Easy Prey
Ransomware may not be on your machines due to your negligence or mistakes. It could be there because of third-party software you are utilizing. Do you know what to do if this happens to you? Today’s guest is Amitabh Sinha. Amitabh has a PhD in Computer Science and more than 20 years of experience in enterprise software, end-user computing, mobile, and database software. He co-founded Workspot in 2012. He was the General Manager of Enterprise Desktop and Applications at Citrix Systems. In his five years at Citrix, he was the VP of Product Management for XenDesktop and VP of Engineering...
info_outlineEasy Prey
We all use technology. Things like internet browsers, search engines, instant messaging, and payment apps. But we aren’t always aware of the data being collected. This information can not only impact your privacy, but those around you as well. Today’s guest is Carey Parker. Carey is the author of , a step-by-step guide to computer security and privacy for non-techies. He also hosts a podcast by the same name. He recently retired from a career in software engineering to focus on teaching others how to defend their digital devices and protect their personal data. Show Notes: [0:53] -...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Finding a solution to stop spam calls to you, your family, or your business isn’t easy. We may not win this war, but we don’t want the government making this decision for us. We can make it more manageable in the meantime. Today’s guest is Aaron Foss. After winning the FTC Robocall Challenge in 2013, Aaron started Nomorobo. Since then, Nomorobo has stopped billions and billions of unwanted robocalls and spam texts from reaching our phones, and it was acquired by Applause group in August 2023. Aaron has been featured in The New York Times, Wired, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and countless other...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Most businesses rely on some type of software, either for scheduling, payment, banking, customer lists, or something else. It’s important to know where this information is stored and what would happen if that software was hacked or you weren’t able to access it. Today’s guest is Kris Burkhardt. As Accenture’s Chief Information Security Officer, Kris leads a team of over 800 security experts charged with protecting company client and customer data. Show Notes: [0:49] - Kris describes his role at Accenture and what Accenture is known for in the security industry. [2:26] - Part of...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Is it right for parents to be the ones to have to put limits on their children’s screen time or to monitor the content they consume? Knowing the impact of social media and kids can influence the decisions that are made. Today’s guest is Steve Lazarus. Steve is a retired FBI agent, crime fiction author, and Instagram influencer specializing in personal and child safety topics. Show Notes: [0:42] - Steve shares his background and his career history in the FBI and the military. [4:02] - For a long time, Steve was anti-social media. However, since the publication of his book, he has garnered...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Synthetic IDs can be used to open fake accounts, but without a person to file the fraud claim, how should companies deal with this type of deceit? There is no crime where someone doesn’t need to pay for the loss. Either way, the loss is passed on to the consumers in some way or another. Today’s guest is Steve Lenderman. Steve is currently the Head of Fraud Solutions North America at Quantexa and has over 25 years of experience in financial crimes investigation. His previous roles include being the Senior Vice President of Fraud Prevention Investigations at Bank Mobile Technology, the...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Criminals do their own recon to study how vendors craft their emails and how they can structure them to match. Scammers know employees are busy and that they want to act promptly on requests, but they also understand it takes time to verify the validity of the email. How do we train employees to know what is real and what isn’t? Today’s guest is Josh Bartolomie. After joining Cofense in 2018 as the Director of Research and Development, Josh currently serves as the Vice President of Global Threat Services. He has over 25 years of IT and cybersecurity experience. He designed, built, and...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Some scammers love the challenge of deceiving those they target while others are forced to scam. Those that thrive off of destroying others try to heighten your emotions very quickly. Both excited and angry responses can get you into making irrational decisions. Today’s guest is Doug Shadel. Doug is a former fraud investigator and special assistant to the Attorney General at the Washington State Attorney General’s office. He served as state director for AARP Washington and Strategy Director for AARP’s national anti-fraud efforts. Doug has collaborated on numerous educational videos...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Please stop yourself from saying, “This could never happen to me or my family.” We can all have vulnerable blindspots when it comes to those we love being exploited or endangered. Even the best trained educators can be manipulated into making a mistake. Today’s guest is Clayton Cranford. Clayton is the founder of Cyber Safety Cop. He is a retired sergeant from the Orange County Sheriff's Department who served as a school resource officer, juvenile investigator, and behavioral threat assessor. He is one of the nation’s leading law enforcement educators on social media, child safety,...
info_outlineEasy Prey
Thieves used to rob banks and steal physical money, but in a digital world, it is much easier to sit behind a keyboard and deceive you into giving it to them. Fortunately, there are specific things you can do to protect your finances before scammers get into your accounts. Today’s guest is John Buzzard. John is a nationally recognized financial industry fraud expert who has delivered significant influence in credit card fraud, risk, and security services for financial institutions throughout the United States. Show Notes: [0:56] - John shares his background and what he does currently...
info_outlineSome scammers love the challenge of deceiving those they target while others are forced to scam. Those that thrive off of destroying others try to heighten your emotions very quickly. Both excited and angry responses can get you into making irrational decisions.
Today’s guest is Doug Shadel. Doug is a former fraud investigator and special assistant to the Attorney General at the Washington State Attorney General’s office. He served as state director for AARP Washington and Strategy Director for AARP’s national anti-fraud efforts. Doug has collaborated on numerous educational videos and academic studies and co-authored five books about fraud. He also co-authored the AARP Fraud Frontier 2021 Report. He is currently Managing Director of Fraud Prevention Strategies LLC, a Seattle-based consulting firm.
Show Notes:
- [1:08] - Doug shares his background and career in fighting fraud.
- [2:43] - Robo-calls have been a long lasting problem that Doug has been working on with AARP and Nomorobo.
- [7:11] - Over the years, Doug has interviewed numerous scammers. They all say their primary goal is to get a victim in a heightened emotional state.
- [9:07] - Doug describes the research that shows when people are in a heightened emotional state, they are more likely to fall victim to a scam.
- [10:57] - Block the incoming robocalls to begin with to help avoid a scammer manipulating you into a heightened emotional state.
- [13:17] - It still is very dangerous to answer these phone calls because a lot of them are really persuasive and really good at what they do.
- [14:34] - There isn’t a specific demographic profile. Doug explains what people who fall victim to a scam have in common.
- [16:49] - The FCC has come down hard on robocallers, but this has just caused scammers to be more careful and even more skilled.
- [18:09] - Have you recently received calls asking for a donation? Doug describes how these work.
- [21:12] - The number one red flag of a robocall is the threat of loss.
- [25:22] - Caller ID is not reliable. It is very common and easy for scammers to spoof a call.
- [27:48] - There are some legitimate needs for people to be able to spoof a call.
- [29:42] - Assume it is a scam if you did not initiate the contact.
- [33:08] - By and large, scammers will not cause violence on a victim, even if they threaten them. They follow the path of least resistance.
- [36:02] - Doug describes some software he uses to edit videos that incorporates AI. These tools are great, but are also used by scammers.
- [39:26] - Grandparent scams are really common. Doug describes what people have said after falling victim.
- [40:40] - There is an illusion of invulnerability. If you are convinced that you are not vulnerable to something, you won’t do anything to prevent it.
- [43:04] - There’s a lot more money for scammers to make in scamming an employee of a large company than individuals.
- [46:10] - The pandemic also had a big impact on the scamming industry.
- [50:50] - The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline is 1-877-908-3360.
- [53:00] - Always report a scam when you know of one. It helps more than you know.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.