Scams aren’t what they used to be. These days, AI can write perfect emails, mimic voices, and even fake a video call so well you’d swear you were talking to the real person. The problem is, the timing of a scam can be just right when you’re distracted, busy, or looking for exactly what they’re offering. That’s when even the most careful person can get caught.

My guest, Ritesh Kotak, knows this world inside and out. He’s a cybersecurity analyst, an Ontario lawyer, and a tech innovator who’s worked with Fortune 500 companies and served in policing, where he helped start one of Canada’s first municipal cybercrime units. He’s got a BBA, MBA, and JD, all focused on privacy, cybercrime, and the way emerging tech impacts everyday life.

In our conversation, Ritesh explains how criminals are using AI as a weapon, how it can also be a shield, and why simple, low-tech steps, like having a secret phrase with family or confirming a request through a different channel, are still some of the best defenses. He even shares a close call he had himself, which is a good reminder that nobody’s immune when scams are this convincing.

• [00:50] Ritesh shares his background as a lawyer helping clients navigate AI, tech, and cybercrime.
• [01:18] His fascination with technology began at age three after taking apart his father’s computer.
• [03:59] In policing, Ritesh saw early signs of cybercrime blending with physical crime.
• [06:55] He demonstrates cybersecurity risks by live hacking a police chief, leading to the creation of a cybercrime unit.
• [09:16] A near-miss phishing scam involving discounted amusement park tickets highlights how timing plays a role.
• [15:14] Spoofed calls and evolving scam tactics make detection harder despite telecom safeguards.
• [17:09] Ritesh explains AI as both a sword for criminals and a shield for protection.
• [20:00] Generative AI enables flawless phishing emails, fake websites, and realistic deepfake audio and video.
• [28:00] Simple defenses like secret phrases and multi-channel verification can stop many scams.
• [31:45] Reporting scams to police can help investigations and sometimes recover funds.
• [33:17] Ritesh advocates for centralized fraud response centers to improve victim support.
• [36:45] Calling a lawyer can help victims navigate legal and civil remedies.
• [38:05] Final advice: pause, verify, and use low-tech habits to prevent high-tech crime.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

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Privacy in the digital age has grown from a background concern into one of the defining issues of our time. What began with simple questions about online safety has expanded into a complex, global conversation about how artificial intelligence, biometric data, and massive data ecosystems are reshaping daily life.

Pam Dixon has been at the center of these discussions for more than two decades. As the founder and executive director of the World Privacy Forum, she’s worked across the U.S., Europe, India, Africa, and beyond, advising governments, international organizations, and policymakers on how to create effective privacy protections. 

In this episode, Pam takes us through the history of modern privacy law, the ways different regions approach the challenge, and the new frontiers like collective privacy, AI governance, and health data that demand fresh thinking. She also offers a grounded perspective on how to build systems that safeguard individuals while still allowing innovation to thrive, and why getting those guardrails right now will shape the future of trust in technology. 

