What The Fraud?

"What happens when an attacker gains control of your AI agent and the outside world believes everything it does... is you?"AI agents are already booking travel, managing calendars, and handling day-to-day tasks for millions of people. But as they gain access to our accounts, finances, and personal data, a new question emerges: how do you tell a legitimate agent from a hijacked one?Our guest this week is Mick Amelishko, AI advocate and Senior Engineering Manager at Sumsub, who lives at the intersection of AI development and fraud risk every single day. Mick breaks down what AI agents actually are, why they're so powerful, and why that power makes them an increasingly attractive target for bad actors.From compromised personal assistants and prompt injection attacks to the emerging concept of Know Your Agent (KYA), this conversation explores what happens when automation becomes indistinguishable from real user behaviour. We look at how fraudsters can weaponise agent access to drain accounts, impersonate users, and cause damage across multiple platforms, and what businesses and individuals can do about it.Sumsub's Website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukMick Amelishko on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amelishko Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What happens when a fraudster doesn’t steal an identity… but builds one from scratch?”Synthetic identities are one of the fastest-growing threats in financial crime. Built from fragments of real and fabricated data, these identities can pass onboarding checks, behave like legitimate users for months or even years, and then suddenly “bust out”, leaving businesses with significant losses.Our special guest this week is Steve Lenderman. Drawing on decades of experience investigating fraud, Steve shares how synthetic identities are created, how they evolve over time, and why this threat has grown from a credit-card problem into a global issue affecting fintech, payroll, government programs, and beyond.From bot-generated identities and AI-assisted fraud to sleeper accounts, bust-out schemes, and synthetic businesses, this conversation explores how organized crime groups and even nation-state actors are scaling these attacks. We also look at why collaboration between industries is critical, how behavioural and device intelligence can reveal hidden patterns, and what companies can do to detect synthetic identities before the damage is done.Mentioned in this episode – how Device Intelligence detects synthetic identities early: https://sumsub.link/ykmSumsub’s Website: sumsub.comSumsub’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub’s Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukSteve Lenderman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-lenderman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraud in iGaming is shaping how operators grow, how regulators respond, and where investors place bets. Recorded live at ICE Barcelona in partnership with the C-Suite Podcast, this is Part 2 of our special What The Fraud? series on the widening global fraud landscape in iGaming.Kris Galloway, iGaming Product Evangelist at Sumsub, took over hosting duties and he was joined by: Daniel Xavier, COO, BetMGM Brazil Andrew Wright, Managing Director UK & Ireland, LeoVegas Group Adrianna Samuels, Vice President - Senior Client Partner | Gaming, GlobantTorben Friis, Manging Director - Global Head of Distribution, Match LiquidityThey cover the tension between player acquisition and fraud prevention, the ongoing challenge of unlicensed operators, Brazil’s evolving regulatory framework, why fraud risk is increasingly part of financial due diligence and investment decisions, and how major events like this year’s World Cup can open up new fraud angles for sportsbooks. From bonus abuse and multi-accounting to AI-driven threats, the episode maps how the risk environment is shifting for operators worldwide.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unlicensed operators and AI-enabled fraud are scaling faster than most safeguards. Regulators, operators, and tech providers are being forced to rethink what “player protection” actually means, and how to enforce it across borders. This is Part 1 of 2 special episodes of the What The Fraud? podcast, recorded live at ICE Barcelona.Guest host Kris Galloway, iGaming Product Evangelist speaks with Olabimpe Akingba, Head of Responsible Gaming at pawaTech, Ludovico Calvi, Honorary Presidentof United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports, and Sarah Gardner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UK Gambling Commission, about where the market is breaking: responsible gaming that goes beyond box-ticking, industrialised fraud networks, underage exposure risks, and the uncomfortable reality that no single stakeholder can solve this alone.They dig into what actually moves the needle: better use of data, clearer player education, and tighter cooperation between regulators, operators, technology providers, and law enforcement. The takeaway is simple: safe, sustainable gaming will be decided by how well the industry can coordinate enforcement and prevention across jurisdictions, not by adding more isolated controls.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We can't possibly think of victims as being stupid." We often think of fraud victims as gullible or careless. But what if the real story is about ruthless targeting by increasingly sophisticated criminals? What if AI, deepfakes and quantum computing are making it impossible to tell what's real anymore?Our guest in this episode is Alex Wood, counter fraud expert, international keynote speaker, part of the BBC Radio 4 Scam Secrets team and, in a former life, a prolific fraudster who spent 20 years defrauding victims of millions before serving three prison sentences and turning his life around. Alex joins host Thomas Taraniuk to discuss the sophistication shift, where fraud attempts are dropping but success rates are climbing, powered by AI that makes attacks more targeted and devastating.From his former life recruiting English women as callers for organised crime networks to his current work advising the Home Office on Hawala money laundering networks funding small boat crossings, this episode reveals the insider perspective businesses need to hear. Alex explains why prison was a breeding ground for fraud conspiracies rather than a deterrent, how ChatGPT would have made him ten times more prolific and harder to catch, and why the fake Duke of Marlborough scam worked for seven months simply because luxury hotels refused to share data with competitors.Whether you're protecting your business or trying to spot the red flags in your own life, this conversation offers crucial insights into the criminal mind, the collaboration gaps that fraudsters exploit, and why the next frontier might be quantum computing breaking military grade encryption in minutes rather than months.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukAlex Wood on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/beatfraud/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Last year, only one in 10 fraud attempts were sophisticated enough to fool modern verification systems. This year, that number's nearly tripled. Amateur fraudsters are out and professionals who know exactly how to beat our defences are in."The fraud landscape is undergoing a complete transformation. Whilst overall fraud attempts have dropped by 50%, the attacks that do occur are nearly three times more sophisticated than last year. We're witnessing the rise of coordinated, AI-powered professional operations that combine multiple attack vectors simultaneously.Our guest is Artem Popov, Technical Product Manager for Fraud Prevention Solution at Sumsub, who joins host Thomas Taraniuk to discuss findings from Sumsub's annual Identity Fraud Report, analysing over 4 million fraud attempts globally.From AI-generated synthetic identities and deepfakes fooling liveness checks to telemetry tampering that attacks verification systems themselves, this episode exposes sophisticated techniques targeting industries worldwide. Artem explains how ID cards account for 72% of fraudulent documents, why Kenya now sees deepfakes in 10% of fraud attempts, and how romance scams combine emotional manipulation with synthetic identities. This conversation offers crucial insights into the multi-layered defences needed to stay ahead of professional fraud networks investing real money, time, and talent into beating your systems.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukArtem Popov on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/system29a/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fraudsters have already figured out what most financial institutions haven't yet: silos don't work. While your fraud team, cyber team and compliance team operate independently with separate tools and data, criminals are exploiting the gaps between them at an industrial scale.This is part two of two special episodes recorded live at the WTF? Summit in Singapore. Host Thomas Taraniuk sits down with T Raja Kumar, former president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Holly Fang from the Singapore FinTech Association, and Pasi Koistinen, CISO at Coinhako, to discuss what happens when AI becomes both weapon and shield in the fight against financial crime.T Raja Kumar reveals why cutting off money flows matters more than raiding scam compounds, Holly Fang explains why ASEAN's fragmented data sharing laws are a fraudster's playground, and Pasi Koistinen makes the case that your separate fraud, cyber and compliance systems are exactly what criminals count on. From satellite connected fraud as a service operations to the uncomfortable truth that compliance teams lack the AI skills they desperately need, this conversation cuts through the optimism.If Part 1 was about cross industry collaboration, Part 2 is about getting your own house in order first. Because before you can share threat data across borders, you need to share it across your own departments.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukT Raja Kumar on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/t-raja-kumar-0766317a/Holly Fang on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hollyhfang/Pasi Koistinen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pasikoistinen/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The financial crime battlefield is shifting. What used to be separate fights against fraud and money laundering has merged into one coordinated attack on the global financial system. As scammers drain accounts and launder proceeds through mule networks faster than banks can respond, APAC is becoming ground zero for a new kind of financial warfare.Recorded live at the WTF? Summit in Singapore, this is part one of two special episodes bringing together frontline defenders. Host Thomas Taraniuk sits down with Hassan Ahmed from Coinbase Singapore, Karthik Ramanathan from Mastercard, and Caryn Leong from ACAMS to discuss how the industry is responding to an evolving threat landscape.From sophisticated deepfakes to money vanishing across borders in minutes, this conversation reveals why fraud networks work together seamlessly while banks are struggling to share data. Hassan explains why Singapore's proactive approach to digital assets sets the standard for Asia, Karthik reveals how mule accounts are the real battleground (not the final transaction), and Caryn makes the case for why compliance teams need to act like crisis responders, not process managers.If you're building in payments, crypto, or financial services across APAC, this episode is your reality check on what's coming in 2026 and why speed matters more than perfection.