Scam school: Class in session with Rob Wolchek

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Did you know that watching FOX 2 Hall of Shame reports can be educational? 
    
A high school teacher has been using Rob Wolchek's stories about bad guys and bad deals to teach his business students.
       
The lesson? Don't get scammed. 

"Hi everybody I'm Rob Wolchek from FOX 2."

This is one of Rob Wolchek's favorite events of the year - the day he gets to meet the students who are learning from his Hall of Shame stories.

These are business students at Lutheran North High School in Macomb. For 10 years, teacher Steve Slagel has been using Hall of Shame videos to teach his classes about fraud.

Every day the kids watch one of my stories online and then discuss what the hall of shamer in that story is doing. Towards the end of the class unit Wolchek comes to speak and take questions. The kids always seem to get the point.

"I learned that a lot of people don't have a life and they like to do some stupid stuff that can hurt other people financially," said one student.

"We learn how to not get scammed and ruin our lives and have our identities stolen," said another student.

Wolchek: "Couldn't you just read that in a book?"

"You can't just read it in a book, you have to experience it with your videos," she said.

Business teacher Mr. Slagel agrees - the stories keep the kids engaged and always seem to be a hit.

"You can read about it, you can talk about it but to actually see it, see the bad guys work first-hand and to catch them and see how they do it - nothing beats that," he said. "That's the best way to learn."

So for 10 years Wolchek has made the trek out to Lutheran North and plan to continue.  And while the faces are different - his message isn't.

"Things have changed a lot over the years especially with the internet and computers," Wolchek told the class. "But I'll tell you one thing that hasn't changed; there will always be people who want to trick you out of your money."