Sara and Danny are back with some holiday scams you should be aware of: gift cards, QR codes, "Smishing," ChatGPT, and a pyramid scheme gift exchange.
SOURCES:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2023/12/11/gift-card-scam-card-draining-holiday-shoppers-christmas/71876923007/
https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/scammers-hide-harmful-links-qr-codes-steal-your-information
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/12/beware-chatgpt-holiday-scams
https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/newbritaintwppd/34878/post/gift-card-tampering-card-draining-scam?fbclid=IwAR2UjH5BtX7_7N0gz0Sbm49SLwsK5uV9uBH4EtHUUafZt7VNlDmEEdTAeOk
https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/18854-bbb-warning-secret-sister-gift-exchange-is-illegal


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The Latest Holiday Scams To Avoid

On Betches Media's Not Another True Crime Podcast, hosts Danny Murphy and Sara Levine are your partners in wine, crime, and time as they recap the buzziest true crime documentaries and travel back in history to discuss little-known crimes from the past.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Comedy

True crime

Sara and Danny are back for the final time, to cover Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow - an event organized by a company named House of Illuminati, that was giving more Fyre Fest than "Pure Imagination." Sara and Danny get into it all, from the AI generated, spelling error-riddled poster, to the off-brand character of The Unknown (a terrifying masked figure who "lives in the walls"), and an Oompa Loompa who appeared to wish she were literally anywhere else but there. Event attendees complained that they didn't quite get what they paid £35 for, and even called the police to complain, although whether or not anything illegal actually occurred remains to be seen.
Thank you to all the listeners who have been with us along the way, from our first episode (fittingly about the actual Fyre Fest), to now.
Follow Danny @kashmeredanny
Follow Sara @saralememe
Source:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/willy-wonka-inspired-chocolate-experience-outrage-rcna140726
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Willy's Chocolate Experience - AKA The Fyre Fest Of Chocolate Factories

This week, Sara is joined by writer and comedian Josh Gondelman to cover a story from his hometown of Boston: the still-unsolved Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. In 1990, two thieves dressed as policemen walked into the museum in the middle of the night, and carried out the single largest property theft in the world, stealing 13 paintings valued at $500 million. Despite having several mob-affiliated suspects, the pieces were never recovered, and the case went cold.
SOURCES:
https://www.gardnermuseum.org/organization/theft
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-clue-emerges-in-the-gardner-museum-art-heist-saga-180979651/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-things-know-about-isabella-stewart-gardner-art-heist-180977448/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/28/metro/whodunit-gardner-museum-heist-remains-unsolved-decades-later-with-long-list-suspects-most-them-dead/

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The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist Ft. Josh Gondelman

Sara and Danny are back to cover the self-proclaimed "Jeffrey Dahmer of fraud,” Steve Comisar. But first, Sara shares a self-imposed scam of her own, with a recent Uber Pool trip that went off the rails. Then, they get into the extensive grifting resume of Beverly Hills conman Steve Comisar, who shilled everything from solar-powered clothes dryers, to diet pills, to oil wells - and even scammed an 84 year old man out if $500k. Several prison stints and failed attempts at becoming a Hollywood actor later, Comisar is finally pursuing the most noble profession of all: true crime podcasting.
SOURCES:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-24-me-59160-story.html
https://www.sabrinaerdely.com/docs/TheCreepWithTheGoldenTongue.pdf
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/613431696/on-the-road-to-redemption-with-former-con-man-steve-comisar
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Steve Comisar: Serial Scammer

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 Amazon employees and and FTC agents - successfully convinced her that she was the victim of extensive identity theft, with multiple warrants out for her arrest for cybercrimes, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Cowles withdrew and handed the scammers $50,000 from her bank account, before realizing it had all been a lie.
SOURCES:
https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html
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How The Cut's Financial Advice Columnist Was Scammed Out Of $50K

Sara and Danny are joined by Sky Borgman, director and producer of the new documentary series The Truth About Jim, now streaming on MAX. The documentary follows 32-year old Sierra Barter, as she investigates whether or not her step grandfather, Jim Mordecai, was a serial killer. Skye shares her storytelling approach, how Jim might have flown under the radar for so long, and why there was such a serial killing spike in the Bay Area at that time.
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The Latest Holiday Scams To Avoid

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