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
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...
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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 and safety threats don’t always announce themselves. Sometimes they start quietly, with a moment of distraction, a strange feeling you ignore, or a situation that shifts just enough to test whether you’re paying attention.
My guest today is S. Gale Bleth, a personal safety educator, certified RAD self-defense instructor, speaker, and author of Aware: A Personal Safety Playbook for Leaving the Nest. Gale brings a deep background in crime prevention and safety education, including 16 years at Cal State East Bay and 16 years as a crime prevention specialist with the Hayward Police Department. Personal safety is not about walking around scared or suspicious of everyone. It is about giving yourself a few simple habits to fall back on when something feels off, so you can pause, read the situation, and decide what to do next.
We talk about Gale’s AWARE method, the idea that most safety starts with education, and the small choices that can matter more than people realize: putting the phone away in a parking lot, noticing exits when you walk into a building, and trusting that uneasy feeling instead of brushing it off. Gale also explains what makes someone a useful witness, why details matter, and how awareness can help without turning everyday life into something fearful.
Show Notes:
- [01:00] S. Gale Bleth shares how her career began in higher education, where she worked with student organizations, supported campus events, and discovered her interest in teaching and training.
- [03:10] A campus safety role led to RAD self-defense training, which eventually became a major part of Gale’s work and helped shape her approach to personal safety education.
- [05:28] How children’s safety training has evolved, including the continued importance of stranger awareness and helping kids recognize uncomfortable touch.
- [07:00] The meaning behind Gale’s AWARE method: Alert, Watch, Assess, Respond, and Escape.
- [09:36] A practical example of how the AWARE method can help someone assess risk in a social setting and decide whether to stay or leave.
- [13:10] Why people need to trust the feeling that something is off instead of dismissing their instincts or ignoring their surroundings.
- [15:00] Cooper’s color code of awareness explains the difference between being unaware, casually alert, actively concerned, and forced to respond in danger.
- [18:00] Education plays a major role in personal safety because it helps people avoid freezing or panicking when something unexpected happens.
- [19:45] The importance of knowing escape routes in public places, especially at concerts, restaurants, theaters, and other crowded locations.
- [22:13] What it looks like when someone’s behavior does not match the setting, and why that can be a signal to pay closer attention.
- [24:30] How to balance awareness with basic kindness when interacting with people who may seem unstable, angry, or unpredictable.
- [27:58] Confident body language, voice, and boundaries can help people protect themselves before a situation escalates physically.
- [28:33] Why phones create vulnerability in parking garages, airports, travel settings, and other places where attention matters.
- [31:45] The AWARE method can become an everyday safety habit that helps people notice, assess, and respond with more confidence.
- [33:01] Being a good witness can be more helpful than trying to be a hero, especially when law enforcement needs clear details.
- [35:10] Gale explains how to practice observing people, vehicles, direction of travel, clothing, and other details before an emergency happens.
- [37:20] Specific details such as tattoos, accents, clothing, weapons, or which direction someone ran can make a witness report much more useful.
- [39:34] Vehicle descriptions, license plates, cameras, and direction of flight can all help investigators connect important pieces of information.
- [42:33] Gale shares where listeners can find her online and learn more about Aware: A Personal Safety Playbook for Leaving the Nest.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.