Scam Rangers

In this episode of Scam Rangers, we sit down with Ken Westbrook, a former member of the US intelligence community, as he shares the story that sparked his mission to combat online scams. Ken opens up about his mother's unfortunate encounter with online criminals and how it inspired him to take action. With the founding of Stop Scams Alliance, Ken discusses his efforts to drive change at the nation...

In the first episode of Season 2 of Scam Rangers, we dive into the perspective of a Fraud Strategy leader in a US financial institution.  What is the difference between dealing with traditional account takeover fraud (unauthorized payments) and online scams (authorized payments) from the perspective of serving and retaining customers? What are the considerations leadership should take into ac...

In this episode we take a look at the activity around regulation with regards to online scams in the US, UK and Australia, following comprehensive analysis done by Ken over the last year. The overall outlook is pretty positive. We see a lot of good attention, especially in the UK, and we are optimistic about the future of protecting consumers. However, there is still a lot more to be done. To lear...

In this episode we talk to Gabi Friedlander at Wizer about how financial institutions can create effective awareness to educate their customers on online scams, and how educating kids in school about basic concepts of online safety can help prevent scams later in life, such as romance scams, investment scams, sextortion and phishing, to name a few. At the end of the episode Gaby provides...

In this fascinating episode of Scam Rangers we discuss the atmosphere that allowed the evolution of  financial grooming, AKA Pig Butchering scams, as well as how these scams have evolved over time and the trajectory in which they are going. Despite a number of arrests and crackdowns, the picture is not pretty.  Additional Resources mentioned in the podcast:  CloudSEK report about th...

After completing his military service of 26 years in the US Military, Bryan Denny was approached one day via LinkedIn, where he opened a profile to start his job search, by a women who thought she was in a relationship with him. She was scammed by a criminal who stole Bryan's photos and created a fake profile to lure women into relationships and then ask for money. This incident, which happened in...

If you are a bank fraud fighter or in law enforcement, you will not want to miss this fascinating episode. Anne and Cecilie both share their personal romance scam stories and how they had to face the realities and aftermath of emotional and financial trauma, as well as judgment from society and authorities. They decided to turn their experience into a bold movement and Founded LoveSaid, a non prof...

In this episode of Scam Rangers, we delve into the troubling world of romance scams and identity theft victims. Our guest, Kathy Waters, shares her insights into these scams and her advocacy work in supporting victims while pushing for regulatory changes on online platforms. Key Takeaways: 1. Deception in Romance Scams: Kathy explains how scammers use stolen identities to create elaborate love sto...

In this Episode, Alan and Ayelet discuss the psychology behind the human traits scammers prey on to scam victims, and the pos-scam emotions of isolation and shame victims experience. Resources: Article in Psychology today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/metacognition-and-the-mind/202104/fool-me-once-why-scams-leave-people-feeling-foolish News story on therapist coerced into a scam: https:...

In this episode we share a remarkable journey of resilience, empowerment, and the fight against romance scams. Join us as we explore the inspiring story of RUTH GROVER, who transformed her experience as a target of a romance scam into a powerful mission to help others. Ruth founded "Scam Haters Untied," an organization dedicated to rescuing victims and turning them into survivors. In this cap...

In this eye-opening episode, we dive into the intricate world of Business Email Compromise (BEC), a sophisticated cybercrime that preys on individuals and organizations. Join us as we uncover the tactics employed by scammers, from romance scam victims turned accomplices to the dark realm of gift card fraud and cryptocurrency conversion. We explore the psychological manipulation that drives scammer...

In this revealing episode, we sit down with Assaf, a former member of Fakebook's integrity team, to explore the complexities of combating scams and fraud on social media platforms. Assaf shares candid insights into the challenges faced by the team in preserving user safety while maintaining platform integrity. We delve into shutting down fake accounts, the impact on PR on the team's work and the i...

