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...
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The Counterfeit Economy
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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,...
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The Internet is Playing You
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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...
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The Psychology of Yes
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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...
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Drink Spiking
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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...
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Love, Lies and Locked Up
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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...
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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...
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Convincing Deepfakes
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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...
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When Trust Becomes a Trap
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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...
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Scam Compounds
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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_outlineInvestment losses can be confusing because they do not always tell the whole story. Sometimes money is lost because the market has changed. Other times, an investor was sold something they did not understand, pushed into a product that was never appropriate, or denied the information they needed to make a real decision. Courtney Werning has built her career in that space, helping investors sort through what happened and whether someone can be held responsible.
Courtney is a named partner at Meyer, Wilson, and Werning, a national investor protection firm that has recovered more than $350 million since 1999. She leads the firm’s crypto investment fraud practice through CryptoCourt, serves on FINRA’s National Arbitration and Mediation Committee, and is the incoming PIABA president. In this conversation, she explains the difference between a bad investment, misrepresentation, misconduct, Ponzi schemes, and the newer wave of crypto fraud that has become especially devastating for older investors.
We also talk about the warning signs people often miss, from guaranteed returns and “secret” opportunities to unsolicited messages on social media, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Courtney shares why trusted contacts on brokerage accounts matter, how recovery scams target people who have already been defrauded, and why it is so important to verify lawyers, financial advisors, and investment opportunities before sending money anywhere.
Show Notes:
- [00:57] Courtney Werning explains how she became an investor protection attorney and why representing regular investors against large Wall Street institutions has been such meaningful work.
- [03:29] Investment losses do not always mean misconduct occurred, but Courtney explains how negligence, misrepresentation, unsuitable recommendations, and outright fraud can create valid claims.
- [05:25] Misrepresentation often happens when investors are not given the material facts they need to understand risks, fees, liquidity issues, or the potential loss of principal.
- [07:19] Many investors don’t know what they were missing until after a product fails and an attorney reviews what should have been disclosed.
- [09:22] Ponzi schemes continue to appear in many forms, using new investor money to pay earlier investors until the scheme eventually collapses.
- [12:01] Scammers build confidence by showing early returns, encouraging victims to invest more, and making the opportunity feel safe before the larger loss occurs.
- [14:44] Cryptocurrency fraud losses have climbed sharply, and Courtney explains why the reported numbers likely represent only part of the true scale.
- [17:03] Repeated scam playbooks, fake insider connections, AI tools, voice replication, and polished platforms make crypto fraud increasingly difficult to recognize.
- [19:54] A trusted contact on a brokerage account can give firms a way to alert someone the investor trusts when unusual activity or possible exploitation appears.
- [22:27] Trusted contacts work more like emergency contacts than account controllers, helping preserve independence while adding a layer of protection.
- [24:35] Once someone realizes they may have been defrauded, the first steps are shutting down the account, contacting law enforcement, and getting legal guidance.
- [27:29] Even if months or years have passed, some losses may still be recoverable, though quick reporting gives law enforcement the best chance of stopping funds.
- [30:06] Recovery scams prey on people who are already panicked, promising to trace or retrieve stolen crypto in exchange for more money.
- [31:29] Courtney shares the devastating case of a Modesto man who lost millions in a pig butchering scam and was later pressured with fake insider trading threats.
- [34:11] A trusted contact was listed on the victim’s account, and Courtney believes a brief phone call to his wife could have prevented both the financial loss and the tragedy that followed.
- [36:39] Investor recovery cases are often handled on contingency, which means firms must evaluate whether litigation can realistically benefit the client.
- [39:12] Because the firm is selective about the cases it takes, Courtney says clients offered representation can usually feel confident there is a strong case.
- [40:18] Unsolicited messages on social media, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, or X should be treated with extreme skepticism, especially when investment opportunities are involved.
- [42:25] Hacked social media accounts can make scams appear to come from trusted local figures, friends, or family members.
- [44:06] Secret or exclusive investment opportunities that cannot be discussed openly are major red flags, especially if someone coaches the investor on what to say.
- [45:06] Courtney explains how to contact her firm, verify that an attorney is real through a state bar search, and check financial professionals through FINRA BrokerCheck.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.