• [4:49] Pam identified privacy risks in early resume databases and produced a 50-page report on job boards, now known as job search platforms.
• [8:56] Pam now chairs the civil society work at OECD in AI, contributing to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Privacy Guidelines (first adopted in 1980).
• [11:17] The launch of the internet marked a major shift in privacy, transitioning from slower, isolated systems to globally connected networks.
• [11:46] Early adoption of the internet was limited to academia, government, and tech enthusiasts before reaching the public.
• [12:45] Privacy frameworks were built on Fair Information Practices, developed in the United States in the 1970s by the Health, Education, and Welfare Committee (later HHS).
• [15:58] GDPR was developed and enforced in 2018 with extraterritorial provisions applying to companies worldwide (General Data Protection Regulation, enacted in 2016 and enforced in 2018).
• [18:59] Large language models and deep machine learning advancements have created new and complex privacy challenges.
• [22:06] Some countries approach privacy with more flexibility and openness, while maintaining strong guardrails.
• [23:37] In June 2023, a University of Tokyo study on data privacy was presented at an OECD meeting, highlighting evolving global strategies.
• [26:30] Governments are working together on “data free flow with trust” to address cross-border data concerns.
• [28:09] Pam warns that AI ecosystems are still forming, and policymakers need to observe carefully before rushing into regulation.
• [28:31] She emphasizes the emerging issue of collective privacy, which impacts entire groups rather than individuals.
• [29:04] Privacy issues are complex and not linear; they require ongoing adaptation.
• [30:24] ChatGPT’s launch did not fundamentally change machine learning, but the 2017 transformer paper did, making AI more efficient.
• [31:53] Known challenges in AI include algorithmic bias related to age, gender, and skin tone.
• [33:07] Legislative proposals for privacy now require practical testing rather than theoretical drafting.
• [35:39] AI legislative debates often center on fears of harming innovation, but scientific data should guide regulation.
• [40:29] NIH reports caution participants in certain medical AI programs to fully understand risks before joining.
• [41:59] Some patients willingly share all their health data to advance medical research, while others are more cautious.
• [43:50] Tools for privacy protection are developing, but the field remains in transition.
• [48:56] Asia and Europe are leading in AI and privacy transitions, with strong national initiatives and regulations.
• [52:42] The U.S. privacy landscape relies on sector-specific laws such as HIPAA (1996) and COPPA (1998) rather than a single national framework.
• [54:48] Studies show that wealthy nations often have the least trust in their digital ecosystems, despite advanced infrastructure.
• [56:19] A little-known U.S. law, A119, allows for voluntary consensus standards in specialized areas, enabling faster innovation compared to ISO processes.
• [56:48] Voluntary standards can accelerate development in fields like medical AI, avoiding years-long delays from traditional approval processes.
• [57:32] An FDA case study on an AI-driven heart pump showed significant performance changes between initial deployment and later use, underscoring the importance of testing and oversight.

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Most of us think of scams as random or isolated or something that just happens to unlucky people. But what if the truth is far more organized, far more disturbing? Behind many of today’s scams is a global web of criminal enterprises, structured like corporations and fueled by technology, data, and billions of stolen dollars.

In this episode, we sit down with Ken Westbrook. Ken spent over three decades in the CIA before retiring, only to return to the fight after his own mother was targeted and lost most of her life savings to a tech support scam. That moment changed everything. He founded Stop Scams Alliance, a nonprofit on a mission to stop scams before they ever reach our devices. His approach? Building bridges between tech companies, banks, telecom, government, and consumer advocates to cut these criminal operations off at the source.

Ken brings a rare blend of intel experience and personal urgency to this issue. He breaks down what’s really going on behind the scenes, why the U.S. is falling behind in this fight, and how other countries are pushing back effectively. If you think this can’t happen to you or someone you love, think again. This conversation is a wake-up call.

