Ransomware Evolution
Easy Prey
Ransomware has changed dramatically over the years. What started as criminals locking up individual computers and demanding relatively small payments has grown into a much larger operation involving stolen data, entire networks, third-party vendors, and increasingly sophisticated ways of pressuring victims to pay. Now AI is adding another wrinkle, giving criminals new tools while also creating some unexpected problems for them. Joining me to talk about how ransomware has evolved is Allan Liska, a ransomware researcher and Field CISO at Recorded Future. Allan has more than 30 years of...
info_outline
The Counterfeit Economy
Easy Prey
A counterfeit handbag may leave someone disappointed. A counterfeit medication, airbag, or child’s car seat can do far more damage. Fake products now reach into nearly every part of daily life, and many of them arrive through online stores that look completely legitimate. Kari Kammel saw the danger firsthand when a pharmacist overseas offered her several versions of the same medication. Some were authentic, while others were openly described as counterfeit. That experience stayed with her. She now directs the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University,...
info_outline
The Internet is Playing You
Easy Prey
A convincing lie no longer needs to look suspicious. It can appear in a familiar social media feed, come from someone who seems real, or arrive as a video that looks almost impossible to fake. By the time doubt sets in, the post may already have been shared thousands of times. Few people understand that online environment better than today’s guest. Nina Jankowicz has spent more than a decade studying what she calls the bad things that happen on the internet. She is an internationally recognized expert on disinformation and online harassment. She was also named one of Time magazine’s 100...
info_outline
The Psychology of Yes
Easy Prey
It is easy to say you would never fall for a scam when you are looking at the situation from the outside. In the moment, though, things can feel much less obvious. A request may sound reasonable, the person may seem trustworthy, and saying no can feel awkward enough that you go along with something you would normally question. Today’s guest studies exactly why that happens. Vanessa Bohns is the Bronstein Family Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University’s ILR School. Her work focuses on social influence, compliance, and the pressure people feel to cooperate, even...
info_outline
Drink Spiking
Easy Prey
A drink can be out of your sight for only a moment, but that may be all it takes for someone to tamper with it. Spiking can happen in bars, restaurants, festivals, and even among people who already know and trust each other. It also goes far beyond alcohol. Drinks, food, vapes, cigarettes, and other substances can be altered without someone’s knowledge, leaving them vulnerable before they fully understand what is happening. Dawn Dines has spent more than 20 years working to change how people understand and respond to spiking. She is the founder and CEO of Stamp Out Spiking, a UK charity...
info_outline
Love, Lies and Locked Up
Easy Prey
What sounds like the plot of a crime thriller was Sharon Armstrong’s real life. An online romance drew her into an elaborate web of lies involving overseas contracts, invented emergencies, and several people playing carefully planned roles. By the time she arrived at an airport in Argentina with five kilograms of cocaine hidden inside her suitcase, she still believed she was carrying business documents for the man she loved. Sharon was arrested and spent more than two years in an Argentinian prison before returning home without a conviction. During that time, she had to confront the truth of...
info_outline
The Recruitment Trap
Easy Prey
Everybody is searching for ways to increase income. Unfortunately, MLMs often look like an easy way to start a business without taking on the cost of a traditional company. The pitch sounds simple. Buy the product, follow the plan, and put in the work. The numbers behind those promises often tell a different story. Today’s guest, Stacie Bosley, has spent years studying what really happens inside MLMs. She is a professor at Hamline University in Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in applied economics. Her research covers multi-level marketing, consumer protection, income claims, and pyramid scheme...
info_outline
Convincing Deepfakes
Easy Prey
A familiar voice on the phone or a recognizable face on a video call used to offer some reassurance that you knew who you were dealing with. AI has changed that. Voice cloning, face swaps, and real-time video impersonation now allow scammers to convincingly pose as executives, job candidates, romantic interests, or even family members. Understanding how these attacks work and where they may be headed is a central part of Tom Cross’s work as Head of Threat Research at GetReal Security. Tom has spent more than 30 years studying cybersecurity threats, software vulnerabilities, and the methods...
info_outline
When Trust Becomes a Trap
Easy Prey
Most people use technology all day without giving much thought to what is happening behind the screen. We trust routers that may not have been updated in years, depend on internet systems few of us understand, and now turn to artificial intelligence for everything from travel plans to home repairs. That convenience comes with tradeoffs. In this episode, we look at the weaknesses built into our connected world and what happens when our technical knowledge fails to keep pace with the technology surrounding us. Sherrod DeGrippo leads threat intelligence for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks, where...
info_outline
Scam Compounds
Easy Prey
When most people think about online scams, they picture criminals sitting behind a screen and stealing from victims around the world. But in Southeast Asia, many of the people sending those messages are victims too. Some were promised legitimate jobs, flown across borders, trapped inside guarded compounds, and forced to scam others while trying to survive. In this episode, I talk with Ivan Franceschini, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the Center for Contemporary Chinese Studies Asia Institute. After years of studying labor rights, civil society, and Chinese investment in Cambodia,...
info_outlineThe world of art theft looks glamorous in the movies, but the reality is far more complicated. From multi-million dollar forgery schemes to undercover FBI operations recovering stolen national treasures, art crime is a global industry hiding in plain sight.
This conversation digs into how these crimes actually play out and why the people who pull them off often end up stuck with the very pieces they thought would make them rich.
My guest today is Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent and the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Over a 20-year career, he worked undercover in more than 20 countries and helped recover over $300 million in stolen art and cultural property. He’s also the author of Priceless, where he shares stories from those investigations and what really goes on behind the scenes.
We discuss the movie version of art crime and how it actually works. Whitman explains why most stolen masterpieces are nearly impossible to sell, how insider access plays a role in many museum thefts, and why forgery and fraud now make up the bulk of the market. There’s also a practical side to it. Whether it’s fine art, prints, or even sports memorabilia, the same patterns show up again and again. People trust the wrong details, skip the research, and get pulled in by what feels like a deal. The takeaway is pretty straightforward. Slow down, check what you’re buying, and don’t assume something is real just because the story sounds convincing.
Show Notes:
- [01:06] Robert Wittman introduces his FBI career and explains how he founded the Art Crime Team, leading investigations across 20 countries and recovering over $300 million in stolen art.
- [04:01] He shares how he ended up in art crime almost by accident, getting assigned museum theft cases early in his career when no one else wanted them.
- [07:00] We get a breakdown of the art crime industry, including how much of it is driven by forgery and fraud versus outright theft.
- [10:00] Whitman explains why stolen high-value artwork is extremely difficult to sell and often becomes a liability for the criminals who take it.
- [13:43] A reality check on museum security, comparing Hollywood portrayals to how thefts actually happen in the U.S. and abroad.
- [16:18] The conversation shifts to jewelry theft and why stolen gems are far easier to break down and resell than famous works of art.
- [19:19] He walks through a major forgery case involving a well-known New York gallery that unknowingly sold millions of dollars in fake paintings.
- [22:55] Practical advice for everyday buyers on how to avoid getting scammed when purchasing art or collectibles online.
- [26:34] One of the most fascinating recoveries: an original copy of the Bill of Rights stolen in the 1800s and tracked down over a century later.
- [30:20] A much smaller but equally interesting case involving ancient cylinder seals and how they were unknowingly brought back from Iraq.
- [32:30] The risks in the sports memorabilia market, including widespread forgery and why authentication matters more than ever.
- [35:37] Final advice on protecting yourself as both a buyer and seller by doing basic research and understanding the true value of what you have.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.