How do you convince a complete stranger to hand over their entire life savings in a couple of hours over the phone? With a few pieces of personal information, a fake government identity, a terrifying story, and a lot of confidence. It’s how skilled con artists have been able to drain billions of dollars from otherwise rational victims across the US, with what experts are calling imposter scams.

In this episode we examine the reality-twisting, psychological trickery of this particularly cruel form of fraud. We’re telling the true stories of Linda Khandro, and Charlotte Cowles, two smart, well-educated people who got wrapped up in the lies of some incredibly adept scammers and handed over hundreds of thousands of dollars. Linda is a college professor who lost her entire life savings during her four-month ordeal of being regularly contacted by con artists. Charlotte was under the spell of several scammers for one afternoon and lost $50,000.

In depth imposter scams like these hinge on isolation, false identities, and sucking the victim into a made-up world, using a sophisticated string of deceptions designed to bewilder even the savviest of victims. Charlotte and Linda are sensible people just like you, who were sure something like this would never happen to them, until it did.

About the Show

Nickel & Crime takes you deep inside the true stories of the shocking scams that white collar criminals almost got away with. At a time when fraud is on the rise, and financial crime is increasingly sophisticated, go behind the investigations to understand the victims, the criminal minds at work, and the risk. 


In season 2, Nickel & Crime returns with mind-blowing new crimes, and immersive, stirring details. Each episode dives into the victims, the set-up, the sting, and that bold blunder that unraveled it all.  

Hear about a billion-dollar tax fraud that sucked in some of the world’s most savvy investors, or the tales of the real victims and perpetrators of "grandparent scams". We’ll also bring you stories from the bizarre world of job phishing. 

From identity theft to social engineering attacks, and Ponzi schemes, Nickel & Crime breaks down some of the most fascinating and insidious financial crimes of the last decade and examines what new crimes are coming our way. 

About Early Warning

Nickel & Crime is brought to you by Early Warning®, a financial services technology leader that has been empowering and protecting consumers, small businesses, and the U.S. financial system with cutting-edge fraud and payment solutions for more than three decades. Early Warning is also the company behind Zelle®, and the soon-to-launch PazeSM, a wallet that reimagines e-commerce payments. Early Warning partners with more than 2,500 banks and credit union brands to increase access to financial services and products and protect financial transactions.  

Learn more about Early Warning at https://www.earlywarning.com/ 

What financial crimes fascinate you? What questions do you have about risk and security? Connect with Nickel & Crime by commenting in the reviews, or email us at nickelandcrime@earlywarning.com