Why Resolutions Fail with Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps
Easy Prey
We often put off changes and schedule them to start on January 1st. Many of these idealistic resolutions fail shortly after beginning, so it is important to be thoughtful when planning so that you can set yourself up for success. Today’s guest is Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps. Leslie is a noted psychologist who authored a number of books, including Insecure in Love, The Insecure in Love Workbook, and Bouncing Back from Rejection. She writes the Authentically You Blog and the Psychology Today Making Change Blog. Additionally, she is a national speaker and hosts a YouTube channel. Show Notes: ...
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Erasing Your Digital Footprint with Jeff Jockisch
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Data is continuously being collected and this information can lead to misleading conclusions about an individual. Without proper context, behavior can be misinterpreted. This underscores the need for data privacy laws and stronger protections against data brokers. Today’s guest is Jeff Jockisch. Jeff is a passionate data privacy researcher dedicated to exploring the evolution of technology, our search behaviors, trust dynamics, and safeguarding of our information. As Managing Partner at ObscureIQ, he specializes in advanced data removal and privacy risk mitigation for enterprises and...
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Executive Recruiter Scams with John Sidoti
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When a recruiter contacts you, it’s essential to do your homework, verify their sources, and trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While it can be frustrating to be this skeptical, being cautious can protect you and your finances. Today’s guest is John Sidoti. John is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Social Current. He has over 30 years of experience as an IT generalist with wide and varied experience across all aspects of the IT spectrum. Show Notes: [0:50] - John shares his background and discusses his extensive and varied...
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Human Hacking with Peter Warmka
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Today’s threat actors and social engineers leverage social media to observe individuals’ patterns and habits. They encounter you at a coffee shop or another familiar spot. They begin to establish trust, which makes you more susceptible to their tactics. Today’s guest is Peter Warmka. Peter is a retired CIA officer with over two decades of breaching the security of organizations overseas in pursuit of intelligence. He is the founder of The Counterintelligence Institute, author of two books, conference speaker, consultant, and educator on the dangers of human hacking. Show Notes: ...
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Digital Deception: What Lies Ahead with Perry Carpenter
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Creating habits of healthy skepticism when receiving texts or emails can prevent you from clicking on phishing links. Everybody is vulnerable online, especially when distracted or in a hurry. But cultivating critical thinking and self-awareness can enhance protection against manipulation. Today’s guest is Perry Carpenter. Perry is an award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker with over two decades in cybersecurity, focusing on how cyber criminals exploit human behavior. As the Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps build robust, human-centric defenses against social...
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Rethinking Online Anonymity with Lance Cottrell
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In a world of cybersecurity and online privacy, anonymity seems to be the key. VPNs are often promoted as the cure-all to our internet needs. Let’s talk about some of those misconceptions. Today’s guest is Lance Cottrell. Lance founded Anonymizer in 1995 and is an internationally recognized expert in cryptography, online privacy, and internet security. He is the principal author on multiple internet privacy and security technology patents. Lance stayed on as Chief Scientist as Anonymizer was acquired by Intrepid, and now advises start-ups through his platform. Show Notes: [1:09] - Lance...
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AI: Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity with Vincent LaRocca
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Cybersecurity is more crucial than ever. It’s essential that we proactively safeguard our data and recognize that no one is immune to attacks. We are all vulnerable. As malicious actors continually enhance their tactics, we must stay one step ahead by consistently improving our defenses. Today’s guest is Vincent LaRocca. Vincent is the CEO of CyberSecOp with the commitment to protecting sensitive data and mitigating cyber threats. With over two decades of experience, Vincent has successfully steered CyberSecOp to become one of the world’s fastest growing managed security providers,...
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Understanding and Avoiding Triangulation Fraud with Soups Ranjan
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As consumers, we may realize the need to be vigilant by using two-factor authentication and password managers, but there are so many scams out there that can impersonate legitimate organizations, websites, and people. We really can’t let our guard down. Today’s guest is Soups Ranjan. Soups has over 18 years of experience in software engineering, data science, and risk management. He is the co-founder and CEO of Sardine. This behavior-infused platform offers fraud prevention, compliance, and payment solutions for various industries including banking, online marketplaces, FinTech, crypto,...
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Finding Small Business Fraud with James Ratley
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There are a shocking amount of businesses that ultimately fail because of fraud. Many managers and business owners are unaware of their losses because they do not have the systems in place to look for fraud and it may not be their primary concern. Today’s guest is James Ratley. Jim graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 1971, he joined the Dallas Police Department as a police officer. He was on numerous task forces with a concentration on major fraud cases. He joined a major forensic accounting practice and was in charge of...
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Truth and Lies with Mark Bowden
Easy Prey
Now that so much of our communications are digital, such as texts, emails, and chats, we miss out on the tone and facial expressions to help us understand the intent and content in communication. It’s important to know ourselves well enough to know what areas we’ll be more easily influenced and are susceptible to being deceived. The greater our desire for something to be true, the easier it is for us to be scammed. Today’s guest is Mark Bowden. Mark is a world-renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. He is the founder of the communication training company,...
info_outlinePig butchering is worse than just manipulating someone and taking their money. It leaves them with emotional anguish. Once their finances have been drained, they lose their financial security and they no longer trust people. Today’s guest is Erin West. Erin has been with the County of Santa Clara for 26 years and is a Deputy District Attorney. She specializes in cryptocurrency investigations and prosecutions.
Show Notes:
- [0:46] - Erin shares her background and what her role is as a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County.
- [3:20] - Five years ago, Erin found herself working on prosecutions regarding SIM swapping and cryptocurrency hacks.
- [4:35] - The emotional impact of “just a financial crime,” is staggering.
- [7:38] - You never know who around you is a victim of some of these crimes.
- [8:18] - Erin describes the experience of being convinced to click a link herself.
- [10:32] - Scammers will think about different things that would trigger someone into clicking a link.
- [13:40] - Pig butchering involves building trust with a victim and showing them a false plush lifestyle.
- [16:08] - A red flag is a text or social media message you may receive that seems misdirected or to a wrong number.
- [19:21] - It feels like the right thing to do when we feel the need to respond to the scammer with a “you’ve got the wrong number,” but that’s how they start a conversation.
- [22:29] - In many cases, scammers bulk text a massive amount of phone numbers. But some people are specifically targeted on social media.
- [24:23] - Covid really accelerated this type of scam due to loneliness.
- [25:40] - A misconception is that these scams target the elderly. But it is not based on age at all.
- [27:03] - Unfortunately, law enforcement is not set up to be able to handle this type of crime.
- [28:18] - Erin explains that law enforcement doesn’t tend to always lead with empathy when this type of crime is reported.
- [30:12] - It is important to report the crime to local law enforcement, but there are other places that the crime can be reported to in addition.
- [32:50] - Victims should be able to speak to a detective.
- [34:33] - Victims should be very wary of third party recovery programs.
- [37:26] - On the other side of things, a scammer could also be a victim of human trafficking and being forced to scam others.
- [39:40] - Scams are being operated on a massive scale and have a front of a corporate business.
- [41:14] - Initially, most of the cases seemed to have money moved out of the country. However, recently scammers have been found to be operating in the US.
- [44:04] - There is some hope and opportunities in recent months where money laundering has been intercepted.
- [46:41] - Progress in education and advocating for less victim shaming is moving in the right direction.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.