Easy Prey

Romance scammers are patient and willing to take their time to win over their target. In today's episode, we'll talk about how you can help out and make a difference to reduce the impact of romance scams. Today's guests are Kathy Waters and Bryan Denny. Kathy Waters is an expert advocate and an educator on the subject of online romance scams. Kathy is co-founder, along with retired Colonel Bryan Denny, of the non-profit organization Advocating Against Romance Scammers. Both have been working for safer platforms since 2016 with the same goals in mind: justice for victims and educating all online of the cybercrime known to tear people down emotionally, psychologically, and financially. They are now the organizers of World Romance Scam Prevention Day on October 3rd. Show Notes: [1:10] - Kathy and Bryan share their background and why they are passionate about advocating for victims of romance scams. [2:47] - Bryan was a victim of a romance scam, but not in the way you might think. Someone had been using his photo and posing as him. [4:10] - Unfortunately, Bryan's name and photo are still being used by scammers. [6:36] - When someone's profile image is taken, it is used over and over again. Getting one taken down is not going to end it. [8:22] - There are organized crime groups that use Bryan's photos, but they believe that there are independent scammers using it as well. [9:55] - World Romance Scam Prevention Day is October 3rd, and this is the first year it is official. [12:59] - One of the myths about romance scams is the belief that people don't actually fall for these things. [14:47] - Another myth is that this only targets older people, but even juveniles are being targeted specifically for sextortion. [18:01] - Romance scammers typically start to build a relationship slowly. They move the conversation outside a lot of social media apps. [19:49] - People who want to believe it's real, will believe that it's real. [20:44] - Bryan shares some common stories that scammers use in romance scams to get money from a victim. [22:03] - Although some take a lot of time to ask for money, others will test the waters early and ask for small amounts or even content they use to blackmail. [24:19] - Kathy suggests that mental health professionals come forward to provide education and support as well. [26:40] - Never turn your back on a friend or family member who has fallen victim to a romance scam. [27:24] - Learn what you can do to help support World Romance Scam Prevention Day. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest AdvocatingForU.com World Romance Scam Prevention Day Home Page

Scammers try to take advantage of human politeness. Utilizing critical thinking and slowing down conversations with someone who claims to be an authority like a government agency or bank could be what prevents us from making a financial mistake. Today's guest is Giles Mason. Giles is the Director of Campaigns at UK Finance. He is responsible for planning and delivering the organization's communication activities to promote campaigns on behalf of the banking and finance industry. Show Notes: [0:50] - Giles shares his background and current role at UK Finance. [2:36] - In 2016, UK Finance launched Take Five to Stop Fraud. [4:03] - Many victims of fraud often think after they've responded to a scammer that they could tell that something wasn't quite right. [5:36] - The biggest trend at the moment is purchase scams. [6:16] - The type of scam that normally sees the greatest fraud is impersonation scams. [9:08] - Scams that banks see are typically payment scams through their bank account. [10:10] - Once a payment is made, most of the time there's nothing you can do about it. Banks will do what they can, but it's not always possible. [12:38] - There are even scams that involve purchasing a home which are terrible because of the sheer amount of money involved. [14:04] - Hang up and call the number you know for certain is your bank. [17:13] - As humans, we want to be supportive and respect perceived authority. [18:38] - Scammers typically won't have a good reaction to you saying that you will call the number you know, which is a sign that they are not who they say they are. [21:10] - Young people are more willing to share information about a scam. [23:35] - While Giles has not fallen victim to a scam, he has had multiple attempts. [25:41] - Giles describes some of the trends in scamming. [27:48] - Stop, challenge, and protect. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Take Five to Stop Fraud Home Page

The burden is on consumers to question the validity of online offers because privacy laws and standards are not yet well regulated. Consumer Reports is fighting to make changes in this arena. Today's guest is Marta Tellado. Marta is President and CEO of Consumer Reports, the independent non-profit that works side by side with consumers to create a fair and just marketplace. She is a market driven leader with a passion for innovation, public-service, philanthropy, and helping organizations maximize and improve the world. Show Notes: [0:55] - Marta shares her background and her role as CEO of Consumer Reports. [2:19] - We're at a pioneering moment in the consumer market. Regulation hasn't transitioned into the digital marketplace. [4:04] - When online, we assume everything we do is safe. [5:52] - Now with AI, consumer awareness is even more important. [7:41] - As technology advances, so does the potential for scams. [9:27] - Be aware of the red flags. [11:33] - Consumer Reports has a ton of resources and information on scam protection. [13:17] - Everyone is a target and anyone can fall for a scam, including Marta. [15:51] - Marta shares the estimated amount of money lost to scams in 2022 and the increase we are seeing. [17:45] - Instead of connecting your peer-to-peer payment accounts to your bank account, connect them to your credit card where you have more protection. [20:17] - Even when we select the "unsubscribe" button, we may be flagged as someone who is interacting with the scam content and further targeted. [22:58] - The rules and regulations aren't keeping up with the rapid growth and development of technology. [24:55] - Marta describes the ways Consumer Reports works to educate consumers. [26:25] - It takes a really long time to get laws and regulations in place. [29:01] - We can't see or feel the things that keep us safe or harm us online. [31:38] - Even if you feel that you don't have anything that a scammer would want, be aware that any information is valuable to them. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Consumer Reports Home Page

Scammers have used our systems against us, like shipping, rental cars, and rental homes. They've learned how to stay off the radar and, in order to stop money laundering, we need to address fraud one step at a time. Today's guest is Pierogi. Pierogi protects the innocent and vulnerable from internet scammers through his channel Scammer Payback. He exposes these criminals and helps victims through his technology and cybersecurity knowledge. Show Notes: [1:07] - Pierogi shares his background and how he got into cybersecurity. [4:25] - His drive to help people and get back at scammers is why he started Scammers Payback. [6:03] - Scammers can get access to a bank account and ruin everything. [8:32] - Pierogi shares one of the projects he worked on that actually resulted in an arrest. [9:56] - Scammers know how to stay under the radar. [11:31] - Those involved in organized crime consider their victims as customers. [14:32] - Pierogi describes how a well-trained scammer can cater their manipulation to each individual situation. [17:26] - It's a numbers game. At some point, a scammer is going to connect with someone. [19:04] - Scammers can learn so much about you on the internet that makes their false claims that much more believable. [20:56] - A lot of the time, scammers know when to give up and move on. [22:18] - Never send a text message of any type of personal identification. [26:11] - Focus on the mental aspect of this. [27:52] - Employees at different stores that sell gift cards are on high alert and typically do not sell certain numbers of gift cards. [30:14] - In some cases, banks are even calling out possible red flags. [31:31] - Financial institutions can use technology to determine behaviors that are not normal for you to indicate possible fraud. [33:29] - Hackers are using known processes that are good but for bad purposes. [34:58] - Major corporations have a budget for cybersecurity but regular people don't. [36:28] - Phone carriers are trying to do more to prevent scam calls. [38:03] - While playing different roles, Pierogi shares that he actually "married" a scammer. He shares some of the craziest things scammers have done. [39:32] - Pierogi is also learning different languages so he can learn more about where scammers are located. [41:39] - A lot of the experiences of the victims and how scammers talk about them makes Pierogi emotional. [44:40] - These experiences are sometimes hard to listen to. [46:28] - A lot of people say they'll know immediately if they are talking to a scammer, but it isn't that simple. [48:54] - If we know this information, we need to talk about it to others and educate. [51:16] - Scammers are very good at what they do. We portray them as silly, but they are very intelligent and convincing. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Scammer Payback on YouTube

We've heard the polarizing narrative, "Either you're with me or you're my enemy." Using this polarizing statement can allow people to fall prey to being manipulated. Today's guest is Sander van der Linden. Dr. van der Linden is a professor of Social Psychology and Society and the Director of Cambridge Social Decision Making Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He is ranked among the top 1% of highly cited social scientists worldwide and has published over 150 research papers. He's the author of Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity. Show Notes: [1:01] - Sander describes what he does at Cambridge and why we began his work on this topic beginning ten years ago. [3:22] - The early days of the internet created an interest for Sander as he saw that anyone could pretend to be someone else. [5:01] - What exactly is misinformation? [6:29] - Disinformation is the spread of misinformation with harmful or deceitful intent. [8:37] - One form of disinformation is click-baited sensational headlines that seem harmless. [10:32] - Sander describes some of the key phrases within content that usually indicate mis- or disinformation. [13:11] - Even if information is accurate, content can be written manipulatively to evoke emotion, particularly rage. This is misleading. [15:01] - Most people don't want to be a part of a flame war or in an echo chamber but the behavior is common. [16:45] - Social media algorithms seem to reward toxic behavior and amplify polarization that already exists. [20:31] - People are constantly being bombarded with information. [21:47] - Everyone is scattered in their own echo chambers because of fragmented social media. [23:49] - What should platforms be doing to help limit the spread of misinformation? What should individual people do to keep themselves safe? [26:01] - The brain needs a few experiences before developing a habit. [27:50] - Sander explains why most people don't have the facts to actually defend what they believe to be accurate information. [29:56] - Sander has developed games that help users understand misinformation. [32:02] - Using the example of climate change and global warming, Sander demonstrates how people can be misled. [35:01] - False dichotomies are a real problem and politicians in particular use this strategy. [38:50] - The goal is to help others recognize manipulation online, not necessarily to change their mind. [41:41] - There are different types of scams and most are disinformation. [43:45] - Romance scams use these tactics. How can we inoculate people against this type of information? [47:37] - Deradicalization is extremely difficult. [49:20] - There's a benefit to being somewhat skeptical. But how skeptical should you be? [52:03] - We want to be able to live our normal lives without fear, but there needs to be a healthy amount of skepticism. [55:18] - There are some crossovers between persuasion and manipulation. [60:42] - You can play the games Sander described at Inoculation Science. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity by Sander van der Linden Sander van der Linden's Home Page Sander van der Linden on LinkedIn Inoculation Science Home Page

Scammers, like magicians, use distractions and illusions to keep you from realizing what is really going on. They may choose to have you focus on something that is urgent hoping that you'll make mistakes that you normally wouldn't. Today's guests are Chris Chabris and Dan Simons. Dr. Chabris is a Cognitive Scientist who has taught at Union College in Harvard University and is a fellow of The Association for Psychological Science. His research focuses on decision-making, attention, intelligence, and behavior genetics. Chris received his PhD in Psychology from Harvard University. Dr. Daniel Simons is a professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, where he has the Visual Cognitive Laboratory. Dan received his PhD from Cornell University. His research explores the limits of awareness and memory, the reasons why we often are unaware of those limits, and the implications of such limits on our personal and professional lives. Show Notes: [1:18] - Dan and Chris share their background and what their current roles are in their industry. [3:27] - Why did Dan and Chris decide to write a book together? [6:12] - Stories of victims are engaging and interesting, but these stories don't focus on why we are fooled. [8:53] - Chris and Dan share the story of a time they were almost scammed. [13:01] - Fictional stories in movies get some things right about what con artists exploit, but real scenarios are not always so precise. [14:52] - We have the ability to focus on a select amount of the information in front of us. [16:39] - There are a lot of different techniques that scammers employ to put you under time pressure. [19:59] - Confirmation bias is the idea that you try to find evidence of what you believe. [21:04] - There are a lot of theories about why we are good at some things and not as good at others. [22:15] - It is logical to trust someone you know, but social media has created the opportunity to trust misinformation. [24:38] - Commitments are assumptions that we make and hold steadfastly to. [26:41] - It is easy to trust someone when you've committed to your perception of them. [28:33] - Ask yourself if there is anything you believe that could be proven wrong if you were given new information. [31:01] - External validation is a great source for seeing things you might have missed. [32:48] - There are scams in literally everything, even chess. [38:02] - Are scams increasing or is it awareness of scams that is increasing? [40:26] - All scams employ the same principles. They are always going to rely on the same tricks and tap into the same fears. [42:37] - Dan's hope is that people will question the information they get and become less accepting. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Chris Chabris and Dan Simons

Our home IoT devices are constantly being probed for weaknesses so that they can be compromised and used for broader nefarious purposes like cyber warfare. The Ukrainians may be considered some of the best in the world when it comes to defending against cyber warfare because they have been regularly attacked and have been defending their systems for years. Today's guest is Mikko Hypponen. He has written for The New York Times, Wired, and Scientific American and has lectured at universities like Oxford, Stanford, and Cambridge. Mikko works as the Chief Research Officer for WithSecure and sits on the advisory board of Europol. Show Notes: [1:11] - Mikko shares his background as an old-school hacker. [2:46] - His mother advised Mikko to pursue this career in the 1980s. [5:23] - Smart devices like doorbells and refrigerators are not configured correctly because security makes the device more expensive. [7:50] - Mikko discusses regulation in Europe and how, most of the time, regulation fails. [9:03] - Many hackable devices wouldn't be hackable if consumers read the manual. [11:13] - Most malware traffic used to be Windows based but is now Linux based. [12:26] - Many people don't think that there's any data that can be stolen from IoT devices, but they are surprisingly powerful. [14:16] - Mikko explains some recent attacks. [15:43] - Medical devices are just as vulnerable as any other IoT device. [17:41] - What is a honeypot? [19:02] - Mikko shares that he has been a victim himself with his credit card number stolen twice. [20:14] - Even experts make mistakes. [21:26] - If you believe you have been hacked or think you are being scammed, take a step back. [23:06] - Mikko describes some of his experience living so near Russia and monitoring cyber warfare. [25:07] - Spying and espionage is a big problem in countries bordering Russia. [30:06] - With invasions in 2022, Ukraine improved many systems. [31:20] - Mikko makes a prediction on what will come next that sounds like Science Fiction, just like cyber war sounded like before. [32:18] - What are Mikko's thoughts on AI? Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Mikko.com

