蜜芽传媒

Getting an unexpected phonecall can be unnerving. If it's from a bailiff saying he's coming to take your possessions and is 40 minutes away, it can be terrifying.

In this episode, Shari Vahl and the Scam Secrets team hear from two people who were subjected to this scarily plausible scam. Linguistics expert Dr Lis Carter and former fraudster Alex Wood pick apart the language used, and explain how the tactics are all designed to manufacture a 'fight or flight' response that plays into the hands of the criminals.

As ever, red flags will be waved - so you'll end up better informed about this sophisticated and manipulative scam.

And on this last episode in our first series of Scam Secrets, we'll even hear exactly what happened when a scammer tried similar tactics on Shari.

If there's a scam you want the Scam Secrets team to look at, you can get in touch: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY