyard. When he returns to visit a sick friend, he is shocked to find that a developer has cleared the trees and is halfway through building a luxury home on his property. But how could something like this happen when the land was never up for sale? Daniel learns how a criminal with forged documents impersonated him and completed the sale without his knowledge.

On Gale's 70th birthday, she is just finishing her shift at work and looking forward to a special dinner with her husband, when the celebration is suddenly cut short. Among the birthday messages she has received is a frightening voicemail from the "Maricopa County Sheriff's Office." When she returns the call, an "officer" informs her that she has failed to appear for a grand jury and must now pay a $9,260 bond. She spends hours trying to fulfill his demands, but a well-trained bank employee and new legislation that holds crypto firms accountable for fraud might just save the day. 

Daniel is a New Orleans firefighter starting a second career as a realtor. Before he even gets his first listing, he discovers that someone has stolen his identity and is setting up dozens of property showings. Meanwhile, hopeful renters are paying the impostor thousands of dollars in application fees and first-month deposits. Daniel is in a race against time to regain control of his identity and save others from becoming victims.  

Larry and Barbara have issues with their Amazon account, so they welcome a call from "Amazon" customer service. They learn that their personal information has been compromised and used in a money-laundering scheme. To help the government with a supposed investigation, they transfer their savings via crypto kiosks, cash handoffs and gold purchases, believing the money will be returned once arrests are made. Over several months, the couple develops trust in an agent who calls himself Ryan, who assures them that the case is progressing and they will soon be repaid. When Larry, a retired pastor, returns from a trip to Kenya and loses contact with Ryan, he fears their $1.3 million is gone forever.