Our non-verbal communication is as much or more important than what we verbally communicate. We may display mannerisms that our gut instincts pick up as just off, but a trained FBI Behavioral Analysis can pick up on these signs faster than you might expect. Today's guest is Robin Dreeke. Robin is an accomplished executive coach, bestselling author, and professional speaker with an impressive background. As a Marine Corps officer and retired FBI Special Agent, he served as Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavior Analysis Program where he honed his skills on recruiting spies and behavioral assessment. Robin has translated his expertise into his unique interpersonal communication strategies that focus on recruiting allies in business. Show Notes: [1:23] - Robin shares his background and previous roles in the Marine Corps and FBI. [2:45] - Robin has not been a victim of a scam, but there have been many attempts and close calls. [6:02] - We establish normal patterns of behavior and tempo. [7:52] - Be wary of things that deviate from normal patterns of behavior. [10:19] - If we're trying to find something wrong, we miss a lot. [14:07] - Robin explains why he looks for openness, honesty, and transparency in a nice even tempo. [15:42] - Underneath "why" is the "what" and the "how." [17:30] - Vulnerability is the willingness to show your shame. [20:17] - Words are extremely powerful. [22:24] - The more time spent with someone, you will be able to learn their natural tempo and behavior patterns. [24:34] - The techniques Robin talks about aren't just applicable to criminal interviews, but even just personal conversations. [26:07] - Master manipulators are on a timeline. Usually they're not patient. [28:52] - Sales people can also use these techniques to push the tempo out of your comfort zone. [31:31] - Robin only vets people based on in-person interactions now. [33:12] - Robin compares reality to shows like Criminal Minds. [35:43] - The actions that people will take are predictable. [37:52] - Some people have the tendency to find something wrong with everyone and everything. [40:08] - Focus on having a great conversation with other people. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest People Formula Website Robin Dreeke on LinkedIn

Many people have ended up in an MLM because they wanted to help a friend out. But it is important to understand the red flags of how they can motivate and manipulate. Today's guest is Roberta Blevins. Roberta is an anti-MLM advocate who starred in the Amazon Prime documentary Lula Rich and speaks out on social media against MLMs, scams, frauds, and cults and is the host of the podcast Life After MLM. Show Notes: [0:45] - Roberta shares her background and what she does now. [2:20] - In 2015, Roberta heard about LulaRoe and was initially very excited. [3:34] - She wasn't making any more than she had been making in the job she left, but was working a lot more. [4:40] - Roberta realized that it wasn't the right way to run a business and it took a toll on her and her family's mental health. [6:17] - Pressure and pushback against questions are major red flags. [7:28] - Avoid being alone and being led to a second location when talking to someone. [8:28] - Roberta explains how different MLMs operate under a pay-to-play model. [10:05] - The only way to make money is to hit qualifying monthly quotas that are a big challenge to accomplish. [11:58] - What is the difference between a pyramid scheme and an MLM? [14:43] - MLMs tend to invade every area of your life. [16:10] - Many people have a fake-it-till-you-make-it approach which is misleading people to be recruited. [19:26] - Social media plays into this fabricated lifestyle. [21:42] - MLMs exploit personal relationships. [22:54] - Roberta shares how "icky" it felt to keep a "dirt list". [24:38] - There are stories of some people signing up their children in order to meet their recruitment quota. [26:30] - Roberta explains the history of MLMs and how they started. [29:21] - MLMs aren't going anywhere, but Roberta wants to see regulation in an unregulated space. [31:48] - Roberta shares about some of the background work she is doing to help create dialogue about regulation. [34:12] - Social media has strengthened MLMs and has gotten more people to sign up. [35:53] - In some MLMs, more than half of the sellers are making no money. [37:26] - Numbers don't lie. If you are spending or making money, you should track it. [38:51] - Track any amount of time you spend on the business. [41:07] - Roberta outlines a strategy if you are in an MLM and deciding if it is the right fit for you. [44:30] - Have someone who is unbiased listen to you. Be that person for someone else. [46:35] - A company should be able to stand up to scrutiny. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Roberta Blevins Web Page Roberta Blevins on Instagram Roberta Blevins on YouTube Roberta Blevins on Twitter Life After MLM Podcast

A scalpel in the hand of a surgeon can be an amazing instrument. But the same tool in the hand of a person choosing to do harm is dangerous. The knowledge on how to read someone's behavior is the same thing, either beneficial or detrimental, based on the person's intentions. Today's guest is Chase Hughes. Chase is a retired US Navy Chief and is the leading military and intelligence behavior expert with 20 years of creating the most advanced behavior skill courses and tactics available worldwide. He is a Harvard educated neuroscientist, keynote speaker, and the author of two bestselling books. He teaches elite groups of government agencies on behavior science skills, including behavior profiling, non-verbal analysis, deception detection, interrogation, and advanced behavioral investigation. Show Notes: [1:08] - Chase shares his background as a US Navy Chief and his current work in educating others on behavior science skills. [2:45] - Chase tells the story of losing a friend as inspiration to grow his knowledge. [4:51] - Hidden stress signals are universal. [7:04] - At a certain point of understanding behaviors, Chase sees a world that is hidden right in front of everyone. [8:06] - In learning behaviors, focus on learning one at a time until you notice them in your day-to-day life. [10:03] - When it comes to psychopaths, there are certain behaviors that are hard to spot. [12:01] - Chase does an activity with Chris to demonstrate eye movement. [15:18] - When it comes to interrogation and questioning, these eye movements are very telling. [17:13] - Women are naturally very good at reading behavior. [18:02] - We learn to lie first with our face. [20:10] - What is a detail mountain and a detail valley? [23:07] - There is a reason we fall so hard for con artists and cult leader personalities. [25:10] - All kinds of influence follow this exact model every time: Perception, Context, Permission. [27:58] - The second thing that Chase teaches is how to access the mammalian brain. [30:36] - Anything we feel emotion about is memorized. [33:21] - The more we learn about this, the better we are at avoiding being manipulated. [34:58] - These tactics are also tools for good parenting. What is the end goal of these tools? [37:10] - Chase discusses some examples of the models he teaches. [39:41] - When it comes to confidence, people look at situations through a hierarchy lens. [41:10] - Chase shares the titles of his books and what they are about. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Chase Hughes Home Page

It can be difficult to quantify the impact of good CISO or IT professionals. Protecting the network, infrastructure, and data is a constant effort and they've got to get it right 100% of the time. But the criminals breaking in only need to get it right once. Today's guest is Raj Samani. Raj is the Chief Scientist for the cyber security firm Rapid7. He has assisted multiple law enforcement agencies in cybercrime cases and is a special advisor to the European Cybercrime Centre in The Hague. Raj has been recognized for his contributions to the computer security industry through numerous awards and has co-authored several books and has been a technical editor in others. Show Notes: [1:01] - Raj explains what he does for the cyber security firm, Rapid7, and how he got into the field. [3:40] - In the beginning of his career, cyber security was more of a hobby. [6:07] - There is a level of transparency, but Raj explains how things have to be absolutely certain before releasing information. [7:32] - Raj introduces the topic of cyber security as a service. [9:11] - Without the means to physically interrogate, it is hard to confirm theories about what is happening and who is doing it. [12:01] - "The sooner we collectively as an industry start to provide more transparency, I think the better we'll be." [13:57] - We see CISOs let go when a breach takes place. It is immature as an industry since there are no metrics to measure success. [16:54] - Raj shares the experience of the explosion of Covid-19 related scams. [20:40] - As security professionals, the job is never done. [21:51] - Raj compares educating your children of online safety to wearing a seatbelt in your car. [24:10] - The odds are certainly in favor of the cyber criminals. [26:48] - Raj explains the estimation of money saved by preventing attacks, but also explains that there's no true way to measure this. [28:20] - If we aren't reporting incidents, the government isn't going to do anything because we can't prove the impact. [30:29] - Because it is a global issue, international law enforcement collaboration is crucial. [34:17] - Now that cybercrime is so lucrative, they can actually pay for marketing and make their content much more believable than a simple email with a link. [36:30] - It is a constant case of cat and mouse. [40:32] - Raj does not use the word "hacker" to describe the individuals behind attacks. They are criminals. [42:18] - Raj highly recommends the book Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Raj Samani on LinkedIn Rapid7 Home Page

Today's guest is Bryan Seely, a world famous cyber security expert, ethical hacker, author, keynote speaker, and former US Marine. He is known for intercepting calls to the US Secret Service and FBI. We chat about why and how he did it and surprisingly why he didn't go to jail. Show Notes: [0:48] - Bryan shares his background, what he does now, and what he is famous for. [2:10] - To show how easily hacked and manipulated Google Maps was, Bryan changed the names of locations which didn't get their attention. [4:03] - At the time, the FBI didn't know that Bryan wiretapped them. Bryan explains how this was an issue and how he let them know. [6:14] - They didn't believe him and he explains how he proved it and what the major problems with their communications were. [8:03] - At no point was Bryan arrested, but he had to show how he managed to wiretap them. [10:00] - Bryan managed to record 40 calls. [11:26] - Because he had no ill intent, he told them what he was doing and how he did it to help prevent it happening by others, Bryan was not charged. [13:24] - Technically, Bryan didn't do anything that wasn't possible for anyone else to do. He didn't hack a system, but rather saw a logic flaw. [15:51] - There wasn't technically anything wrong. It was just designed in a way that could easily be exploited. [18:50] - The cost of just letting people know about a breach is high. [20:44] - Bryan believes that companies should be honest about breaches and what they will do to fix the problem. [23:41] - We don't intentionally broadcast our information or location, but it is easy to guess in many cases. [24:57] - There are little things that we do that we think are protecting us but are actually giving out more information than we should. [27:26] - Bryan shares some tips in keeping you protected, like turning off Bluetooth and wifi on your phone. [28:36] - Anyone can create a wifi network and name it anything, like Starbucks Wifi or Free Airport Wifi to make it easy to have people connect. [30:47] - Teach your kids how to be safe. [31:42] - Bryan primarily uses authenticator apps for MFA, but any kind is helpful. [35:20] - Bryan is currently writing another book and loves meeting people who have done great things for cyber security education. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Bryan Seely Home Page Bryan Seely LinkedIn Bryan Seely on Twitter

The cyber security circle of information will always have some human involvement and raising awareness in how systems were designed, developed, used, and abused is critical. Today's guest is Dr. Jessica Barker. Jessica is an award winning leader in the human side of cyber security and has delivered face to face awareness sessions to over 50,000 people. She is a best selling author, international keynote speaker, media commentator, and serves on numerous boards, including the UK government's Cyber Security Advisory Board. Show Notes: [1:00] - Jessica shares her background and her passion for educating people on cyber security. [2:34] - When it comes to personal experience, Jessica has not been a victim of a scam, but she has come close. [3:49] - Being vigilant is helpful but the right phish at the right time can catch any of us. [5:01] - Take a step back and talk to someone else. Seeing someone else's perspective is helpful. [6:43] - There's a fine line between scam indicators and marketing. [8:51] - There are always people involved. Jessica explains the elements of the human side of cyber security. [10:24] - There is an assumption that the younger generation don't care about cyber security, but it's not accurate. [13:14] - The majority of clients that Cygenta works with are corporate clients. [14:33] - Every organization has a security culture already, but what kind is it? [16:46] - Many departments within a company avoid cyber security and the security team and it creates an adversarial relationship and culture. [19:15] - Measuring the success of cyber security is a challenge. [20:57] - We need to consider our language when explaining cyber security attacks. [22:57] - Jessica's work primarily focuses on prevention. [28:20] - Chris shares the experience of seeing a problem but not knowing where it was coming from. [29:50] - It's important to mitigate risk while also not being so worried all the time. [30:57] - We all need education to help with critical thinking. [33:14] - Education also boosts people's confidence. [34:27] - It is important to have strong organizational values and the ability to tap into people's individual values. [36:01] - Cygenta has a free resource online called The Ultimate Guide to Cyber Security Culture. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Cygenta Cyber Security Culture Guide Confident Cyber Security by Dr. Jessica Barker