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukHassan Ahmed on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hassanahmed3Karthik Ramanathan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karthik-ramanathan-446738Caryn Leong on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carynleong/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Fraud is a lot more popular today than it was 10 years ago simply because today you can advertise fraud on TikTok, Snapchat, whatever platform, and you can just have tutorials on how to gamify anything you want at your doorstep."We think of fraudsters as criminals behind laptops, draining accounts without conscience. But what about that free lunch you claimed on your delivery app or the refund you knew wasn't deserved? Could you be part of the problem too? As the on-demand delivery industry explodes, it's creating new opportunities not just for convenience, but for fraud at every touchpoint.Our guest in this episode is Boris Montin, FinTech Director at Glovo, who joins host Thomas Taraniuk to discuss how delivery platforms navigate fraud across countries, balancing frictionless customer experiences with robust security measures.From opportunistic coupon abusers and professional fraudster networks to merchant money laundering and SMS verification scams in Central Asia, this episode reveals the creative schemes targeting delivery platforms. Boris explains how Glovo uses AI and machine learning to detect fraud in real time, why the "perfect level of fraud" is actually about acceptable friction, and how the democratisation of fraud through social media is changing the game. Whether you're ordering dinner or building a marketplace, this conversation offers crucial insights into protecting platforms whilst keeping customers happy.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukBorin Montin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/montinboris/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraud got faster. Your strategy has to be smarter. So what do leaders who rethink risk do to stay ahead?For part two of this special episode of What the Fraud?, Sumsub’s Sales Director, Americas, Anastasia Shvechkova, sits down with five operators who are scaling trust without slowing growth.Recorded live at Money20/20 USA, this episode brings insight from leaders at Standard Chartered, Ebanx, ACAMS, Adyen, and Nubank. We dive into the modernization of dollar infrastructure, tackling fraud in emerging markets, evolving AML standards, breaking down data silos, navigating Web3 compliance, managing BNPL risk, and tracking the rising role of AI in global payments. A wide-ranging look at the shifts redefining trust, innovation, and financial crime prevention.Guests: Jennifer Lassiter, Head of Digital Assets for Europe & Americas at Standard CharteredAndré Peixoto, Director of Operations at EBANXCraig Timm, Senior Director of AML at ACAMSBrigette Korney, Global Head of Risk at AdyenNathan Marion, Head of B2B at NubankSumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomAnastasia Shvechkova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-shvechkova-878344118/ Jennifer Lassiter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrookslassiter/ André Peixoto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andr%C3%A9-peixoto-691a93150/ Craig Timm: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-timm-4942626/ Brigette Korney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigette-korney/ Nathan Marion: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlmarion/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fast payments raise hard trust questions. Live from Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas, we sat down with leaders reshaping fraud, AML, and compliance, turning the AI hype into an operational reality.For this special episode of What the Fraud?, Sumsub’s Sales Director, Americas, Anastasia Shvechkova, steps in as host to pull highlights from the show floor, in partnership with the C-Suite podcast team.This special episode brings together leading voices from Gusto, Bluevine, MoneyGram, and Worldpay for Platforms. They discuss how AI is reshaping fraud, why trust is becoming the new competitive currency, and what risk and compliance leaders must do to stay ahead. From deepfakes and synthetic documents to agentic AI, cross-border payments innovation, and the evolving role of risk teams, this episode explores the technologies and strategies defining the future of financial security.Guests:Samant Nagpal, Head of Payments and Risk at GustoMira Srinivasan, Chief Risk Officer at BluevineLuke Tuttle, Chief Product & Tech Officer at MoneyGramBilli Jo Wright, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Worldpay for PlatformsSumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomAnastasia Shvechkova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-shvechkova-878344118/ Samant Nagpal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samant-nagpal-3240683/ Mira Srinivasan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mira-srinivasan/ Luke Tuttle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketuttle/ Billi Jo Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billi-jo-wright-bb856511/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I get in my car every day to go somewhere, I put my seatbelt on… Same thing with being online. What we need people to do is before they turn that laptop on… make sure you’re safe.”As scams grow more sophisticated and AI gives fraudsters new tools, crypto platforms are under increasing pressure to protect users and preserve trust. In this episode, we unpack how fraud is evolving across the crypto space, what collaboration looks like between exchanges and law enforcement, and why education is still the strongest defence.Our guest in this episode is John Kothanek, Vice President for Global Intelligence at Coinbase, who joins host Thomas Taraniuk to discuss how Coinbase investigates scams, protects privacy, and partners with global agencies to take fraudsters off the map.From pig butchering scams and fraud-as-a-service networks to transparency reports, blockchain analytics, and the power of human investigators, this episode reveals how technology and teamwork are shaping the future of crypto safety.