Podcast Summary: Criminal – "The Phone Call"

Host: Phoebe Judge
Guest: Bo (Beau) Prossert
Production: Vox Media Podcast Network
Date: September 19, 2025

Overview

In "The Phone Call," host Phoebe Judge tells the story of Beau Prossert, a data analyst from Thailand living in San Francisco, who becomes the target of a months-long, elaborate international scam. Through Beau’s first-hand account, the episode explores how scammers cleverly use psychological manipulation and coercive tactics, making even the most rational people fall victim. The episode provides deep insight into the emotional toll of such scams, the warning signs, and the complicated aftermath.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beau’s Background and Journey to the U.S.

• Beau moved from Thailand to the U.S. at age 18 to study psychology, later settling in San Francisco as a data analyst ([02:19]).
• Enjoyed her independence and never seriously considered moving back to Thailand ([05:03]).

2. The Initiating Event: Passport Concerns

• Early 2024, Beau returned to Thailand to renew her passport, spent time with family, and posted travel photos online ([04:03]).
• Upon return, she received a call from someone claiming to be from the Thai Embassy, informing her that her identity may have been compromised ([05:17–06:02]).

3. The Scam Unfolds

• Beau is told by "police" that she is a suspect in a complex international money laundering scheme ([08:25]).

• The scammers use plausible details: an embassy call, a supposed criminal investigation, mention of real names and photos, and complex narratives ([08:58–09:20]).

• The scam spans weeks; she is told to report her whereabouts four times daily and is threatened with possible extradition and imprisonment ([13:09–14:18]).

  "I cried myself to bed that night and it was like, I don't want to be put in jail. I'm just so scared."
  – Bo Prossert ([13:42])

• Beau describes increasing paranoia and isolation, feeling surveilled and unable to trust anyone ([14:42–15:45]).

4. Psychological Manipulation and Control

• Scammers create a sense of urgency and threat, enforcing secrecy, regular check-ins, and emphasizing Beau’s alleged danger and need to prove her innocence ([15:31–16:42]).

• The scheme escalates: Beau is told she must wire money to prove the legitimacy of her funds. The scammers manipulate her into thinking the FBI is involved and even fake a new bank account in her online banking ([17:51–18:44]).

  "I believed them. I really thought that that was the procedure, that I can just prove that I'm innocent."
  – Bo Prossert ([19:13])

5. Financial and Emotional Devastation

• Beau wires $81,000 initially, essentially all her savings ([21:22]).

• The scam continues; further pressure is applied through threats of harm or legal action to her and her family. She borrows money from her family, primarily her aunt, reaching over $300,000 lost ([29:34]).

• Photos of her family are sent as intimidation.

  "I started having these suicidal thoughts because I felt that the investigation is not going anywhere and I was tired of having to report myself four times a day..."
  – Bo Prossert ([28:13])

6. Realization and Aftermath

• After months, when communication with the scammers stops, Beau finally consults a friend who forces her to contact the real FBI ([31:20]).

• The FBI confirms it’s a scam ([32:21]).

  "And he [the agent] said that it's likely a scam, but he has not heard about it himself."
  – Bo Prossert ([32:47])

• Beau confides in friends and family, who encourage her to not blame herself. Both her brother and aunt try but cannot recover the lost money in Thailand ([33:00–34:22]).

• The experience makes her wary and distrustful; she joins a support group and considers starting her own ([34:22]).

7. Reflections on Scams and Vulnerability

• Beau acknowledges that she never thought a scam could be so prolonged and psychologically consuming, likening it to cult-like manipulation ([22:59]).

  "It's a whole story that they fed me… It felt like a cult that I couldn't see otherwise. I couldn't believe otherwise."
  – Bo Prossert ([22:59])

• She reflects on how easy it is for scammers to seem legitimate—using real names, personal information from her online presence, and technical tricks ([34:41–35:39]).

• Beau is slowly rebuilding her life with support from friends and family, acknowledging the road ahead ([36:39–36:59]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the emotional toll:
  "I cried myself to bed that night and it was like, I don't want to be put in jail. I'm just so scared." – Bo ([13:42])

• On coercive tactics:
  "I believed them. I really thought that that was the procedure, that I can just prove that I'm innocent." – Bo ([19:13])

• On realizing it was a scam:
  "It started to hit me that there's no one else on the other line." – Bo ([31:20])

• Support from family:
  "It's okay. Don't lose yourself. It was a mistake. That doesn't define who you are." – Bo’s brother ([33:00])

• On the feeling of being trapped:
  "It felt like a cult that I couldn't see otherwise. I couldn't believe otherwise." – Bo ([22:59])

• Reflections on vulnerability:
  "It never crossed my mind that the scam would last, you know, months." – Bo ([34:22])

Important Timestamps

• 01:44–03:06: Beau’s background, move to the US
• 04:03–04:44: Visit to Thailand and return
• 05:17–06:29: The initial embassy call and identity theft suspicion
• 07:34–08:25: Introduction to the "police" and the scam narrative
• 13:09–15:14: Instructions for daily reporting, growing fear and isolation
• 17:51–18:44: Introduction of the fake FBI bank account
• 21:22: Beau wires $81,000; begins being manipulated in the bank
• 28:13–29:34: Beau’s psychological crisis and further financial loss
• 31:20–32:21: Consulting the real FBI, confirming it was a scam
• 33:00: Beau informs her family, receives critical emotional support
• 34:22–34:41: Reflections on long cons and changing perceptions

Tone and Style

The episode maintains the empathetic, probing, yet calm and measured tone typical of Phoebe Judge, combined with Beau’s open, vulnerable narrative. It’s a mixture of investigative storytelling and personal testimony, aiming to both inform and emotionally engage listeners.

Conclusion

"The Phone Call" is a sobering account that illustrates how even smart, careful people can be ensnared by sophisticated scams. Beau’s experience emphasizes the power of psychological manipulation, the importance of support in the aftermath, and the need for greater awareness around the evolving tactics of scammers.

For those who haven’t listened, this episode is both a warning and an act of solidarity with scam victims—detailing not only the crime itself, but also the complex aftermath and the lifeline of compassion from friends and family.