With the appearance of health taking focus in today's culture, many are persuaded to try extreme trends to achieve quick weight and health results. Conventional healthcare may not always have the answers we're looking for but it's important to not let our fears and concerns be exploited for someone else's profit. Today's guest is Christy Harrison. Christy and a Registered Dietician Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and a journalist who has been covering food, nutrition, and health for more than 20 years. She is the author of two books, The Wellness Trap and Anti-Diet and the producer and host of the podcasts Rethinking Wellness and Food Psych which has helped tens of thousands of people around the world think critically about diet and wellness and culture and develop a more peaceful relationship with food. Show Notes: [1:05] - Christy shares her background and what she specializes in as a Dietician Nutritionist. [2:19] - Christy describes her past experiences with disordered eating and combined her perspective with her journalism career. [5:15] - Through her own recovery, she discovered her passion for helping others at a large scale. [6:21] - This is not a substitute for physical or mental health advice. [7:20] - There is a long history of how our current societal focus on weight and body shape has evolved. [11:18] - As society developed an anti-fat approach, diets became trendy and scammy weight loss products became prevalent. [13:07] - There's a lot of motivation for scammers to make money in the health and wellness space as it is a huge industry. [14:22] - Christy shares some history on the first diet book and how we are currently seeing similar trends again. [17:03] - Watch out for anything that purports a product to be a cure-all. [19:16] - While there are problems with mainstream healthcare, anyone who turns fear into a sales pitch is a red flag. [22:02] - A lot of people in ads, especially on social media, are paid to promote a product that they probably have never tried. [23:14] - Be aware of the differences between real studies and anecdotal science-sounding claims. [26:32] - A problem with nutritional research is that it is mostly observational. [28:15] - It's not all down to the individual. We can certainly do things to make ourselves less susceptible, but the system needs to change. [29:35] - Unless it is coming from your own medical provider who knows you and your needs, be skeptical of medical information. [32:17] - Before adopting a health and wellness practice, you should do research. [33:39] - Check in with yourself on any emotional pull you have. [35:34] - There are also claims from scammers who will say that you have to feel worse to feel better, which isn't generally the case. [38:37] - Diet culture creates a yo-yo effect for a lot of people. [40:28] - Self efficacy is critical to mental health and dieting takes it away. They have a hugely negative psychological effect. [44:40] - Christy shares some things to consider before making changes to your diet. [46:42] - What are the things you have control over in your life? Don't demonize yourself for the choices you make when there isn't anything else you can choose. [47:56] - There isn't one solution for every single person. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest ChristyHarrison.com Rethinking Wellness Podcast Food Psych Podcast

In this episode, we look at two sides of the Nigerian scam: The emotional, psychological, and financial damage done by scammers and the scammers we often look at as bad people doing bad things. But in some cultures, this is seen as an acceptable career option. Today's guest is Ronnie Tokazowski. Ronnie has been fighting Nigerian fraud for the last seven years and has collaborated with both law enforcement and the private sector. He runs a mailing list which collaborates with victims in identifying critical pieces of information around how the fraud works as well as working with romance victims themselves. Show Notes: [0:53] - Ronnie shares his role as a Principal Threat Advisor and the work he does with Nigerian fraud. [2:10] - Seven years ago, Ronnie saw the increasing trend in Nigerian fraud and is trying to get ahead of it. [3:58] - Scammers operate in a way that is similar to pulling tools out of a toolbox. They know which strategies to use in different situations. [5:44] - Relationships have been built with victims over months or sometimes even years, especially in romance scams. [8:19] - Ronnie explains how emotions are targeted to build relationships with scammers. [10:36] - Business email cybercrime was the number one cybercrime for seven years ago. [11:41] - The more we talk about it, the more victims come forward to talk about their own experience and overcome the social stigma. [12:36] - While not a scam victim, Ronnie explains a scenario in which he questioned his decisions. [15:27] - There are people out there doing the work in Nigeria in getting scammers to leave the career. But it is a huge undertaking. [17:50] - A common scam is to reach out on social media and try to get the target off the platform to talk. [19:18] - Some scammers are victims of human trafficking doing the work against their will. [20:36] - Right now with pig butchering, the belief is that the groups are organized crime groups in China. [22:01] - Ronnie shares the experience in speaking with law enforcement in Nigeria. [23:57] - The connections to different scams are very intricate and sophisticated. [26:21] - In one experiment, gift cards were purchased to give to scammers to track what they did with them. [29:26] - Scammers collaborate together to find "clients" and share their list of victims to facilitate other crimes. [30:50] - Ronnie shares the story of a scammer who collaborated with multiple people and wound up being involved in tons of different types of scams. [33:12] - In Nigeria, there are a lot of tribal religions in play. [34:31] - Many scammers in Nigeria will go through rituals in their attempt to manifest wealth. [37:07] - One of the main motivations for scammers is their experience in poverty. [41:02] - What about government intervention? How is the Nigerian government handling the situation? [42:21] - In some countries, the government is also tied up in the scamming. [45:20] - Two factor authentication is critical to security. [46:26] - For businesses, there should be a process to ensure money is wired correctly when necessary. [48:10] - Ronnie doesn't recommend investing in crypto right now especially if it sounds too good to be true. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Ronnie Tokazowski on LinkedIn Ronnie Tokazowski on Twitter Cofense.com

Recovering from identity crimes can be daunting and take a toll on your entire life, not just financially and emotionally. Once someone gains access to one of your accounts, they can work to manipulate your friends and relatives as well. Today's guest is Eva Velasquez. Eva is the President and CEO of The Identity Theft Resource Center. She previously served as the Vice President of Operation for the San Diego Better Business Bureau and for 21 years at the San Diego District Attorney's Office. She is an author, public speaker, and a recognized expert who has been featured on CBS Mornings, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, NPR, and numerous other media outlets. Show Notes: [1:02] - Eva describes her role as CEO and President of The Identity Theft Resource Center and what the organization does. [2:11] - Eva began her career in law enforcement and learned firsthand how dismissive we are of victims of identity crimes. [4:26] - The great majority of these crimes go completely uninvestigated. [5:48] - Your energy is best spent on recovering what you've lost rather than trying to convict the perpetrator. [8:03] - Identity theft isn't the only identity crime. [9:47] - Most scams and data breaches at this time can be considered an identity crime. [11:06] - The majority of identity crimes that are reported at The Identity Theft Resource Center are caused by social engineering. [13:42] - If you see some unusual activity or communication on social media from someone you know, let the real person know. [16:17] - Chris shares a strategy for family passwords to verify their identity. [18:11] - There are several different types of identity fraud. A lot of it is credit cards, but it could be other types of loans or accounts. [19:54] - Identity fraud is complicated to solve. [21:00] - Eva shares the story of a victim who was car jacked and has had non-stop identity theft issues. [22:24] - People who are victims of identity theft may even have major problems in getting jobs. [23:42] - The number of victims who have felt suicidal after identity theft has increased year over year. [25:37] - The Identity Theft Resource Center is like AAA roadside assistance. Reach out to them. [28:00] - Eva shares that this is her life's mission. She would love a world where The Identity Theft Resource Center wasn't needed. [29:22] - Password management needs to be improved. [31:03] - Multi-factor authorization is absolutely necessary. [33:28] - If you ever get a call from someone claiming to be from your bank, hang up and actually contact your bank using the number on your card. [34:42] - We need to flip our view of "annoying" security measures. [41:57] - Safeguard access to all the accounts you have, even email accounts. [43:16] - It can take anywhere between a day and ten years to resolve identity fraud. It is very situational. [46:03] - It may also be possible for something to appear solved but then it is in remission. [47:20] - There is no shame in asking for help. It is very complicated. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest The Identity Theft Resource Center Eva Velasquez on LinkedIn

You may be shocked to know that master manipulators utilize special tactics to impact human behavior and emotions by more than just instilling a sense of urgency. The art of persuasion can be used for both good and evil. Today's guest is Chris Hadnagy. Chris is the author of five books on the topic of social engineering. He is a professor of social engineering at the University of Arizona as well as the CEO of Social Engineer LLC, the Innocent Lives Foundation, and the Institute for Social Engineering. Show Notes: [0:57] - Chris shares his background and how he found himself in the field of social engineering and understanding human decision making. [2:38] - It is not the case that only stupid people fall for scams and phishing emails. [4:04] - There is good social engineering and Chris gives some examples. [5:47] - The release of oxytocin is researched to show that it is linked to trust. [7:58] - You can have oxytocin and dopamine separately but together they build a bond. [9:17] - Marketing and advertising land in the gray middle area of social engineering. Is it being used for good or bad? [11:14] - It is important to look at things through the lens of purpose. What is the intent behind it? [12:35] - All social engineering, good and bad, use the same principles. But malicious social engineering triggers different emotions, namely fear. [14:37] - Preying on fear is one way people are socially engineered, but Chris gives an example of how a company as large as Toyota was impacted by the sense of urgency. [17:12] - There are so many stories of social engineering that are extremely plausible and believable. [21:04] - The trend now is to use social media data and information to target people for spear phishing. [22:30] - If you feel any strong emotion after a request, it is a great time to pause and consider if you are being manipulated. [24:21] - If you ever fall for something, don't let embarrassment make you sweep it under the rug. [27:31] - The idea of an authority figure is a principle to remember, but it doesn't always work. [30:10] - In some countries, fear of authority isn't present. But social engineers will look for the weaknesses to exploit in different environments. [31:16] - Voice phishing is currently on the rise. [33:21] - Chris shares about the uptick on LinkedIn requests that even targeted the US military. [35:28] - Although we will see some good from AI, Chris has many concerns. [37:33] - Chris describes some of the classes he teaches at the University of Arizona specifically about Social Engineering. [39:17] - You can take classes online from Chris on Social-Engineer.com. [40:21] - We need to understand social engineering to keep our children safe. Start having conversations early. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Chris Hadnagy on LinkedIn Social-Engineer LLC Innocent Lives Foundation

Phishing emails are constantly evolving to take advantage of current trends, news, and holidays. Typically poor grammar or the time an email was sent could help you identify if it is authentic. But with AI, these obvious signs may soon disappear. Today's guest is Kiri Addison. Kiri is the Detection and Efficacy Product Manager at Mimecast, working on security products to defend against new and evolving threats. Previously she was head of data science for threat intelligence and has worked in the public sector creating systems to detect and prevent cyber attacks and fraud. Show Notes: [0:59] - Kiri shares her background and what her role is at Mimecast. [3:03] - Email scams are still the number one attack method and they tend to follow trends, news, and holidays. [5:17] - Technology is improving and there is better protection of basic attacks, but with how fast threats evolve, there are still areas of improvement. [7:34] - Kiri shares some statistics on the improvement made after implementing phishing email training. [8:26] - With the use of ChatGPT, our usual red flags to look for will change. [10:12] - In the advice and training by Mimecast, they explain the impact on the end user. [12:08] - Kiri explains some of the different types of security measures available. [13:47] - A lot of companies only implement the training with their employees to check off the compliance. [16:50] - Be suspicious and take some time. Don't feel pressured. [20:05] - Look for anything abnormal, even if it is something unusual from a sender you know. [21:44] - If you receive word from someone you know but it seems odd, contact the person directly to find out what's going on. [23:10] - Mimecast works primarily with corporations and businesses, but there are some personal phishing email attempts. [24:44] - Some attacks combine safe sights with malicious links. [26:00] - Kiri describes some of the recent trends they are seeing. [28:58] - As AI evolves, it is going to become harder to protect. However, it all comes down to end user awareness. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Dr. Kiri Addison on LinkedIn Mimecast Website

Age appropriate conversations need to be taking place with children on how technology is being used to groom them. Unfortunately, many are already addicted to the dopamine fix and their relationships with a device can numb them to being preyed upon. Today's guest is John Pizzuro. John serves as CEO of Raven, a lobbying and advocacy group that focuses on protecting children from exploitation. John was a former commander of the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children task force and has created a framework for other countries to use to investigate child exploitation. Show Notes: [0:57] - John shares his background in ICAC and current role as CEO of Raven. [3:08] - With the changes of technology and the availability of it in every household, behavior has changed along with it. [5:01] - Using the internet at home makes the internet feel like a safe place. [6:16] - People manipulate others through language. [7:21] - It is simple to get hooked because of the dopamine fix met with social media. [8:49] - Do social media companies do enough? John says they don't do anything and they don't have the ability to moderate. [11:01] - AI is not yet fully understood. How can it be used for good or bad? [13:13] - There has to be a balance between privacy and protection. This is true for everything. [14:15] - Today, we are so polarized and the result is that a solution will not be found. [15:45] - Parents need to have real conversations with their children and the earlier the better. Open communication is important. [17:54] - It's not talked about openly enough because it is scary to talk about child exploitation. [21:30] - Device addiction is a real problem and generally speaking, there's a need for instant gratification that distracts us from real relationships. [23:10] - There are communities where people share techniques for grooming and they are extremely popular on the dark web. [24:53] - John shares some terrifying statistics. [26:25] - There are task forces working together to protect children from child exploitation. [28:30] - The task to go through digital evidence is time and resource consuming. [29:28] - What is needed in the US is age appropriate child protection legislation. [31:03] - John explains some of the challenges in current legislation. [32:17] - Do we hold all these tech companies liable? [33:40] - The larger the bill, the more things that people will have a problem with. [36:02] - If we can articulate things the right way, this legislation can make a huge difference. [38:06] - Child advocacy centers are impactful but their funding gets cut. [39:16] - The challenge with research is that researchers move from project to project. And action must be a result of theories. [40:25] - John shares ways you can impact this cause and who to talk to. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest John Pizzuro on LinkedIn Raven Website