• [00:58] Ken is the founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing scams in the United States.
• [01:21] They are focused on the left of the boom or before the scam happens.
• [01:43] Ken served for 33 years in the CIA. 
• [02:28] We learn how Ken's mother was scammed on Valentine's Day of 2023. He started looking into these scams, and he was horrified. 
• [03:19]  As a nation, we need to do better to defend ourselves. Ken came out of retirement to do just that.
• [03:32] His board of directors has a lot of government officials who decided to join the fight. We are literally under attack by foreign organized crime, and we're not doing enough to protect ourselves.
• [04:03] 21 million Americans are scammed each year.
• [04:45] The number of scam and fraud victims are increasing.
• [05:15] It's become a business, and the scammers are getting better at what they do.
• [06:36] How Chinese criminal gangs shifted from casinos to scamming operations. People join voluntarily or are sometimes kidnapped.
• [07:24] It's also expanding around the world.
• [10:12] The British government actually has a scam czar. So does Australia. They have a strategy and a fraud policy.
• [12:08] You think you're talking to the IRS or your bank, but you're not.
• [13:45] Having a whitelist for financial advertising. Other countries are finding value in authenticating, maybe the United States should pay attention.
• [15:36] Scammers love to get people on the telephone. In many countries, telecom companies will block spoofing calls from other countries. 
• [16:47] We need authenticated text messages in the US.
• [17:42] We have more companies and free enterprise, so it's more complicated in the US.
• [19:35] We need somebody in charge. It's an economic war with transnational organized crime.
• [22:34] Fake investment scams are the number one scam when it comes to losses.
• [27:46] Ken shares what happened in his mom's case. It was a tech support scam. His mom clicked on an obituary site and scareware popped up.
• [30:08] The whole point is to get you to call a fake 1-800 number that you think is Microsoft.
• [30:51] The Phantom hacker was able to look up where she banked by using her phone number. Then they put her in touch with the fake fraud department at the bank.
• [32:11] Then they sent her to Home Depot to buy gift cards and then cashier's checks.
• [33:55] Fortunately the banks intervened, but she still lost a lot of money.
• [36:38] We need to realize that we're being attacked by Chinese cyber criminals.
• [39:38] People under the age of 50 are falling victim to scams more than the elderly people.
• [41:31] The average loss last year of an older person was $83,000. Older people are being targeted because of their demographic.
• [43:31] Criminals micro-target just like advertisers.
• [44:04] We all need to be aware of the threats out there. If you get a call that you're not expecting, always assume it's not legitimate.
• [45:21] Be wary of links.

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It’s easy to think of fraud prevention as a technical problem with a software solution. But according to Brian Davis, effective fraud defense is just as much about people, trust, and communication as it is about tools and data. With over a decade of experience, Brian has built fraud teams from scratch, shaped company-wide strategy, and helped growing startups shift from reactive to proactive risk management.

Brian is the Head of Fraud at Dodgeball, where he’s helping bring their orchestration platform to market, and the founder of House of Fraud, an invite-only community where top fraud professionals collaborate and share intel. He’s seen firsthand how fraudsters adapt quickly, and how internal misalignment or a lack of education can leave companies vulnerable. His layered approach focuses on understanding how business systems are abused and using that knowledge to design smarter defenses.

In this episode, Brian shares his journey into the fraud space, explains why internal politics often matter more than policy, and offers a real-world breakdown of how fraud teams can gain traction and build trust. Whether you're running a digital subscription business, a fintech platform, or an e-commerce store, this conversation will help you think more clearly about why you’re a target and what you can do to make your organization harder to hit.

• [00:50] Brian is the head of fraud at Dodgeball Fraud Orchestration Platform. 
• [01:15] We learn how Brian noticed something was off about 10 years ago when he was working for an accounting client.
• [02:01] He loved accounting, but as he got his master's degree, he started focusing on entrepreneurship and fraud.
• [02:45] He worked in accounting for a year and then became the first fraud hire of an e-commerce company.
• [03:30] Then he built out teams to help businesses combat fraud.
• [04:07] He's now on the vendor side of fraud prevention, and he does consulting and runs The Fraud Space community.
• [05:18] Brian likes the dynamic aspect of always having to solve a problem. Micro patterns pop up that can be connected to bigger patterns.
• [06:47] Most people are willing to help the fraud department, because it gets them what they want.
• [09:20] Issues that arise when doing a really good job in the fraud department and justifying the expense.
• [11:05] When coming into a new company, the areas where Brian starts looking for fraud.
• [12:04] The first step is to understand how the company makes decisions. He then begins with a surface map. How does a user interact with your site for an outcome?
• [16:29] Where the larger threats are coming from.
• [18:49] Understanding the fraudster's criminal journey and where they choose to attack.
• [25:25] Founders who have previously been hurt by fraud asked more questions.
• [28:20] Behaviors that might actually attract fraud.
• [30:58] How referral programs can attract fraud.
• [40:29] There are many similarities between the different types of fraud and the tools used across multiple industries.
• [41:23] Has Brian ever been the victim of a scam?
• [42:28] A fraud story purchasing sporting tickets through marketplace.
• [49:12] The pitfalls of passwords and password hygiene.

