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
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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_outlineScams are often explained as a failure of judgment, but the truth is far more human. People are not fooled because they are foolish. They are manipulated at the exact moment emotion overrides logic, whether that emotion is fear, loneliness, hope, urgency, financial stress, or the desire to believe something better is finally possible.
My guest today is Dr. John Demartini, one of the world’s leading authorities on human behavior, perception, resilience, and personal development. For more than five decades, he has researched, written, and taught in the fields of human awareness and potential. He is the founder of the Demartini Method, a structured process used around the world by clinicians, coaches, and individuals to help dissolve emotional trauma, restore clarity, and support better decision-making. He is also the author of more than 40 books, has spoken in over 100 countries, and has worked with tens of thousands of people navigating everything from personal crises to high performance.
Dr. Demartini explains why scammers are so effective at exploiting emotional blind spots, especially when someone is dealing with loss or uncertainty. We talk about what happens in the brain when a person reacts before they think, why “too good to be true” offers can feel so convincing in the moment, and how people can recover after being deceived without turning shame into part of their identity.
Show Notes:
- [02:09] Dr. John Demartini shares how a childhood learning challenge, speech impediment, and a powerful encounter with a teacher in Hawaii shaped his lifelong work in human behavior and potential.
- [03:08] Scams, fraud, and the emotional impact these experiences have on people beyond the mechanics of how money moves.
- [04:31] Why scammers exploit emotions like fear, loneliness, urgency, hope, greed, trust, authority, and compassion to push people into reactive decisions.
- [07:30] We learn how pain points and pleasure points make people vulnerable, especially when scammers know how to present relief, reward, or escape in the exact area where someone feels exposed.
- [08:22] Dr. Demartini shares a story about his son being targeted by a money-making scam and how he quickly recognized the promise of turning $2,000 into $20,000 as a classic red flag.
- [10:32] The difference between emotional, fast-response thinking and more objective thinking, and why “too good to be true” offers should immediately trigger caution.
- [11:56] Why one-sided promises are dangerous, whether they are built around fantasy, fear, or a claim that reward comes without risk.
- [13:09] Dr. Demartini explains why people going through major transitions, loss, financial pain, or relationship struggles are often targeted by scammers.
- [14:50] Money, investing, and why excitement can be a warning sign when someone is being pushed toward a financial decision.
- [16:40] How scams often succeed when people believe they can get a reward without an equal risk.
- [18:00] The aftermath of scams and how people can avoid letting one painful experience become part of their identity.
- [19:04] A story about a man who lost hundreds of millions of dollars and began to see the hidden gains, lessons, and protections that came from the loss.
- [22:55] How asking better questions can help someone reframe a painful experience and move from feeling like a victim of history to becoming more intentional about the future.
- [24:40] Romance scams and the difficult moment when victims realize they may not only struggle to trust others, but also struggle to trust themselves.
- [25:49] How people can rebuild self-trust by examining what the experience taught them instead of staying stuck in shame or self-blame.
- [27:28] We discuss prevention, including how to listen to the inner warning voice when something feels emotionally extreme or too perfectly one-sided.
- [29:25] Examples of recognizing suspicious behavior and using direct questions to disrupt situations where someone may be trying to manipulate or exploit him.
- [31:10] We hear about a seminar speaker making unrealistic promises about fast wealth and bestseller success, and why that kind of highly polished fantasy can pull people in.
- [33:15] The value of having trusted people as sounding boards, especially when emotions make it harder to see a decision clearly.
- [34:11] How people around us often see what we miss and why asking others for input can reduce the risk of acting impulsively.
- [35:44] Why trust should be based on understanding what someone is truly dedicated to, not on expecting them to share our values or fantasies.
- [38:22] How identifying your highest values can make you less vulnerable to manipulation and more grounded in your decisions.
- [39:23] The value determination process, including the questions that reveal how people actually spend their time, energy, money, attention, and emotional focus.
- [41:43] Advice for people who have been scammed, encouraging them to see the experience as a revealed blind spot rather than a permanent source of shame.
- [43:07] A reminder that sharing a painful experience can help others feel less alone and may prevent someone else from falling into the same trap.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.