AI creates opportunities as well as challenges. We may need to become more skeptical about what we see and hear knowing that images and words can be generated without transparency of its creation. Today's guest is Paul Valente. Paul is the CEO and co-founder of VISO Trust, a former CISO of Restoration Hardware, Lending Club, and ASAPP with over 20 years of technology, financial services, ecommerce, and information security innovation. Paul holds several industry designations, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM) and ISO 27001 Lead Implementer. Show Notes: [1:02] - Paul shares his background and what he does now in his career. [3:23] - One of the key learning opportunities for Paul was being a victim and being involved in scams and cyberattacks. [5:28] - It's getting harder and harder now to tell something's legitimacy with the ability to use AI to generate content for scamming. [7:54] - As a consumer, when you work with a company and share your data, you are sharing it with the whole ecosystem. [10:16] - It is very hard for security to be managed when there is so much data. [11:58] - Surveys sometimes give a false sense of security. [14:21] - At VISO, they remove the friction in order to make the process scale. There are so many third parties and vendors. Focus on real information. [17:02] - Security is not a solved problem. There are always imperfections. [19:07] - There's a variety of different responses to cybersecurity breaches. [20:46] - Companies who are transparent about breaches tend to be seen as good companies. It's how you handle it and take steps to communicate. [23:27] - We've been trained to look for errors but today, with the use of generative AI, it is easier for scammers to create perfect messages. [25:30] - We need to learn ways to improve our ability to discern real content from fake content. [26:46] - AI also creates unique opportunities. [29:47] - We still tend to have the idea of AI being a sentient being based on science fiction. So what is AI? [31:12] - It's all about shrinking the problem space. [33:17] - AI growth and what is called the Cyber Kill Chain will happen incrementally. [34:55] - Be aware of where you are communicating. You will need to look hard when it comes to social engineering. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest VISO Trust Website Paul Valente on LinkedIn

If you experience any high pressure tactics or urgency that someone needs you to make a financial decision fast, take a pause and realize that you might be talking to a scammer. Today's guest is Professor Marti DeLiema. Marti is an Assistant Professor and Gerontologist at the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on identifying the extent and cost of financial fraud in the US as well as factors related to financial victimization of the aging. Show Notes: [0:48] - Marti shares her background and as a gerontologist, her focus on the aging. [3:02] - When doing her research, Marti discovered that fraud is not limited to the elderly. [4:16] - Why are older adults more likely to be targeted? [5:50] - Executive functioning skills decline earlier than other abilities. [7:30] - Social isolation can take form in a few different ways. [9:47] - People who are grieving a loss are even more susceptible to scams. [11:38] - Underreporting is a really big problem in the research and it is common among older adults and older victims. [14:26] - Marti recommends reporting scams to the Federal Trade Commission. [15:38] - To help prevent potential issues, start to think about who in your family or close circle can help make financial decisions. [17:08] - Bringing people in actually makes you more in control. [19:02] - There is a societal stigma about being a victim of a scam and it prevents older adults from sharing the situation for help. [20:20] - There is a huge shift in our population in our demographics and the largest wealth transfer coming. [22:09] - The world is very complex right now, especially when it comes to communication, technology, and finances. [24:10] - Financial institutions can help prevent scams through strong customer service and education. [26:36] - Marti shares an experience overhearing a retail manager explaining why he wouldn't let an elderly customer purchase any more gift cards. [28:50] - Scammers will warn victims that they will be asked specific questions about their gift card purchase. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Marti DeLiema on LinkedIn

Identities are under attack and with few ways to either validate or authenticate, it's difficult to know whether a company or person you are communicating with is fake or not. Today's guest is Mike Kiser. Mike Kiser is currently the Director of Strategy and Standards at SailPoint. He speaks regularly at events such as The European Identity Conference and The RSA Conference. He is a member of several standards groups and has presented identity related research at Black Hat and DevCon. Show Notes: [0:46] - Mike shares his current role at SailPoint and what he does to help people protect themselves online. [1:48] - As identity has risen in importance, so have job scams. [2:44] - The rise is not surprising, as more people look for remote work. [3:50] - Generally, employment scams are targeting remote and online applicants. [6:10] - Mike describes some of the ways these scams work including receiving fake checks and wording to target those who are looking for side work. [8:04] - Fake LinkedIn accounts are on the rise and it is very easy to target specific types of people and build off of common connections. [10:01] - In 2019, Mike created a fake profile and he describes the easy infiltration to any organization's LinkedIn connection. [11:47] - There has been an obvious uptick in generic LinkedIn contact in the last few months. [15:13] - Business people need to connect, so it can be tricky. Mike explains how to take a close look at new connections. [17:13] - With generative AI, communications are even more convincing. [18:41] - Falsified job applications are also on the rise. [20:33] - Fake identities are more and more in play for different malicious use cases, not just for jobs. [22:58] - Mike shares the experience of a family member realizing that they were talking to a scammer. [25:08] - We all customize a resume to match a job, but AI is making things much more challenging. [27:05] - Applicants and potential new hires will be able to easily outsource and it will become more common. [31:22] - The pandemic accelerated the importance of validating identity. [33:31] - There is also a unique opportunity for privacy to be changed right now and there is some good potential. [36:40] - Multi-factor authentication fatigue is a real problem. [39:27] - Eventually, Mike believes all things will shift to QR codes. [41:17] - What are the pros and cons of QR codes and how can they change the user experience? [42:24] - The job market is going to continually change and we have to learn how to interact with people differently. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest SailPoint Website Mike Kiser on LinkedIn MikeKiser.org

With all of the AI advances and the metaverse, people will face the decision on how to embrace the technology because it will become unavoidable. Today's guest is Dr. Mark van Rijmenam. Mark is The Digital Speaker. He is a leading strategic futurist who thinks about how technology changes organizations, society, and the metaverse. Mark is an international keynote speaker, five time author, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Datafloq and the author of the book Step Into the Metaverse. His mission is to help organizations and governments benefit from the innovative emerging technology while ensuring that it is done ethically and responsibly. Recently he founded the Digital Futures Institute which focuses on ensuring a fair digital future for everyone. Show Notes: [1:03] - Mark shares his background and current endeavors in the field. [2:40] - Using ChatGPT, Mark wrote a book and you can't really tell until the end. [5:02] - After a while, the patterns are noticeable. [6:49] - Start understanding the metaverse but understanding what it is not. [7:40] - "What the metaverse is is when the physical and the digital world converge. It's nothing more than the next iteration of the internet. We move from a 2D internet to a 3D internet." [8:49] - When the digital comes into the physical, we get augmented reality and it has very interesting uses. [10:37] - The problem with the next iteration of the internet is how to behave in this new world. [12:32] - Right now, the newer generation has less distinction between the digital and physical world. [15:03] - Some people's behavior is unacceptable online and some don't realize how public their actions are. [16:14] - We already see a problem with people not recognizing the distinction between digital and physical. Some are already addicted to social media. [19:11] - With the heavy use of digital content with children, it will become harder for the next generation to separate the two. [21:33] - The transition is so fast that we don't know what the implications are. [23:18] - Education is crucial but no one is teaching us how to use this emerging technology. [25:18] - Children and adolescents are particularly impacted by this transition. [27:23] - When earning his doctorate, Mark had to have permission to do his research for ethical reasons. [28:57] - We don't have to use social media and emerging technology as it becomes available. [31:20] - How can education keep up with the speed of change? [32:30] - ChatGPT shouldn't be banned. You have to embrace and adopt new technology so we can teach students how to use it. [34:48] - We are moving into a voice-world. What does that mean and how is it different from how we interact with the internet now? [37:20] - Mark describes what is necessary for this to be successful. It's possible but it requires a lot of work. We should act now. [38:49] - There are things that need to change, specifically in education, verification, and regulation. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Datafloq Step Into the Metaverse by Mark van Rijmenam

Business opportunities can entice you to believe that you can make large amounts of money in a short period of time. It's important to verify proof of their claims before joining and knowing how to research this can save you time and money. Today's guest is Jeff Lerner. Jeff is a five time Inc. 5000 CEO with over $100 million in sales. In 2019, he founded Entre Institute, the world's first institute of higher learning for entrepreneurs which is now one of the fastest growing education and technology companies in the world. Show Notes: [1:12] - Jeff shares his background as an entrepreneur and the creation of Entre Institute. [3:26] - When you do the entrepreneurship work legitimately, it can be very lucrative. [6:18] - The way people work in their chosen industry works a lot differently in this generation than it did in the past, with people changing companies often. [9:25] - There are four ways to earn money in the entrepreneurial industry. [11:25] - Jeff thinks about the current economy as wilderness. The key is to have a guide and a map. [12:57] - The number one thing when vetting opportunities is to verify social proof. [15:10] - The responsibility is on the provider of the opportunity, but vetting them is on you. [17:29] - If you understand the mechanics of business, you'll see through the smoke screen. If not, you'll be enticed by the smoke screen. [21:49] - There are a lot of people who are coming from a place of desperation who will say whatever needs to be said to bring in an income. [24:00] - How do you know the right questions to ask? [26:44] - There are job scams and business opportunity scams. [27:39] - If you are offered a commission but it's not a sales job, question what you are being asked to do. [29:12] - You should never have to spend money to make money in a legitimate business opportunity. [31:42] - It's okay to have a level of attractive compensation as long as it is coupled with skills needed to realistically bring in that amount. [35:10] - A lot of people feel very discouraged and frustrated with the management of the economy and entrepreneurship sounds appealing. [38:20] - There are a lot of amazing stories of people making tons of money with few skills, but they are few and far between. [41:14] - Nothing worthwhile is easy. If you embrace getting better rather than things being easier, you will be scam proof. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Jeff Lerner on YouTube ENTRE Institute Website

If AI knows your data patterns, it can help keep families safe online by preventing cyber security incidents from happening rather than just reacting once they do. Today's guest is Hari Ravichandran. As an engineer by trade and entrepreneur by nature, Hari has a track record of founding successful businesses in technology and security. After a painful personal experience with identity theft, Hari founded Aura, a way to simplify digital security for consumers. He has since grown Aura into a business worth over 2.5 billions dollars dedicated to creating a safer internet for everyone through an intelligent, proactive platform. Show Notes: [0:57] - Hari shares his role as founder and CEO of Aura as well as his experiences that created the drive to launch the organization. [2:47] - There's no real way for Hari to know how his identity was stolen, but he has a theory. [4:08] - The ones responsible for this had several months of impacting Hari's credit. [6:09] - This situation was a lengthy ordeal. [7:38] - Aura began as reactive as are many security programs. But now they have morphed into being proactive. [10:48] - Based on patterns they see, Aura predicts what could happen to the consumer and gives a direction on where to focus protection. [12:08] - AI can even determine the intent of a conversation as it's happening on the phone. [13:40] - Chris shares an example of a time when a credit card of his was cloned and how it was used. [16:08] - Alerts are really helpful but too many could become an annoyance and then ignored. [18:09] - It is advised to contact your banks and credit card companies when you travel to notify them that the alerts won't shut things off. [20:50] - Hari continues to be amazed by how many scams there are and how ingenious and clever they are. [22:32] - Without AI and learning systems, it would be impossible due to how many variants of scams there are. [25:09] - Do not use the same password across devices and services. [26:22] - When it comes to two-factor authorization, it has to be usable. [28:31] - Some security is better than no security. [30:17] - Hari describes the book he has available that acts as a guide for consumers. [32:24] - Take a look at things that need firmware updates and how long they have gone without one. [34:03] - Do you have enough sentries in place that can help protect? [35:39] - Aura takes into consideration everyone's unique needs based on how they use the internet. [37:18] - Ease of use is a compromise to security. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Hari Ravichandran on LinkedIn Aura Website Intelligent Safety: How to Protect Your Connected Family from Big Cybercrime

Cyberattacks can happen to an individual computer or an entire network. It's vital to have well-tested plans in place before ransomware rears its ugly head. Today's guest is Steve Orrin. Steve is Intel's Federal CTO and Senior Principal Engineer. He leads public sector solutions architecture, strategy, and engagement and has held technology leadership positions at Intel. Steve was previously CTO, CSO, and co-founder of several successful security startups and is a recognized expert and frequent lecturer on enterprise security. Show Notes: [1:01] - Steve shares what his current role is at Intel Corporation and how he became drawn to the field. [2:52] - There are risks everywhere. Where do we start when it comes to cybersecurity for a business? [3:54] - Steve describes risk profiles and what you need to understand what you're trying to protect. [5:21] - Once you know your environment and risk profile, it's time to look at the key things above security "hygiene" and the processes to raise the bar. [7:48] - There are benefits to microsegmentation, including smaller network enclaves. [9:44] - Steve makes a suggestion for network segmentation when it comes to state of the art equipment. [12:07] - Ideally, you want sensors in every network enclave but that isn't always realistic. [13:57] - Having network segmentation will also give you the information needed to find which part of your business receives an attack. [15:39] - How do we protect data in the cloud? [17:04] - It all goes back to understanding the data you need to protect. [21:01] - Just like in your business, you need to know how your IT resources are being used and which ones are not right. [23:20] - These building blocks help you see how you are utilizing security and it needs to be built in from the beginning. [24:55] - Changing approaches in large organizations can seem challenging, but Steve says they are constantly modernizing and it's all about perception. [26:24] - Literally any type of company can be attacked because of every industry's reliance on digital tools and infrastructure. [28:16] - There are different types of attackers - those who target someone specific, those who are opportunistic, and those who are purely automated. [29:44] - Everyone is a potential target even if you aren't being targeted. [31:33] - Planning will also help answer the question of how to continue running the business while ransomware is active. [33:21] - Companies need to adopt a gamified system to train everyone in the organization on how to respond to an attack. [35:13] - Supply chain issues exist in cybersecurity, but it's not the same as other industries. They are problems that they are actively searching for a solution for. [38:26] - When it becomes a requirement and in a contract, it will be adhered to. [40:26] - There are a lot of programs out there looking for the anomaly, but Steve says we aren't looking in the right place. [42:33] - Take all reports of suspicious activity seriously. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Steve Orrin on LinkedIn Public Sector on Intel's Website