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Everyone’s talking about AI these days, especially in cybersecurity. Sure, artificial intelligence can boost your defenses, but cybercriminals have noticed too. Now they're crafting phishing emails so believable it’s scary and finding clever paths around spam filters while zeroing in on vulnerabilities you didn’t even realize were there. 

Today, Aviad Hasnis joins the show. He's the CTO of Cynet Security and spent years running cybersecurity missions for the Israeli Defense Forces. Aviad’s here to help us figure out what the changing threat landscape really means, whether you're leading a corporate giant or just trying to keep your small business safe.

From passwords getting scooped up to VPN setups from a decade ago that no one updated, Aviad’s seen just about everything go wrong. He also explains why copy-pasting AI-generated code might open you up to attacks you never saw coming. He’s big on education, common sense, and making sure you’re using multiple security layers. These days even one slip-up can give attackers exactly what they're looking for. Aviad also walks us through supply chain vulnerabilities and why they should keep you up at night.

Whether you're the CISO of a Fortune 500 company or you’re running a small team with Bob, the go-to tech person juggling 18 other tasks, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you avoid the next big cybersecurity headache. While AI might be reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, staying secure still comes down to thoughtful planning, human judgment, and making sure someone you trust has your back.

• [01:08] Aviad has been Cynet's Chief Technology Officer for the past five years. Prior to that, he worked in cyber security for the Israeli Army.
• [02:18] He was always fascinated with computers and technology. When Iran had a technology problem, he realized that cybersecurity was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
• [03:19] Aviad shares a story about his friend's mother being exposed to a scam. She received a phone call from someone pretending to be a police officer. She even installed different executables on her laptop. She didn't realize she was being victimized until she transferred over five grand.
• [06:07] Social engineering is one of the most dominant ways to gain access.
• [08:39] The security implications of using AI.
• [09:30] It's important to have guardrails with how you use AI.
• [10:28] If you're just copying and pasting code you may copy something that could be vulnerable to exploits.
• [11:16] People need to be aware of the types of risk and educate themselves.
• [12:49] Conversations at the C-suite level for implementing AI.
• [13:43] The challenge is to harness AI the right way without replacing people.
• [15:18] It's important to use critical thinking when creating with AI.
• [16:04]  AI is helping security by allowing people to consult and get information. You can also introduce vulnerabilities into your application if you just copy and paste from chat GPT without knowing the context.
• [17:05] The bad guys can also use AI.
• [17:56] AI has improved the quality of phishing scams.
• [21:36] Where organizations are missing out when it comes to sniffing out threats. This includes VPNs and SaaS or cloud. 
• [22:52] Employees could be using their home computers to connect to the company VPN and then their kids might download some malware or trojan. Companies need to use two-factor authentication when it comes to VPNs.
• [24:11] Email phishing can be another way to steal credentials.
• [27:54] The most effective approach is security layers.
• [30:40]  Another security measure is creating profiles where we know where you're logging in from.
• [33:35] Is this doom and gloom for small businesses?
• [34:48] The best solution for small businesses would be to find a company with an all-in-one solution.
• [37:11] The importance of being proactive, so you can act quickly if you see something suspicious.
• [38:24] How the move to the cloud affects security.
• [39:08] Shifting to the cloud is safer.
• [44:20] New threats on the horizon include threat actors utilizing AI. They love to get control of remote applications.

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Writers pour their hearts into their work, but unfortunately, that passion can make them prime targets for scams. From fake agents and vanity publishers to slick marketing schemes and social media impersonators, the tactics have only gotten more sophisticated over time. In this episode, we dig into the murky world of publishing scams and how they work and who they target. Along with why even experienced authors can get caught off guard.