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniuk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Fraudsters are preying on human emotion… and it clearly works.”Scams are becoming more personal, more emotional, and more sophisticated. In this episode, we explore how social engineering, investment scams, and “crime-as-a-service” are reshaping the fraud landscape, and why awareness and collaboration are our strongest defences.Our special guests this week are Jessie Apple, Group Head of FinCrime Compliance & Risk and UK MLRO at Wise, Co-Chair, ACAMS UK Chapter and Aaron Wilson, Product Leader, Fraud & Victim Prevention at Wise, who share how the company partners with law enforcement, regulators, and even social media platforms to stop scams before they spread.From reimbursement reform and data sharing to real-time intelligence and public awareness, this conversation reveals how financial institutions can fight scams collectively, and what it really takes to protect people in a connected world.AML Fundamentals Course: https://sumsub.com/courses/aml-fundamentals/Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukJessie Apple on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aarwilsonAaron Wilson on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessie-apple-67aa179 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The main thing that agentic AI is going to be good at is pulling together data from multiple sources… metadata, images, device intelligence, and reconciling it to spot subtle fraud signs humans might miss.”As fraud grows more sophisticated, financial institutions are turning to agentic AI: systems that don’t just analyse data, but act on it to detect and prevent fraudulent activity at scale.In this episode, we explore how these AI agents are reshaping compliance and fraud prevention, and what that means for human oversight and operational efficiency.Our special guest this week is Will Lawrence, CEO and co-founder of Greenlite AI. He shares insights on how his company’s AI agents tackle high-volume fraud, reconcile unstructured and structured data, and free investigators to focus on high-risk, complex cases.From false positives and synthetic identities to regulatory compliance and emerging fraud vectors, this conversation highlights how businesses can adopt AI responsibly while maintaining trust and accountability in their operations.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukWill Lawrence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencewill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Trust may sound soft, but in practice it’s the hardest currency there is… and in a world of AI, bots, and fraud, trust can make or break a platform.”As AI grows more complex and cybercriminals more sophisticated, the need to earn and protect trust has never been greater. In this episode, we dive into why trust is at the centre of digital identity, how businesses can build it, and what happens when it breaks.Our special guests this week are Eddie Moxon-Garcia, Product Marketing Lead at Sumsub, and Nikolai Suhharnikov, Head of Technical Presales at Sumsub. Together they share insights from working with some of the world’s largest companies on fraud protection, verification, and identity.From synthetic IDs and deepfakes to regulation, transparency, and reusable digital identity, this conversation explores how businesses, regulators, and users can meet in the middle to create trust online.Sumsub's website: sumsub.comSumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsubSumsub's Instagram: instagram.com/sumsubcomSumsub on X: x.com/SumsubcomSumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcomThomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniukEddie Moxon-Garcia on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eddiemoxongarciaNikolai Suhharnikov on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nikolai-suhharnikov-8a122b182 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 4 of What The Fraud is coming this month.As AI gets more complex, and cyber-criminals keep finding new ways to exploit it, these conversations matter more than ever.Join host Thomas Taraniuk as he speaks to the people in the know - the experts, the insiders, the ones on the front line, to unpack the big questions, cut through the noise, and make sense of the biggest issues in digital fraud.Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You don't need to hack an Uber, you just need €200 and a Telegram account, and you can just buy the whole new profile.”The cars we drive and rent are now becoming a new frontier for cyber crime.  From ghost drivers and fake IDs to money laundering and QR-code scams, the mobility space is facing a new wave of digital threats.Our special guest this week is Karolina Kausylaite, Compliance Manager at Tesla Financial Services and an expert in anti-money laundering.  She’s worked at PPRO, N26 and Danske Bank, tackling financial crime from multiple angles. On this episode she helps us understand how criminals exploit modern vehicle services and what the industry must do to stay ahead.Sumsub's website: sumsub.com  Sumsub’s What The Fraud Summit: https://sumsub.com/wtf-summit/Sumsub's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/sumsub Sumsub's Facebook: facebook.com/sumsub Sumsub's Instagram: facebook.com/sumsubcom Sumsub's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@sumsubcom  Thomas Taraniuk on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomtaraniuk  Karolina Kausylaite on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karolina-kausylaite Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.