We are all being targeted by imposters on social media, websites, and dating sites. Once a person has been scammed, your information can be added to a database where criminals can purchase your data and then offer you "recovery assistance" from that scam. Today's guest is Nick Smart. Nick has 18 years experience as a professional Intelligence and Security Analyst working for government agencies and private companies as well as experience as a compliance officer. Show Notes: [0:57] - Nick describes his current role and his background in security. [1:41] - Nick admits that he is generally very pessimistic and initially wasn't drawn to the crypto industry. [2:55] - Why does crypto have a high reputation for fraud? [4:15] - Once you are scammed, your information can be sold to more criminals and then you will be targeted again. [6:52] - It is very easy to believe that you would get the money back if you act fast which is falling victim to a sense of urgency. [8:01] - For some people, losing out on a few hundred dollars doesn't impact them much, but for others it could be the money they need to feed their family. [10:18] - When something goes wrong, people look to those in authority for help, but law enforcement is catching up to how they can deal with the problem. [12:29] - The laws surrounding crypto currency are very new and we don't know the future of recovery scams. [13:43] - Nick explains "hackers for hire". [15:13] - These scams aren't much different than others, but the way they find targets is unique. [18:23] - Some people think crypto currency is completely anonymous. But that's not entirely correct. [21:05] - The area of conversion is where we can try to find someone responsible for money laundering. [22:29] - The block chains are useful in following and piecing together to find someone. [24:35] - Crypto currency is hyper transparent which is not necessarily a bad thing. [26:30] - KYC stands for Know Your Customer and Nick explains what that means to a financial institution. [28:37] - If you've lost money through a crash or a scam and someone approaches you claiming they can help you get your money back, be skeptical. [31:39] - Real asset recovery is not a fast process. [35:13] - Individual cases and the experiences vary, but for the most part, block chains want to help. [37:42] - It happens to the best of us. No one is immune. [39:22] - There are more costs than just monetary. [42:24] - It doesn't help the victim to stigmatize being scammed. [44:01] - Nick shares ways to report crypto fraud. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Crystal Blockchain Website

There's one common desire that allows you to be taken advantage of or to be manipulated that leaves you wanting to kick yourself for not doing one simple thing to prevent it. Today's guest is Mark Edward. Mark is a professional mentalist who has specialized in magic of the mind for over 35 years. He travels internationally as a skeptical activist using his skills as a mentalist to teach and promote critical thinking. Show Notes: [1:01] - Mark shares his interesting background in magic and as a mentalist. [4:03] - As a starving artist, Mark formed a group with other magicians and began street performing. [6:33] - If people want to believe in it, it's mentalism. [8:09] - When working as a medium, Mark learned about people's desire for things to be true. [11:41] - Mark describes the 900 years where people could call psychics on the phone. [15:27] - After his years in the field, Mark wrote a book. [17:42] - Mark shares his experience moving over into the skeptic community. [20:20] - Scams are like magicians because it's all manipulation and performance. [24:35] - In some cases, Mark investigated people who claimed to be able to do something that genuinely believed they could. [28:14] - Don't be fooled by those who know things about you. A lot of things can be determined through observation. [29:13] - These days there are Zoom calls for sessions with psychics and they have the internet at their fingertips to search for information. [31:08] - Mark explains what a pre-show is and some of the ways to manipulate getting information ahead of time. [33:19] - What is the difference between a mentalist and a psychic? [37:28] - No matter what you know, you can still fall for things if you really want to believe them. [40:40] - Generally speaking, most Americans don't want to be told the truth, but rather be told what they want to hear. [42:44] - Manipulation is the lowest form of humanity. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Mark Edward's Website Psychic Blues by Mark Edward

After being scammed, embarrassment can prevent people from getting the help they need, but in order to destigmatize the painful mistake, more people need to report incidents and understand that it happens to even the most technically savvy. Today's guest is Rory Innes. Rory has spent his entire career in cybersecurity and has worked for leading global cybersecurity companies in a range of senior management positions. Rory spotted the huge gap in support for victims of cybercrime and online harm and created the Cyber Helpline to mobilize the cybersecurity community to step in and fill the gap. As CEO, Rory is responsible for the strategic, direction, performance, and operational effectiveness of the Cyber Helpline. Rory often provides comment and opinion for the press and has appeared on live TV and documentaries providing his expert opinion on cybercrime. Show Notes: [1:10] - Rory shares what Cyber Helpline is and his motivation to start it up. [3:26] - There are different types of cybersecurity such as commercial issues and personal concerns. [4:31] - Now, Cyber Helpline sees an average of 2,000 reports a month. [5:53] - Cyber Helpline began as a UK only organization, but they are now looking to help globally. [7:11] - Rory shares the types of things reported and the things that have been surprising over the last five years. [8:35] - In many places across the world, Covid-19 had a huge impact on the economy and the rise of scams. [10:46] - Hacked social media accounts are really common and can be really detrimental to the people in your network. [12:00] - Investment scams are also very commonly seen and you may not see the problem for a while. [14:43] - Hypervigilance from the threat of cyberstalking makes things mentally draining, scary, and creates difficulty for them to be believed. [16:36] - Rory describes the process of investigating and helping a victim through a cyberstalking case. [19:50] - Misconceptions are created and then spread wide through crime stories, social media, and crime shows or movies. [22:46] - Does changing your password and wiping your devices really help? [24:24] - When it comes to cyberstalking, it is important to remember that stalkers are obsessed. If you remove the access, you don't remove the obsession. [26:51] - The Cyber Helpline also helps educate the victim in how to spot signs of scams. [28:00] - The Cyber Helpline uses the Assistance Self-Help model. [31:30] - Service users are asked how this experience is impacting them. [32:59] - Mental health is the highest reported impact on victims, even more so than money. [35:31] - Mental health support is getting better, but is still not effective for many people who experience this. [37:32] - The demographics of the victims can tell a lot about the likelihood of them reporting something. [40:27] - Rory himself has been a victim of cybercrime and admits that he was very embarrassed by it at the time it happened. [43:41] - The hardest thing is when targeted children and teens don't feel comfortable talking about it with their parents. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest The Cyber Helpline

Scamming is a multi-billion dollar industry that is creative and evolving. The National Consumer Protection Week is geared toward education and the National Slam the Scam Day focuses specifically on government imposter scams. Today's guest is Anthony "AJ" Monaco. AJ currently serves as a special agent in charge of the major case unit at the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. His unit investigates complex fraud cases with a particular emphasis on Social Security Administration imposter scams and organized fraud rings. AJ has over 30 years of combined federal law enforcement, Marine officer, and legal experience. Show Notes: [1:00] - AJ shares his current role and what he manages at the Social Security Administration. [2:59] - The Secret Service is also a leader in financial fraud. [4:01] - Government imposter fraud is when a scammer presents themselves as a government official, specifically from the Social Security Administration. [6:04] - Scams evolve the way business evolves. Scammers take notice of human nature. [7:56] - Scammers pay great attention to everything including social media and the news. [9:09] - Sometimes these government imposter scammers will present fake credentials but real officials won't send credentials through text or email. [11:02] - Scammers have shifted back to physical mail because that is generally the way the government contacts you. [13:21] - You can report calls from phone numbers that you suspect are fraudulent. [14:26] - For any phone call or text you get, do a search online to see if there's anything that the phone number comes back as. [16:50] - If you get physical mail, there will be some minor things that could stand out as suspicious. [19:39] - Once scammers get past your initial barriers, they are easier to believe. [20:40] - The 4 P's are the "Phony Phundamentals" and they are Pretend, Problem, Pressure, and Pay. [22:01] - When it comes to the Pay step, scammers will ask for money in a way that is not standard for sending money to a real government official. [25:37] - Gift card scams seem like they wouldn't be easy to fall for, but once a scammer gets past the barrier, it is easier to convince targets. [28:01] - Purchasing and sending gift cards are almost impossible to trace. [30:09] - AJ describes a recent organized crime ring that they were successful in shutting down. [32:58] - How likely will a victim of fraud get their money back when investigated by the Social Security Administration? [36:02] - Be suspicious if someone reaches out to tell you that they will be able to get your money back. [39:40] - AJ explains what Slam the Scam Day is. [41:09] - National Consumer Protection Week is this week and Slam the Scam Day is soon! Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest National Consumer Protection Week: Slam the Scam Day

Have you ever Googled yourself to see what information is available about you? Knowing how to remove some of your private information or negate the impact of a negative review can make a big difference to your personal or professional reputation. Today's guest is Darren Dunner. Darren is a digital marketing and SEO guru with a track record of results-driven leadership. As Net Reputation's VP of Reputation Management Operations, he provides expert insight and mentorship needed to consistently prove and optimize deliverables. He helps people and companies protect and correct their online reputation. Show Notes: [1:04] - Darren shares his background and what his current role is in Reputation Management. [3:44] - If you follow their guidelines, Google can follow and understand what you are trying to accomplish. [4:53] - Online reputation for a company could be reviews, information in articles, blog posts, or videos. [6:04] - Posts without consequences in mind can be detrimental. [8:28] - Darren and Chris describe a scenario of someone needing to do damage control. [10:19] - Negative sentiments are click bait and move through Google faster. [12:09] - There's a lot more impact for public figures due to notoriety. [13:06] - Digital marketing and reputation management is surprisingly complicated. [13:58] - Reputation management takes a long time, usually at least more than a year. [15:52] - Darren lists some of the things he does to help manage reputation and how much work it really is. [17:46] - Life online means that other people find out about what is going on in your life and that could have both good and bad consequences. [19:07] - Darren's advice is to only focus on putting out positive things online. [20:01] - Searches are geo targeted so your search results will be different than someone searching the same thing in a different location. [21:44] - For a company, it is important to have enough things out there that are connected properly to Google so your page is top in searches. [24:01] - Location is important to keep in mind for potential customers or clients to search. [25:18] - Darren explains a situation with a negative piece used in email marketing that brought up a huge uproar. [27:29] - You can catch things ahead of time as long as you prepare for it. [29:14] - You can't always prepare for a bad review, but train employees and team members that things they do can be used against them and the company. [32:44] - Two factor authorization is crucial to keep your assets protected. [34:00] - No one you know will ever ask you for any authentication code. [35:07] - If you have a social media account, use it. Don't let it sit unused. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest NetReputation.com

Taking a proactive approach versus a reactive approach to cybersecurity makes a big difference for the stress levels of employees and customers. The daily conversations that take place with management can change the impact of a ransomware attack remarkably. Today's guest is Robert Anderson Jr. Robert is a national security expert, author, and business leader dedicated to helping companies improve cybersecurity and reduce business risk. As Chairman and CEO of Cyber Defense Labs, he brings decades of executive leadership and operational experience in cybersecurity, counterintelligence, economy espionage, and critical incident response. Show Notes: [0:57] - Robert describes his current role as CEO of Cyber Defense Labs and his background in the FBI. [2:14] - The plan for Robert going into cybersecurity evolved over the decades of his career as a direct result of the evolution of how crime is committed. [3:52] - Anything you can do before something bad happens is the best thing for your company. [4:42] - Once a breach happens, it goes beyond inconvenience and risk for clients. It could mean the end of a business. [7:01] - In Robert's experience, most companies have a plan but the plan hasn't been tested and doesn't hold up to an actual data breach. [9:01] - Robert describes scenarios while working in the FBI in companies choosing to pay ransoms after being hit with ransomware. [11:10] - The larger the company, the more complicated this becomes. [12:50] - Breaches have changed in recent years and now ask for millions of dollars. [14:45] - Chris and Robert recommend approaching practicing for possible breaches like fire drills. [17:03] - Robert advocates for being informed and understanding all laws when getting involved with ransomware. [18:57] - The reason why ransomware is so prevalent is it's a trillion dollar industry. Bad guys are making a lot of money. [21:26] - Hacking ability or high level hacking is not necessary to perform a breach anymore. [23:10] - Skilled hackers make even more money because they are often contracted for jobs. [24:36] - Robert believes there should be a global set of norms similar to the UN when it comes to what the world will tolerate when it comes to cybersecurity. [27:30] - The first call a company makes is not for help. It's for mitigation. [29:18] - In Robert's organization, cybersecurity is a daily conversation. [32:03] - Robert will not open a single email if he does not know who it is from. [34:10] - Logging onto public wifi can be dangerous. [35:55] - Your frontline of your company is made up of your employees. Educate them. [37:58] - You must have an internal and external communication plan. [39:31] - What are three things you can do after a breach? [42:31] - Chris gives an example of proper communication from a company that included their proactive approach and a timeline. [45:32] - Communicating with customers is important but it is equally as important to communicate with your team. [46:36] - When it comes to class action lawsuits, nowadays, even employees can sue the company. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Cyber Defense Labs Website

