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
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,...
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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
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...
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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
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...
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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...
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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_outlineJob hunting is hard enough without having to stop and ask whether the recruiter in your inbox is even real. My guest today, Jay Jones, ran into that problem firsthand after being laid off in December 2023. With his daughter due to be born just weeks later, Jay began receiving messages from recruiters that looked promising at first, but quickly turned out to be fake.
Jay, also known as The Profiler, decided not to ignore what was happening. He started investigating the patterns behind these scams and has since identified and helped remove thousands of fake profiles, fraudulent companies, and deceptive job postings from LinkedIn. His work now helps job seekers, businesses, and executives understand how fake recruiters operate and how much damage these scams can do.
In this episode, we discuss how fake recruiting scams work, why public resumes and the “Open to Work” banner can make job seekers easier targets, and what red flags to watch for before responding. We also talk about fake background checks, resume-writing scams, equipment-check schemes, one-way interview risks, fake applicants, and practical ways to verify opportunities before sharing personal information.
Show Notes:
- [0055] Jay Jones introduces his work as The Profiler and explains how he helps companies and job seekers protect themselves from fake recruiters, fake jobs, impersonation, and online risk.
- [01:23] Jay shares how being laid off in December 2023 led him to LinkedIn, where he quickly realized many of the recruiters contacting him were not real.
- [02:20] Fake recruiters often outnumber legitimate outreach because scam operations have dedicated teams sending generic messages around the clock.
- [03:23] The goal behind many fake recruiter messages is to collect personal data, steal money, or gather enough information to impersonate someone.
- [06:00] Scammers layer different tactics together, including fake background checks, resume-writing referrals, equipment-check scams, and fraudulent vendors.
- [07:40] The “Open to Work” banner can make job seekers easier targets because it signals vulnerability and invites unsolicited outreach.
- [08:36] Checking your inbox can quickly expose a fake recruiter who claims to have received an application you never actually submitted.
- [10:16] Job seekers need to stay vigilant by treating each opportunity as potentially risky until they can verify the recruiter, company, and posting.
- [11:06] Red flags include minimal connections, no company-related posts, no digital footprint, and recruiter profiles that only seem to exist on LinkedIn.
- [12:01] Email domains matter, especially when someone claims to work for a major company but contacts you from Gmail, Outlook, AOL, or another unrelated address.
- [13:26] Scam operations can involve people and organizations across multiple countries, with different levels of sophistication depending on the type of scheme.
- [14:44] Legitimate recruiters are paid by companies to find candidates, not by job seekers through resume-writing side businesses or upfront fees.
- [16:09] Engagement pods and fake online credibility can make scammers look more legitimate than they are by inflating likes, comments, and followers.
- [17:16] Fake job postings often include copied descriptions, formatting errors, unrealistic salaries, conflicting remote-work details, or buried instructions to email outside the platform.
- [18:42] Requests for credit checks or background checks before an interview or offer are major warning signs, even though some legitimate jobs may require checks later in the process.
- [19:21] Fake interviews can be used to collect personal information, record a candidate’s face or voice, or gather intelligence about a previous employer.
- [20:53] Fake job offers often move unusually fast, rely only on email or chat, and may include equipment-check schemes designed to steal money and card information.
- [22:14] Asking detailed questions about benefits, recent hires, or company procedures can disrupt scammers because they often rely on prepared scripts.
- [23:36] Companies also face fake applicants, especially in technical and engineering roles where scammers may be trying to gain access to systems or data.
- [25:13] Anyone who has shared sensitive information with a fake employer should freeze their credit, set up alerts, and consider whether their phone number or personal data has been compromised.
- [26:18] Using a dedicated job-search email and a separate phone number can create a safer barrier between recruiting activity and personal information.
- [27:17] Jay describes why he began reporting fake profiles and job postings, and why he expected platforms to take the problem more seriously.
- [29:25] Jay discusses his ongoing friction with LinkedIn over fake job postings, scraped positions, and shell operations that insert themselves into the application process.
- [31:33] Jay shares his own experience with identity theft after discovering that a credit card had been opened in his name when he was young.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.