Join Erin West, a District Attorney from Santa Clara County, CA, and Alona Katz, a DA representing Manhattan, NYC, as they confront the pressing challenges within the legal system when it comes to combating a new breed of crime: crypto investment scams, also known as "Financial Grooming" or the notorious alias of "Pig Butchering." In this episode, they candidly discuss the complexities involved in...

In this episode we shed light on the rising issue of robocalls and scam calls, untangling the complex web of technology, regulations, and telco motivations. Explore the advanced tools and methods employed to detect and thwart these deceitful calls, while understanding the vital role regulations play in enabling effective action. But the battle doesn't end there. Dive deeper with us as we uncover t...

In this episode Tiffany Paulsen and Ayelet Biger-Levin dive into the delicate balance a fraud investigator needs to maintain in order to work with scam victims to untangle the emotional manipulation a cybercriminal/ scammer took them through. Tiffany explains her approach which is infused with both empathy and facts to help victims come back from a scam. This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levi...

Join us for an informative episode as we explore the world of online scams and gain insights from the e-Fraud Global Forum at RSA Conference. Our guest, Uri Rivner, CEO of Refine Intelligence, shares his expertise on the challenges faced by institutions in detecting scams and the operational aspects of resolving cases. We discuss the role of mule accounts in scams and their implications. Discover...

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Jorij Abram, the CEO of Scamadviser and General Manager of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), talks about his journey into fighting scams and shares some valuable insights about the scams landscape. Jorij discusses the common types of scams, including online shopping and investment scams, and stresses the importance of knowledge sharing and collaboration in the...

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Nicola shares his journey in fighting scams and talks about how victims are not getting enough help or understanding from law enforcement. He also talked about his vision for Cybera, a company that provides a platform to help victims of financial crimes. The discussion emphasized the importance of collaboration and technology in preventing scams and the need for pu...

In episode 13 of Scam Rangers podcast, we chat with Frank McKenna, a fraud and scam fighter with 30 years of experience. We discuss the use of technology in combination with social engineering tactics to execute online scams, including bots, voice imitation, and deep fakes. Frank emphasizes the need for proactive measures to stop fraudulent transactions, and the importance of being passionate abou...

In this episode, we're joined by special guests Didi and Lital, hosts of The Didi & Lital show, to discuss the most defenseless side of fraud - the tens of thousands of individuals falling victim to scams. Lital is the CMO of Hunters and Didi is a CTO at Oort. W also dive into the differences and similarities between cybersecurity and the fraud industry, the latest fraud trends, and best defen...

In this episode we define what social engineering is and how it is used to manipulate scam victims into giving money away to criminals. We talk about what happens in our brain and different concepts such as mirroring, leveraging cognitive biases and the human nature of kindness and helpfulness. We review stories shared by guests from previous episodes such as Erin West , Matt Friedman , Chris Salg...

In this episode I introduce the scam lifecycle - all the steps that a scam victim goes through from the first call or message all the way until monetary recovery is attempted by law enforcement. The reality is that is not the end of scam victims at all. There are long lasting emotional effects that must be addressed as well. I discuss education, regulation, parties who have touch points across the...

In episode 9 of Scam Rangers, our guest Ian Mitchell, a 25-year fraud fighter, shares his journey in the fight against human crime, including scams, child exploitation, and elder abuse. He explains how Knoble and MissionOmega are working towards their mission of preventing fraud and empowering people. We also discuss how scams often intersect with other forms of criminal activity, such as sex and...

In Episode 8 of Scam Rangers we address scams that abuse large brands to create trust with victims and manipulate them into taking action quickly. Some examples are address confirmation scams, account charge scams and account lockout scams, all designed to drive a quick response and give away personal or financial information to criminals. Abigail Bishop gives concrete advice to online merchants o...

In Episode 7 of Scam Rangers we explore the manipulation tactics of romance scams, fake job scams and others. Chris Salgado , a private investigator with over 20 years of experience in both cyber and physical investigations, handles a wide range of investigations. He explains the role of a private investigator piece in the puzzle of scam investigation. Chris shares his expertise on how private inv...