Scammers are creatively trying to deceive and manipulate Amazon customers by getting them to do activities outside the Amazon ecosystem through texts, emails, and phone calls. Hopefully by looking at how the top scams are implemented, we can create more awareness and prevent loss. Today's guest is Abigail Bishop. Abigail is the Head of External Relations for Scam Prevention at Amazon, where she leads the organization's outreach work to protect customers from falling victim to scams globally. Show Notes: [0:56] - Abigail shares her background and what she does at Amazon as the Head of External Relations for Scam Prevention. [2:46] - Her background was originally in Public Affairs so her path to her current role in scam prevention is non-traditional. [3:50] - There are over 12,000 employees behind the scenes at Amazon that work on scam prevention. [5:32] - Working across borders to find perpetrators is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. [6:32] - Over 50% of the scams reported to Abigail's team are order confirmation scams. [7:41] - Gift card scams continue to be common. Amazon will never ask you for payment in gift cards. [9:04] - Amazon will never ask you to install an app or allow them to access your computer. [10:30] - Verify any purchases on your Amazon account and report any malicious communication to Amazon's message center. [12:46] - If you are ever contacted about Amazon for any reason, they will be able to verify all information and you can cross verify it on your account. [14:20] - You can always reach out to Amazon's report a scam to verify any interaction you've had. [15:45] - Amazon is driven to protecting all Amazon users. [16:48] - Amazon Scam Prevention also sends out emails and information to help educate consumers on best practices. [18:01] - Abigail describes some of the steps that they have taken at Amazon to offer customers validation that any contact from them is legitimate. [19:05] - In 2022, over 20,000 phishing sites were found and shut down as well as over 10,000 phishing phone numbers. [24:01] - Current events play a role in when and how scammers approach their attacks. [25:21] - Because of the size and popularity of Amazon, they have the opportunity to act swiftly and cooperatively with other entities. [28:13] - Abigail shares what Amazon has been able to develop in cooperation with BBB and other corporations publicly. [30:30] - Amazon does have processes in place to help mitigate damage or prevent entirely data breaches. [32:41] - The scam reporting feature on Amazon is new within the last year. They rely heavily on consumers reporting for them to be able to track scams. [35:10] - Because of the volume of scam attempts, especially through text and email, many consumers don't have time or desire to report every single one and would rather delete and ignore. [37:17] - What scams should be reported or prioritized to report? [39:14] - Always check your account directly on Amazon. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Report a Scam to Amazon BBB Scam Tracker Help Identifying a Scam

We like to think that we're too smart to be taken advantage of by a scammer, but some are willing to invest a tremendous amount of time and effort for a payout. Many do not come forward because of the fear, shame, and victim-blaming, but that's not true with today's guest. Today's guest is Ayleen Charlotte. Ayleen was one of the women featured in the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler. She made a radical choice between victimhood or becoming a beacon of female empowerment. After what became five years of misery, she decided not only to tell her story, but to make a lifelong entrepreneurial dream come true. Show Notes: [1:20] - When Ayleen contacted, there were already other women victimized, but Ayleen was a big part of the Tinder Swindler's arrest. [2:49] - She had three goals that participating in the documentary helped achieve. [4:27] - Ayleen met this scammer five years ago and started a relationship with him. [5:19] - Because he claimed to have many enemies, he moved in with Ayleen and used her money and credit cards to "stay under the radar." [6:58] - The lavish lifestyle he lived made sense with the story he provided to the women he victimized. [8:15] - One indicator that something was wrong was that money given back to her in the form of a check would never go through. [9:40] - He always had an operation to start and Ayleen took several personal loans to help with these endeavors. [11:27] - He laid a foundation of trust with the small things. [13:15] - Ayleen says that in the beginning, he really made her feel special. The development of the relationship was going well and very believable. [14:18] - There is a big difference between this situation and other types of fraud, as there was a real relationship built. [16:15] - The Tinder Swindler used the same stories over and over again with every victim. [17:08] - Even when he had "interactions" with enemies, he would show up with real injuries. [18:15] - Some of the people on his team did not know they were part of this, although Ayleen says his bodyguard and his right-hand were aware. [19:51] - An article was released about him and Ayleen saw it and immediately knew. [21:18] - Ayleen lists some of the reasons he gave for the article being released. In this instance, Ayleen trusted the article over him. [22:43] - When he continued to ask for money, Ayleen was in contact with the police. She wound up tricking him and, in a way, taking some of her money back. [25:58] - If Ayleen didn't give him money, he made it clear that she would be in danger from his enemies. [27:18] - If someone is asking you for money and trying to push you, take a step back, shut down your phone, and think about it for a few days. [28:38] - Over time, Ayleen saw a change in character, especially when she stopped sending him money. [30:44] - The Tinder Swindler started his fraud schemes at the age of 15 and did not only target women. He swindled men as well as organizations and charities. [32:26] - He is not able to get a real job or career at this point. This is the only thing he can do and he will continue. He is still out there, living in Israel. [33:50] - The documentary has helped in slowing his scam. [35:39] - Ayleen's trust of other people has not been impacted. She knows that she has experienced the worst already. [37:29] - Ayleen says the best thing you can do in a situation like this is to talk about it. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest

Pending legislation mandating cybersecurity representation at the top levels of an organization in a relatively young field and understanding that field are testing the bounds of practical cybersecurity leadership. Today's guests are Richard Brinson and Rachel Briggs. Richard is an experienced executive, board advisor, and global top 100 Chief Informations Security Officer. He has been providing strategic guidance to many of the world's largest global organizations for over 20 years with core expertise in cybersecurity, technology infrastructure, and enterprise architecture. Richard leads Savanti's cybersecurity practice, helping large organizations to transform and modernize their security functions for the digital age. Rachel is a leading expert on security and has advised governments and multinational corporations on security, resilience, terrorism, and responses to extremism. She is an Executive Advisor with Savanti and founder and CEO of The Clarity Factory, which provides and arranges services to its clients including research, consultancy, and thought leadership. Show Notes: [1:35] - Richard shares his background and what Savanti is known for. [2:30] - Rachel works with Richard and his team on thought leadership products. [4:01] - Organizations reach out to Savanti and don't know if what they are doing is right or wrong. SISOs seemed to be coming and going. [5:35] - There were 6 key factors that were causing this churn in the industry. [6:50] - The supply in demand problem for cybersecurity leaders is one issue in retaining professionals as SISOs. [8:45] - For every three years, a company is really only moving forward one. [10:05] - Rachel shares data that shows the importance of strong cybersecurity and leadership that does it right. [12:37] - It's not just about security. It's actually part of a good business model now. [14:03] - When cybersecurity isn't a part of leadership, the board's understanding creates a problem with delegating and solving problems. [15:20] - Richard is a board advisor on many organizational boards to help with this lack of understanding. [16:48] - There are fewer than 100 SISOs with effective boardroom expertise. [18:02] - When speaking with SISOs and others in leadership, things are lost in translation. [20:28] - We tend to just expect people to be good communicators but it is a skill that needs to be trained. [21:43] - There are leadership training companies that organizations can work with to coach a leadership team. [23:30] - SISOs can and should be taught to communicate effectively in the boardroom and that should be something the organization provides. [25:20] - There is pending legislation that will mandate the requirement of cybersecurity in leadership, but Richard shares some possible problems. [27:04] - Savanti helps demystify this problem with communication. [28:42] - For smaller companies who cannot afford a full time SISO, fractional SISO roles that are usually virtual are offered by Savanti. [31:18] - If an incoming SISO does not have the support of the board, they cannot be effective or successful. [32:50] - The turnover rate for this role is quite high. [34:02] - Companies who aren't willing to implement recommendations or bring in a qualified SISO leads to a number of costs and risks. [36:02] - Changing SISOs so often is destabilizing. [37:35] - With solid security, a company can take more business risks safely. [40:03] - Regulations can be helpful but not helpful in many ways. [41:52] - If you are considering a role as a SISO in leadership, round yourself off as a business leader with effective communication skills. [43:53] - You can read the recent report that Richard describes by clicking here. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest The Future of Cyber Security Leadership Series Savanti Website Richard Brinson on LinkedIn Rachel Briggs on LinkedIn

Millions have been impacted by data breaches. Many of us know how fraudsters work and how they utilize this information. But our parents and children become victims because of their fear or urgency inflicted by the scammers. Today's guest is Mike Cook. Mike is an entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience working and serving in the financial services, wireless, cable/satellite, and auto financial industries. He has built several data breach applications in compliance, manual verification, and account management solutions. Show Notes: [0:56] - Mike shares his background and what he currently does. [2:10] - When Mike talked to a fraudster who stole cars, he immediately became interested in fraud and scams. [3:47] - Mike's daughter was a victim of a scam and lost a lot of money, but the biggest impact was how fearful she was. [6:20] - In years past, fraud was easier to stop, but now everyone's data is available somewhere online. [8:04] - Once data is breached, that information can be copied and sold over and over again. [9:30] - What is a citizen fraudster? [11:01] - Lenders and consumers are both heavily impacted by data breaches. [12:31] - As a consumer, you need to listen to every word. If it sounds too good to be true or too scary and urgent, it's a scam. [14:08] - It is so easy to click on things without thinking about it. [15:19] - Don't ever feel bad about choosing not to give someone information. [16:57] - When the economy goes down, fraud goes up. [18:55] - Fraud has never been harder to stop, has never been smarter, never been swifter to change patterns. It is on fire right now. [20:04] - Covid resulted in everyone moving to remote working, learning, and everything being online. It expedited the growth in fraud. [21:22] - Fraud is easier to commit online in a faceless environment. [23:46] - Mike is optimistic about upcoming policy changes. [25:18] - What is synthetic fraud and what are the impacts for consumers? [26:44] - There are ways to create a false identity to get through defenses and commit fraud. [28:21] - Synthetic fraud can get through but isn't as hard to stop. [29:42] - Stopping fraud for consumers is a huge balancing act for organizations. [31:47] - Chris shares a story that shows the work that banks are doing to help mitigate fraud. [34:06] - We are going to see a lot more confirmation from organizations, especially financial institutions, to be sure you are not being scammed. [37:19] - There are several things we can do to make sure our kids don't experience credit fraud by way of someone using randomly generated numbers. [40:21] - There are definitely other legislation needed to protect people from theft and fraud. [42:08] - Things that are being done in credit repair need to change in order to protect people. [43:58] - The government and the industry work together. [45:21] - Over time, fraud trends change. They follow whatever the fastest way to take money is. [46:19] - Synthetic fraud is unique in that all of it is completely fake. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Mike Cook on LinkedIn Socure Website

With AI having the ability to search the internet and write a paper, create an image, or even a video having someone say what they didn't say, we can no longer use the phrase that seeing is believing. Today's guest is Peter Sisson. As a serial entrepreneur with a master's in AI from Stanford, Peter is working to fight fake news, fake reviews, and fake products. Misinformation and polarization have exploded since Peter began his career in Silicon Valley more than 20 years ago and his latest company CertifyIt offers an app that can help stop it. Show Notes: [1:08] - Peter shares his background in AI and as a serial entrepreneur. [3:01] - We believe what we see and it is already getting hard to determine what is real. [4:38] - The biggest concern is faking videos and faking images is already happening. [6:04] - The technology isn't there yet and usually you can tell when an image or video is fabricated. [7:55] - AI has been trained by the entire internet. AI can write anything you want it to, but none of it is original. [9:18] - AI doesn't actually know anything. It uses what is already available to learn patterns. Peter explains how it works. [11:25] - There are a lot of ethical concerns about using AI to create content. [12:51] - News providers use CertifyIt to know that content they release is accurate before they break fake news. [14:08] - Peter shares the story of CNN breaking news that wasn't true but really appeared to be accurate. [16:16] - How does CertifyIt use metadata to confirm accuracy? [18:07] - Chris and Peter discuss some examples of how people need to use CertifyIt, which is a public benefit corporation. [21:01] - It is a simple concept, but it works and is a viable solution to ensure content is accurate. [22:25] - The sooner the video is determined to be true, it is news that can be broken faster. [23:46] - Fake reviews are a big problem right now where people are even hired to write them for companies or products. [26:21] - Certified location videos could be beneficial for certain products or services. [27:50] - A third party like CertifyIt is necessary as people won't believe the vetting if it's done by the news organization. [30:16] - You can trick people's brains pretty easily as we are designed to believe what we see. This is especially easy if the viewer is tired or distracted. [31:50] - The more people get fooled, the more they will need a tool to vet the accuracy of a video they view. [33:29] - There will be false positives and false negatives as the technology gets better and better. [35:54] - The things that AI can create are truly very cool and can be entertaining, but the way people use it will change and probably not for the greater good. [38:21] - It will be possible to create alternate realities that are very convincing. [39:23] - It will probably take something major happening to bring this problem to light for the general public. [41:03] - The CertifyIt app can be used in a multitude of ways to provide a sense of confidence that the content you are viewing is true. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest CertifyIt Website CertifyIt on Apple App Store