Today’s guest is Victoria Strauss. Victoria is the author of nine fantasy and historical novels for adults and teens, and she’s also the co-founder of Writer Beware, a watchdog group sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Drawing from decades of experience, Victoria shares red flags to watch out for, practical steps authors can take to protect themselves, and eye-opening stories of deception that highlight just how easy it is to get pulled in.

This conversation is about awareness and empowerment. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a seasoned author, you’ll learn how to do your due diligence, where to turn for trustworthy resources, and how to avoid becoming an easy target in a complex industry. With tools like Writer Beware, Victoria equips authors to stay vigilant, protect their creative work, and steer clear of costly traps.

• [01:00] Victoria shares her background including publishing nine novels. She's a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, which is the sponsor of Writer Beware.
• [01:49] Writer Beware was formed with Victoria and a colleague when they became interested in writer scams.
• [03:36] When it first began, the most common scams for fee-charging literary agents and scam editing referrals.
• [04:25] Most current scams are digital and focus on self-publishers.
• [05:11] We learn what a vanity publisher is.
• [06:22] How self-publishers do everything a writer does and everything a publisher does.
• [10:34] One marker for a scam can be solicitation and out-of-the-blue emails.
• [12:42] A lot of people offer services like cover design when they don't really have the experience or expertise. Research anyone you're going to hire and their experience.
• [15:50] Look for what to cover in a contract, such as keeping your copyright. Watch out for scam registration services.
• [17:36] A DM scam where the scammer impersonates a writer and offers a marketing service recommendation.
• [22:21] Be aware and understand what the risks are and what to look for.
• [23:52] Evaluating opportunities. 
• [26:16] Use a credit card and report any problems. 
• [27:51] The newest scams are usually on social media.
• [28:40]  A crazy story about a literary agent who is charging upfront fees and even accepted fees for a conference and then faked her own death.
• [30:39] A cautionary tale of how a publishing marketing company from the Philippines scammed authors out of millions of dollars.

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What if your social media success was built on deception, and it was working? In today’s episode, we hear from someone who knows exactly how that happens. Tim O’Hearn is a former software engineer and the author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media, a book that pulls back the curtain on how follower factories, automation, and persuasive technologies have shaped the online world we now take for granted. Tim doesn’t just theorize, he built these systems himself.

Tim walks us through how his small side gig growing Instagram accounts evolved into a lucrative business, one that constantly navigated the blurry line between innovation and breaking platform rules. He opens up about the clever strategies he used to avoid detection and psychological hooks that made these methods so effective, as we explore the deeper consequences of social media’s addictive nature. 

We’ll also explore the hidden risks businesses and individuals face when they obsess over metrics and follower counts instead of genuine connections, and why most people don’t even realize they're caught up in this trap.  Whether you're running a business, casually browsing, or just trying to figure out the complicated world of online attention, this conversation will give you a rare peek behind the curtain. And as you’ll find out, stepping away from it all might not be as straightforward as you'd think.

• [01:12] Tim recently published Framed: A Villain's Perspective on Social Media, a book that shares his journey from breaking the rules on social media to getting millions of followers for his clients.
• [02:15] We learn a little bit more about the beginnings of spamming the Internet and increasing online presence, including MySpace and Instagram, which evolved into getting more followers.
• [04:14] This created social proof and the possibility of higher conversion rates.
• [05:09] Increasing followers using botnets or fake followers. Organic growth and interacting with accounts that might follow or like. 
• [08:35] Tim's business was Shark Social, where he bent the rules to get followers for clients. 
• [09:53] The technical side of his operation. Proxies were used to mask their tracks. 
• [12:30] Social media services have taken efforts to stop things like follower growth services.
• [14:54] Risks for businesses using social media growth platform services. It's against TOS, and your account can get banned.
• [18:36] Systems Tim built to target consumers using social media. The goal was to get users to spend more time on the app.
• [20:50] Thresholds for annoying users. It was shocking how many people allowed push notifications and other annoying things.
• [22:54] How social media affects Tim. 
• [26:11] We learn how he feels about the influencer culture and promoting his book on TikTok. 
• [27:14] Advice for business owners, including these services, may not get you more business. Pause before doing too much.
• [28:48] Individuals should focus on conversions. 