Thank you for tuning in to our 150th episode! I started the Easy Prey Podcast with the goal of helping listeners learn to avoid being an easy target for scammers and fraudsters, both online and in the real world. Since the first episode on March 18, 2020, I've had the honor of interviewing some of the most influential people in their fields. We've talked about topics ranging from personal safety, self-defense, social engineering, and romance scams, to phishing, cybercrime, and everything in between. This episode is a slightly different format than normal. We've had some amazing guests on the show over the last 149 episodes. Today, I'm sharing highlights from our top 10 episodes! In this highlight episode, you'll hear clips from: Narcissist Specialist, Dr. Ramani Durvasula Romance and Scam Survivor, Debby Montgomery Johnson Trust and Safety Architect, Jane Lee Programmer, John McAfee Author and UnMarketing Specialist, Scott Stratten People Hacker, Jenny Radcliff Former Cybercriminal, Brett Johnson Author and Gaslighting Expert, Dr. Deborah Vinall Former FBI Negotiator, Chris Voss Tech Pioneer and Podcast Host, Steve Gibson Show Notes: [1:50] - Dr. Ramini Durvasula is an expert in understanding Narcissism. She shares the shocking traits of narcissists and you may realize you know a few. Click HERE for the full episode with Dr. Ramini Durvasula. [9:49] - Debby Montgomery Johnson was a victim of an online dating scam. She shares how she was drawn in and what red flags you should look out for. Click HERE for the full episode with Debby Montgomery Johnson. [16:31] - Jane Lee went undercover to learn about the new online dating scam known as Pig Butchering. She explains how Pig Butchering works and what to look out for. Click HERE for the full episode with Jane Lee. [23:34] - John McAfee worked hard to stay hidden while he was on the run from the US government. He shares the unexpected costs of privacy. Click HERE for the full episode with John McAfee. [30:29] - As a former salesman, Scott Stratten knows that people can see through sketchy sales techniques. He talks about the advantage of doing business with people you know, like, and trust. Click HERE for the full episode with Scott Stratten. [36:37] - Hacking isn't just for computers. Jenny Radcliff's hacking specialty is hacking people. She shares how people can be manipulated and how your business or family can be compromised. Click HERE for the full episode with Jenny Radcliff. [45:41] - As a renowned cybercriminal, Brett Johnson helped define cybercrime as we know it. He now uses his experience to protect people from the type of person he used to be. Click HERE for the full episode with Brett Johnson. [52:01] - Gaslighting is a term that many of us have heard but not all of us know how to recognize. Dr. Deborah Vinall explains what it is and what to do when it happens to you. Click HERE for the full episode with Dr. Deborah Vinall. [57:16] - As a former international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, Chris Voss has plenty of experience with high-stakes negotiations. He shares his tips for the negotiations we face each and every day. Click HERE for the full episode with Chris Voss. [64:09] - Steve Gibson has been working on computers since before the internet existed. He shares how the internet was not designed with security in mind and what kind of online security we can hope for in the future. Click HERE for the full episode with Steve Gibson. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest

Many people are comfortable sharing data in an environment that they believe to be a safe space. But not everyone considers where that health data goes after it has been collected. Today's guest is Katie Lips. Katie is an author and entrepreneur who helps consumers to understand the value of their data and protect themselves online. She is currently creating a data-centric health app with her extensive experience. Show Notes: [0:51] - Katie shares her broad and diverse career in technology. [2:06] - The growth of the internet has changed exponentially since its inception. [4:04] - Covid opened up everyone's eyes on how useful data is in the health space. [5:16] - For many, sharing health data during the pandemic made them nervous. [6:19] - Many of us have health tracking apps and devices that collect an enormous amount of data. [7:57] - Sharing data means that it could land in the hands of companies that you may not want to have so much information on you. [8:43] - Consider who will see your data as it can paint a picture of who you are and your life. [10:00] - Fitness trackers use a GPS which is a great tool for runners, but Chris shares an example of how it puts military personnel at risk. [12:29] - If you share health data online, like on social media, it is considered personal data and isn't strictly governed. [14:05] - Some companies may use social media to determine how healthy someone is. [15:36] - The truth is, we don't know who can take that data and use what they want. [17:01] - Chris and Katie discuss an example of unintended consequences of using health tracker apps. [19:50] - What is a data play? [21:23] - Some data is best preserved as saved on a device rather than online. [22:52] - It's important to consider what data would be accessed in a breach as a consumer and a business owner. [24:14] - The possibility of data being sold to health insurance companies is a scary concept. [25:47] - There is a difference between sick care and health care and this space has changed in recent years. [27:37] - Can your health choices be held against you with your health provider? [29:44] - Chris describes an insurance company incentivizing healthier choices. [31:56] - Companies need to be more upfront on what the data shared will be used for. Chris and Katie believe that is something that will become more common. [34:30] - Katie describes her startup and health journey. [37:07] - Something can be data driven, but doesn't collect a lot of unnecessary data. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Eatiful Website Katie Lips Website Katie Lips on Instagram Katie Lips on LinkedIn

Virtual networks with anonymous accounts allow cybercrime gangs the ability to work together without even knowing who they work with. This could be how the good guys infiltrate these networks. Today's guest is Peter Taylor. Peter is a former police detective and Director of Fraud Management for major UK companies. Ten years ago he set up his own consultancy and has established a reputation as "The Fraud Guy" specializing in research, training, and investigation around organized crime. Show Notes: [0:50] - Peter shares his background and why he's known as The Fraud Guy. [2:10] - Throughout his career, Peter spoke with former cybercriminals and hackers. [3:51] - Cybercriminals are applying advanced business techniques to their organizations. [5:40] - What gets ignored is what cybercriminals and former criminals can tell us. [6:46] - We know that cybercriminals can watch what we're doing, but what we don't think about is that we can do the same to them. [8:49] - The first function of these organized cybercrime gangs is to steal data. Next is to buy and enhance the data. And the third is to cash out. [10:50] - There are some exceptions to the rule. [11:50] - The purpose of creating false identities has changed over the years. [13:53] - The biggest advantage that cybercriminals have is they get things done, while the good guys abide by time-consuming policies. [15:14] - Peter feels like the "good guys" need advice on how to help this problematic trend. [16:28] - The more sophisticated areas of cybercrime, the more elitist are actually a small portion. The largest portion of cybercrime is actually several years old. [20:11] - Peter shares an example of how organized cybercrime has impacted corporations as well and the rise of check fraud. [23:07] - The common Nigerian prince scam still works! [25:13] - Guilt and fear are commonly triggered emotions. [27:03] - Another reason the Nigerian prince scam works is the trigger of a victim's ego. [28:36] - The use of bots and automated messaging can hit so many people at one time with very little effort. [29:50] - Talk to the people who are important to you that may not be aware of these scams. Just because we know it, doesn't mean they do. [30:56] - Millennials are now the highest target age bracket of those being targeted by scams. [32:40] - Cybercriminals reach a point of success where it's no longer about the money. It's about their ego. [36:00] - We have to understand the difference in lifestyle and how cybercriminals recruit more people. [37:43] - There is little to no support for scam victims and in many countries there are no laws stating that this is even illegal. [40:18] - What role does machine learning play? [43:01] - Peter shares some experiences in changing up his spending habits. [45:12] - There are many different types of ways to access data that Peter lists here. [46:52] - There is a lot more going on before, during, and after every single transaction, especially those done online. [48:59] - Peter initially got into fraud because of an increase in the apparent theft of thousands of vehicles. [50:20] - Insurance fraud is also a very common problem. [52:53] - Obligatory security is a form of protection that could be a solution to many problems. [54:08] - Peter is optimistic about the future of cybersecurity. [55:35] - If we can decrease the money taken by cybercriminals through fraud, the money can be used for better things. [57:56] - There are some varying opinions on the politics of scams. [59:49] - Many scammers are in the industry out of desperation. [61:35] - We can't continue to be in a world where this industry grows. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Peter Taylor The Fraud Guy on LinkedIn

We understand that hackers look for weaknesses in networks to manipulate or take data, but understanding the ways that vehicles can also be accessed either remotely or physically can be a bit surprising. Today's guest is Derrick Thiecke. Derrick works as an Embedded Systems Security Tester in the automotive industry where he found himself after spending over a decade in the corporate IT world. When Derrick isn't data dumping ROM chips, scouring through vehicle log data, or fuzzing CAN networks, he can be found as a brief blur passing by you on the highway. Show Notes: [0:58] - Derrick shares his background and current role as a security tester for automotive controllers and devices. [3:30] - There are differences between vehicle networks and home networks. The main network for vehicles is CAN bus. [5:12] - Because it is a bussed network, Derrick explains how all devices on the network can access all the data. [6:50] - Previously, you had to have physical access to hack a car, but not anymore. [8:19] - Derrick describes how his own vehicle accesses data on a network. [9:56] - The implementation of standards has changed the way vehicles are serviced. [11:18] - Safety critical features are isolated, but some things can still be accessed that can be harmful. [12:29] - There was an event in 2015 where a parking feature was hacked while the vehicle was in motion. [13:59] - There are ways to communicate with and change the fuel mapping over CAN bus, but there is usually a physical component required. [16:07] - Derrick describes a scenario that creates a potential threat. [19:04] - The automotive industry typically sits about a decade behind in technology. [21:24] - Derrick lists some of the features in a vehicle that are connected to a network. [23:18] - The number of vehicle recalls due to software issues has increased since 2015, but the issues aren't growing. [25:01] - Movies depict vehicle hacking as possible disasters. Derrick shares his concerns. [26:44] - When ransomware became a problem, we had the same questions. The threat for the worst case scenario is plausible. [28:31] - Derrick describes the most concerning problem he has experienced as a tester. [30:59] - Different cars all use the same controllers, even those without the same features. [32:26] - There are devices that can unlock vehicles without the key or keyfob. [34:18] - When there is an issue with a computer, typically there is an update to solve it. That currently isn't the case for most vehicles. [35:41] - There are some updates that can happen remotely, but the catch-22 is that the wireless connection makes the vehicle susceptible to threats. [37:02] - There is a huge shortage of workforce in this industry. [38:41] - Derrick recommends the book The Car Hacker's Handbook if you are interested in this field. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Derrick Thiecke on Twitter Email Derrick Thiecke The Car Hacker's Handbook by Craig Smith

Scammers are brilliant at targeting the vulnerable and then often using the fear of exposure to extort even more out of them. Education about these manipulators isn't enough. Can we do more to make a global impact knowing that less than 0.1% of scammers are ever prosecuted? Today's guest is Jorij Abraham. Jorij Abraham is the Managing Director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance with a mission of preventing consumers worldwide from getting scammed. He is also the General Manager at ScamAdvisor.com, the global blacklist for malicious websites. In addition, Jorij is an ecommerce professor at University of Applied Sciences TIO. Show Notes: [1:01] - Jorij shares his current roles and background in the field. [2:27] - He fell into ScamAdvisor when working in ecommerce. [3:42] - Scammers are remarkably smart when it comes to marketing fake sites. [5:12] - Subscription scams are specifically successful in getting quite a lot of money from victims. [6:18] - Scammers tend to take advantage of current events such as the energy crisis and abortion and then extort their fear of exposure. [7:26] - ScamAdvisor.com sees over 4 million visitors per month and they are from all over the world. [8:24] - In most countries, victims of scams are unable to get any help. [9:49] - Jorij explains how the laws work regarding scammers and the pitfalls of the process. [11:40] - It's important to educate consumers, but there's only so much that can be learned. [12:56] - The tips and tricks that helped just a few months ago are already not working all the time. [14:33] - Jorij describes a Ponzi scheme that took down the government in Albania. [16:10] - One little bump in supply and demand has drastic ripple effects. [17:32] - Scams are not simple anymore. The marketing power is extremely impactful and mostly successful. [19:11] - Even in the Netherlands, FBI phone scams are successful. [21:00] - Jorij predicts that legislation will be necessary. [22:10] - Awareness is good, but consumers need more protection. [23:35] - Phishing scams are created to filter out specific groups of people. [24:37] - Jorij shares his thoughts on retraining scammers to do good, especially since they are skilled hackers. [26:34] - How can we reduce scams? [27:41] - The Global Anti-Scam Alliance is a networking organization with the goal of pushing everyone together to define new ways to combat scams. [29:17] - Jorij describes the changes coming to ScamAdvisor. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Jorij Abraham on LinkedIn ScamAdvisor.com Global Anti-Scam Alliance

Utilizing hacking skills cannot only make it easier to work with management, but helps translate technical information for non-technical staff. Today's guest is Alyssa Miller. Alyssa is a lifelong hacker and cybersecurity leader. She is the CISO for Epiq Global and has over 16 years experience in security. She is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and researcher. She has also been featured in Tribe of Hackers blue team, Cybercrime magazine, and many other media. Show Notes: [1:06] - Alyssa has always been a hacker and shares the beginning of her journey. [3:01] - She saved up her money in the late 80s to buy her first computer. [5:04] - When she received discs for internet and couldn't pay for it as a 12 year old, she learned how to hack into the internet provider. [7:11] - Alyssa got her first full time job in tech at 19 years old and then began her career in cybersecurity. [9:24] - After working as a consultant for a while, she worked for a Wall Street Firm. [11:09] - Alyssa explains how she serendipitously fell into her current role as a CISO. [13:41] - In management, Alyssa believes that the ability to translate technical terms to non-technical staff is a requirement for management positions. [16:12] - Hackers want to know how things work and how to make them work differently. [17:47] - CISO is a role that hasn't existed for a long time. [19:13] - Because it is a relatively new role, how is knowledge built for people coming into that role? [21:10] - Technology and security have always been connected. [23:16] - Risk management is an important part of what Alyssa does. [25:56] - Alyssa demonstrates how she communicates risk to business leaders. [27:59] - In her current CISO position, she is pulled away from the tech part of things. She likes looking at the bigger picture. [29:58] - Misinformation is the main concern for the future in security. [32:18] - Privacy concerns will spill into the cybersecurity realm as well. [33:37] - The line between physical and digital gets increasingly blurred. [34:53] - Kids growing up in this digital world need to learn how to be safe online. [37:01] - How will the next generation operate in regards to cybersecurity? [39:50] - Colleges need to be focusing on concepts, rather than actual programs. [41:52] - There are amazing graduate programs, but there are professionals who are incredible as self-taught. [43:42] - This is a hot industry but not everyone is cut out for the skills needed to be right for the job. [45:20] - In Alyssa's book, there are activities that help those seeking employment in cybersecurity. [46:56] - Her book is available online and in retailers. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Cybersecurity Career Guide by Alyssa Miller Alyssa Miller on Twitter Alyssa Miller Website

Online dating has become more complicated than ever. Learning how to verify that the person you're talking to is actually the person in the dating profile can save you from heartbreak and financial loss. Today's guests are Kathy Waters and Bryan Denny. Kathy Waters is an expert advocate and an educator on the subject of online romance scams. Kathy is co-founder, along with retired Colonel Bryan Denny, of the non-profit organization Advocating Against Romance Scammers. Both have been working for safer platforms since 2016 with the same goals in mind: justice for victims and educating all online of the cybercrime known to tear people down emotionally, psychologically, and financially. Show Notes: [1:18] - Bryan shares his experience with someone using his name and images in fake profiles. [3:00] - Kathy's mother's friend was a victim of a romance scam that used Bryan's photos. [4:36] - AARS became a non-profit last year and works to educate not only users, but lawmakers, too. [6:01] - Dating profiles of someone in military uniform is a red flag. [7:41] - There are many red flags to look for and there will often be more than one indicator. [8:50] - Ask a friend in the military about an unusual profile or reach out to Kathy and Bryan. [10:23] - It's tough to get people to report these interactions. [11:40] - Prior to Covid, the demographic was more elderly aged people. But a younger crowd has been affected since Covid. [13:22] - Younger people are more likely to come forward and talk about their experiences than an older demographic. [14:41] - It is also therapeutic to come forward and talk about it. [16:07] - Scammers tend to have a similar story, working out of the country. [17:51] - Bryan shares that he continues to receive messages about his photo circulating on fake profiles and the stories are all very similar. [20:07] - Bryan explains how scammers manipulate videos to pretend to be interacting on video calls. [22:23] - If you're concerned about interacting with someone through video calls, you can ask them to do something like touch their head or look a certain way. [24:01] - What do you do if you know you are interacting with a scammer? [26:04] - Scammers share where they have had success with other scammers. [27:43] - If you are watching this happen to someone else, there are ways to approach it with them. Outsiders tend to see the red flags sooner. [28:54] - Unfortunately, they may not believe you. Try to educate them on red flags. [29:46] - There are support groups for helping manage the emotional toll this takes on a victim. [32:09] - What laws are in place for this? [33:19] - Scammers are typically in another country. They are hard to go after legally because they are not in the United States. [34:49] - On their website, there are commonly used photos in fake profiles and ways to report a scam. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Advocating Against Romance Scammers (AARS) Website

Every time you pay a bill, data is sent to a credit reporting agency. Errors can be made. It's important to know where to look to see if your credit information is correct, stolen, or purchased. Today's guest is Steve Baker. Steve is chairman of the Privacy Rights Institute. He is a lawyer and previously served as a leader at the FTC for over 27 years addressing consumer fraud in areas like telemarketing and spamming. Steve now writes The Baker Fraud Report, a free weekly newsletter covering consumer fraud from around the world. Show Notes: [1:08] - Steve shares what he currently does with The Baker Fraud Report and his career background. [2:46] - In the field of consumer fraud, there is always something to learn. [3:27] - The Privacy Rights Institute is meant to educate people on their rights regarding credit reporting. [5:02] - With tons of pieces of data, errors can occur. [6:05] - Steve shares some of the people who can pull your credit report. [7:34] - One error happens when people with the same name get mixed up. [9:04] - Steve explains how the system is supposed to work. [11:07] - Unfortunately the credit reporting agencies have poor customer service. [12:54] - Credit reports can also be pulled by employees and associates at places like car dealerships. There's no stopping them from searching anyone. [13:40] - Data breaches are also a concern and can lead to identity theft. [15:27] - The Los Angeles school district recently experienced a data breach through ransomware. [17:25] - There are some alternatives that are starting to come out for security. [18:56] - With the increase in people changing jobs and the economy in its current state, credit reports are being pulled more frequently at the moment. [21:09] - You can get a copy of your credit report once a year. Do this at AnnualCreditReport.com. [22:26] - If you see an error, reporting it to one agency is good. Keep an eye on your credit card bills. [24:24] - Scammers have also been known to alter recordings of your voice on the phone. [26:04] - If you see an unusual charge, don't try to locate or contact the person who made the charge. [27:48] - Currently, the best way for scammers to get your money is through cryptocurrency. [29:07] - Immigrants are particularly hit hard by scammers and credit report confusion. [31:01] - Keep an eye on your credit reports and periodically check for errors. [32:06] - Steve explains how credit repair works and what to look for. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest AnnualCreditReport.com Baker Fraud Report

Consumer Reports is known for the research and comparisons of products and services, but they also offer a free personalized security and privacy planner. Today's guest is Amira Dhalla. Amira is the Director of Impact Partnerships and Programs at Consumer Reports focusing on digital privacy and security. Amira works on projects that improve the cybersecurity and privacy products and tools on the marketplace while also tackling topics like discriminatory technologies, deceptive design, trust, and safety. Show Notes: [0:57] - Amira shares her background and her role at Consumer Reports. [3:10] - The internet is incredible, but the quality isn't always what it should be. [4:26] - Technology has expanded at an unprecedented rate. [6:14] - Amira explains some of the fears that people had in different countries when learning about internet use. [7:21] - Security Planner has been around for a long time and Consumer Reports brought it into their toolset a few years ago. [9:29] - Constant updates as technology changes and trends emerge is crucial. [11:19] - Consumer Reports studies tools people use. MFA is becoming much more commonly used. [12:30] - MFA is also required by many organizations for their employees. [13:40] - Password managers are not trending as more commonly used. [14:14] - Amira shares Consumer Report's picks for password managers and VPNs. [16:12] - Online shopping has increased since the pandemic and is prime time for scammers. [17:31] - There are ways to be smarter online shoppers. [19:45] - What is a Grinchbot? [20:59] - Once you go to a third party site, you are no longer secure. [23:07] - Amira describes some of the things to look for to determine if you are looking at a fake site. [25:20] - Question yourself on why a site needs the information they are asking for. [27:54] - Charity scams are a huge problem particularly during the holiday season. [29:10] - Always go to the site you know directly. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Security Planner

Criminals and trained to hone in on people who are vulnerable. Listen on to learn how you can protect the people you care about and what signs to look out for. Today's guest is Louise Baxter. Lou graduated with a law degree and worked for Sussex Trading Standards. She took over as the chair of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's consumer power alliance and is the CTSI's lead officer of education. She got frustrated by the system in relation to support of scam victims and started what is now the National Trading Standard Scams Teams, and she was awarded an MBE for protecting vulnerable consumers from financial abuse. Show Notes: [1:10] - Lou shares her background and why she was driven to be more proactive. [3:05] - Her team deals with specific types of scams. [5:19] - If you respond to one letter scam, your details get passed around to more. [6:54] - There are times of mental health challenges that make you vulnerable, such as grief and high stress. [8:40] - There are different types of vulnerabilities and you could experience several at once. [10:51] - There are mental health impacts when learning that you've been a victim of a scam. [12:35] - Scams are only reported between 5 and 15% of the time. [14:48] - Even Louise has been affected by situational vulnerability. [16:01] - Louise describes the way a lottery scam increases their web of victims. [18:49] - What support is available for scam victims? [20:35] - Louise shares the types of responses her team receives when they reach out to scam victims. [23:00] - Situational vulnerability creates opportunity for scammers to make their message more believable. [25:35] - At the start of Covid-19, vulnerabilities were at an all time high. [27:13] - Criminals can target constantly. [28:38] - One million people have completed the training Louise's company offers. [30:19] - As a society, we need to begin supporting victims rather than shaming them. [32:50] - Scams and fraud are forms of emotional abuse. [34:12] - Lou compares the tactics used by scammers to domestic emotional abuse. [35:41] - Louise explains that most criminals are not in the same country as their targets. [37:35] - There has been some valuable international work that's been done, but every country operates a bit differently in their standards. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest

Once a data breach has taken place, your data can be sold and resold and resold again. It's important to know how to proactively protect your personal information. Today's guest is Kevin Roundy. Dr. Roundy received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin where he developed tools by which malware can be analyzed both with detailed statistical analysis techniques and dynamic instrumentation. He has collaboratively developed threat detection tools and has offered several research publications and patents. He also has a background in machine learning and database systems. Show Notes: [0:56] - Kevin shares his current role and why he has become passionate about keeping people safe from scammers. [2:45] - Oftentimes, scammers take advantage of current events and news stories. [4:02] - Student loan forgiveness is a recent trend in scams as it is a current focus in the US. [5:06] - Don't click the ads that pop up at the top of your search as scammers will pay money to have their ad placed there. [6:01] - Kevin shares the common things scammers will say to target those looking for student loan forgiveness. [7:20] - Scammers can also just take your information and use it to claim unemployment. [8:50] - Kevin shares some things to help protect your social security number. [11:47] - There are great opportunities to protect yourself and get to these things before someone else does. [12:44] - If a company is breached and they lose your information, they are legally required to notify you so keep your contact information updated. [13:50] - We do not have the best practices with passwords. [15:06] - It's not possible to have unique passwords that you can memorize. [16:56] - Dark web monitoring is very effective and fast. [17:50] - There are times in the past when your information could have hit the dark web before anyone knew there was a breach. [19:24] - The price of things on the dark web may indicate the level of security your account has. [22:22] - It's annoying to have to work with two factor authentication, but it is worth it. [24:38] - How do we have conversations with family members to educate them without sounding demeaning? [26:58] - When it comes to having conversations with children, the earlier the better. [31:43] - It's important to keep lines of communication open with your kids about security and privacy. [33:23] - When it comes to having a phone, Kevin has guidelines for his kids. [35:40] - Once you put something out there, it's out there forever. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest

Online predators can pretend to be anyone, any age, anywhere. We need to educate and empower our children to stay safe on their devices and not become victims. Today's guest is Titania Jordan. Titania is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parent Officer at Bark Technologies, an online safety company that helps keep kids safe online and in real life. Titania has contributed pieces to the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Fox Business, Daily Mail, USA Today, Vogue, and more. Her first book Parenting in a Tech World was published in 2020 and quickly became a best seller on Amazon. She was also featured in the 2020 documentary Childhood 2.0. She frequently appears as a subject matter expert on nationally broadcast programs such as Today Show, Steve Harvey, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and many others. Show Notes: [1:14] - Titania shares her background and why she was drawn to her field. [3:07] - In her history, Titania has many childhood traumas and wants to help protect others. [5:18] - Kids have access to everything that's good but also everything that is bad and parents did not have that experience in their own childhood. [7:41] - Kids are being exposed to everything more frequently and at a younger age than ever in history. [9:50] - Parents can feel helpless because there is a fine line between controlling what their children access online and giving them the freedom to use it. [11:37] - The frequency in which negative experiences online happen to children is much higher than you think. [13:09] - Be aware of how you model technology use and talk about "tricky" people. [15:07] - It can happen anywhere, not just in social media apps. [16:21] - Titania shares some of the issues that can arise depending on the age and abilities of a child. [17:29] - There are some apps that appear as something other than what they actually are. [19:34] - Predators can be seemingly upstanding and moral people and some can also be people you know personally. [21:39] - Kid slang changes all the time and could mean something you aren't aware of. They are designed to overcome algorithms. [23:21] - Titania created a Facebook group about parenting in a tech world. [24:25] - Titania lists some of the things Bark tracks to keep kids safer online. [25:50] - It's not about keeping technology away from your child, but to go on the journey with them. [27:40] - Titania explains some of the things she talks to her son about regarding privacy [30:17] - When it comes to sharing photos of your child on social media, consider the reason you are doing so and who can see it. [33:00] - Bark is a tool, but does not replace conversations and education. [35:47] - Titania shares some of the feedback from parents who have used Bark. [38:49] - Become familiar with parental controls on all the connected devices in your home. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Bark.us Parenting in a Tech World Facebook Group Parenting in a Tech World by Titania Jordan

Taking online quizzes can be fun and entertaining. Clicking on links in emails and DMs is just plain convenient. Unfortunately, both of these can put your identity at risk for theft. Today's guest is Patrick Glennon. Patrick has over 20 years of experience in banking and consumer identity protection with roles at companies including JP Morgan Chase, Core Logic, Arthur Anderson, and eBates. He has built software and infrastructure teams from the ground up, managed not only data center cloud migrations, but also managed transitions from legacy to modern engineering standards. Show Notes: [0:55] - Patrick shares his background and his current role at IdentityIQ. [2:15] - We are putting more and more of our personal information online. [4:06] - Credit card numbers can be used for more than purchasing things with your funds. [6:06] - There is a wide variety of ways people can use your identity and every day there seem to be new ones. [8:06] - When something happens once, the same information can be used across platforms and accounts. [9:26] - Online quizzes can be used in surprising ways. [10:52] - There is some organization to the ways scammers take information. [14:56] - There's nothing we can do to prevent people from trying. But there are many things we can do to help prevent them from being successful. [16:08] - Mix it up and use different security questions on different sites. [17:48] - Don't click on links in emails or texts. [19:09] - Shred personal mail and credit card offers from the mail. [21:44] - Your information is probably out there. [23:12] - There are so many ways people can get information and then have full access to tons of things. [24:47] - If one thing is compromised, assume that everything is and take the steps to stop access. [26:54] - Depending on what happens, it could take weeks or even months to have this resolved. [28:57] - Time is a big loss for many victims, but there is also an emotional toll. [30:53] - Move to authenticator apps rather than text message two factor authentication. [32:12] - Young people will have a harder time recovering from identity theft. [33:13] - You don't just want to be educated for your sake. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest IdentityIQ Website IdentityIQ Facebook IdentityIQ on Instagram