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What if you could stop a scam in real-time before the damage is done? In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Stapleton, an investigative journalist and the face behind Scam Interceptors, the BAFTA award-winning BBC series that exposes online fraud and steps in to protect victims as scams unfold. 

Nick brings a decade of undercover documentary experience to his current mission: fighting digital deception and empowering everyday people to stay safe. He shares jaw-dropping stories from the front lines, including the near miss that almost caught him off guard, and breaks down the complex operations behind everything from romance scams to global scam compounds. 

As the author of How to Beat Scammers, Nick also gives practical advice on how to recognize red flags and build your own defense against a rising tide of fraud.

• [01:06] Nick presents a show called scam interceptors for the BBC. He also does scam advice on a chat show called Morning Live. He also wrote a self-help book about How To Beat Scammers.
• [01:59] We learn how Nick got into the space. He began in investigative journalism and hidden camera work and now 5 years later Scam Interceptors is his full-time job.
• [06:17] He came very close to becoming a victim of a scam, because a lot of scammers try to get him. 
• [14:30] About 300,000 accounts a day get hacked on Meta.
• [15:10] There are things you can enable on Meta to help protect your account.
• [16:43] In the UK scammers rarely go to prison.
• [17:18] When he first started the series the scale of some of the scam operations out there really shocked him.
• [18:43] There can be 200 people working in a scam call center.
• [20:52] A lot of the people who run pig butchering scams are indentured slaves.
• [24:12] They would even hire models to have video conversations with potential scam victims.
• [25:22] Why local governments don't break up these scam centers.
• [26:38] It's difficult to motivate the authorities when the victims aren't from that country.
• [29:21] APP refunds in the UK. In most cases we need to be aware and protect ourselves.
• [30:52] Assume everything out of the blue is fake. Come from a position of skepticism.
• [35:04] When investigations go wrong filming the show and they lose people to scams.
• [39:10] When the show first began, sometimes the people they were trying to stop from being scammed thought they were the scammer.

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What happens when the drive to succeed masks deep emotional wounds and addiction? In this episode, Jonathan Schwartz shares a powerful and painfully honest account of how his life unraveled. 

Once one of Hollywood’s most trusted financial advisors, Jonathan worked with icons like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Gwyneth Paltrow. On the surface, he had it all. But underneath the success was a secret struggle with gambling and drug addiction that led him to steal millions from the very clients who trusted him most. 

His fall from grace was dramatic and public, ending in a prison sentence and the loss of everything he had built. But that wasn’t the end of his story. Today, Jonathan is sober and rebuilding his life with purpose. As Program Director at Altus Rehab, he now helps others find their own way out of addiction and shame. His story is raw, real, and full of hard-earned wisdom for anyone who has ever felt like they couldn’t ask for help.

• [01:30] Jonathan is a different person from who he was. He grew up in Upstate New York and his father left when he was four. His mom had a lot of stress and took it out on him which created childhood trauma.
• [03:34] Accounting was the subject that he was good at.
• [05:02] Eventually, his cousin gave him a job working in Los Angeles for celebrities.
• [06:33] In 2004, he became a partner in GSO business management. He got a break when Linkin Park was looking for someone in business management. Their success opened up the floodgates.
• [08:37] He began getting more and more A-list clients.
• [09:04] In 2010, he became addicted to gambling.
• [10:01] This eventually led to embezzlement from his celebrity clients. He placed the bet with this bookie everyday for 6 years.
• [13:48] He ended up embezzling about 7 million dollars.
• [14:12] When he stopped gambling he had suicidal ideation.
• [17:05] He always intended to pay the money back.
• [19:37] Jonathan shares a time when the bank wanted to call Alanis. 
• [21:03] There was a point when his partners started to notice something wasn't right.
• [22:04] In 2015 he was fired by Alanis, but he continued to give his attention to his A-list clients.
• [24:42] He didn't want to expose anyone to the fact that he was committing crime. He never told a soul.
• [25:07] The dark secret was eating him inside, and he also had to deal with his unresolved trauma.
• [27:12] How Jonathan had to come clean with his wife, because he was scheduled for a lie detector test.
• [28:48] After failing the test, he was facing 23 years in prison. He negotiated a four to six year plea agreement.
• [31:14] He ended up being released early because of COVID.
• [32:11] He struggled to get a job and ended up going back to school, and now he's a marriage and family therapist with an emphasis on addiction and trauma.
• [34:00] In prison he had the opportunity to reflect on his bad decisions and read a lot of books.
• [36:33] He's proud to be sober and a nerd. His trauma is resolved, and he gets to help people in treatment not make the same mistakes that he made.
• [41:34] Celebrities today need to understand not to trust their business manager so quickly and to make sure that they're proactive in their financial affairs and that they're asking for source documents.
• [42:11] Audit your business manager with some level of frequency.
• [48:43] Don't go out and spend all your money. Treat your first dollars as your last dollars.
• [50:56] Jonathan has a book coming out in about 12 months.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

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People used to think fraud was something that happened in the shadows, rare, distant, and mostly affecting big companies. But after talking to PJ Rohall, it’s clear that fraud is evolving fast, and it’s showing up in places most of us don’t even think to look.

In this episode, I sit down with PJ Rohall, Head of Fraud Strategy and Education at SEON and co-founder of About Fraud. PJ’s work is all about staying ahead of scammers and helping businesses and individuals understand how fraud actually works. From synthetic identities and AI-powered scams to account takeovers and refund fraud, he breaks it all down in a way that’s both eye-opening and surprisingly accessible.

We talk about how fraudsters think, what makes people vulnerable, and why collaboration is one of the best defenses we have. PJ shares practical tips, real-world examples, and some of the patterns he’s seeing that everyone should be aware of. Whether you run a business or just want to better protect yourself online, this conversation might change the way you think about trust, technology, and the digital world we live in.

• [00:52] PJ Rohal is a co-founder of About Fraud and Fraud Fight Club, which is our in conference, in-person experience. He started that back in 2017, but his fraud prevention journey started back in 2011.
• [02:45] He began studying finance and business. He had some mental health issues and was open to trying something different when he saw a job for a fraud analyst.
• [06:22] His experience transferred really well into the entrepreneurial journey.
• [11:13] It's in the best interest of everyone to collaborate and share tips and tricks when trying to prevent fraud.
• [13:05] Everybody is open or vulnerable to being a victim of a scam. There shouldn't be a stigma around it.
• [14:51] It's powerful to see even tech savvy people being victims of scams.
• [17:20] How a contextually relevant scam could actually get you.
• [21:16] It's PJ's dream to get outside of his bubble and help educate the community the best he can.
• [23:43] Two-factor authentication codes have changed, because they give warnings and instructions for the consumer now.
• [28:45] People with platforms could get the word out about the risk of scams.
• [34:30] Getting fighting scams to the front and center is a challenge.
• [36:57] Handling calls from people who've lost large amounts of money in a scam. Having a psychologist or people who understand human behavior would really help with this journey.
• [40:39] Banks and financial institutions are starting to think differently about handling these issues.
• [41:05] There's also a lot of technology on the market that's designed for scams.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

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• SEON
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•  [email protected]