Easy Prey

Most of us would not consider ourselves to be an easy target for a predator. But we may be communicating signs that we're unaware of. Today's guest is Mike Mandel.

Mike's career has covered many different fields from stage performer, trainer, psycho-therapist, martial arts instructor, writer, and corporate speaker. Mike is a renowned hypnotist with 18 nominations and 6 awards for excellence in entertainment and is also considered an expert in the unique martial art of British Jiu Jitsu. He has trained both law enforcement and security personnel and boasts a diverse client list that includes Microsoft, Scotia Bank, and the Department of Defense. He has been featured on both British and Australian television, profiled in numerous publications including Martial Arts Illustrated, I Spy Magazine, and Toronto Star.

• [1:07] - Mike shares his background as a hypnotist and training in British Jiu Jitsu. He is a forensic hypnotist that works on murder cases and has spoken at colleges and universities.
• [2:03] - When he was younger, Mike admits that he was far too trusting. He went into business with a business partner who turned out to be a psychopath.
• [3:09] - Before the issues with his business partner were revealed, Mike had an experience on a plane with him getting suddenly angry about his handwriting. Now, as a graphologist, Mike knows now that his writing was a clue.
• [4:51] - After dealing with overwhelming stress, Mike reached out to a friend and former colleague who is a forensic psychiatrist who said that he was taken in by a highly functioning psychopath.
• [5:46] - This experience led Mike to studying psychopathy and he now does lectures on the topic, specifically signs in handwriting.
• [6:30] - The terms psychopath and sociopath are used synonymously.
• [7:01] - Mike shares that there are many psychopaths who are immensely successful and some are in the armed forces. Generally speaking, they can rise to the top with ease because they don't have the same fears as an average person.
• [7:52] - Mike describes psychopaths as grandiose and good at luring people into their presentation.
• [8:23] - There was a study done on psychopaths in the prison system where they were shown the same video of random people walking on the street and asked who they would target. They all chose the same person.
• [9:18] - Psychopaths are very good at hiding their true selves and are extremely patient in waiting for their opportunity.
• [10:27] - Psychopaths are so good at what they do. Mike shares that he has known detectives and psychiatrists who have been fooled.
• [11:30] - Mike doesn't think that psychopathy can be "fixed" as their brains simply do not process things the same way.
• [13:02] - Almost every scam that Chris has heard of has some sort of emotional connection.
• [14:19] - We need close friends in our lives, but the scary thing for Mike was that the psychopath that tricked Mike was a close friend.
• [15:45] - The first tip Mike has is to be aware of your surroundings at all times. This awareness is also important in your online surroundings.
• [17:18] - Mike shares a story about what he calls his "spider sense."
• [18:02] - Mike describes a color system he has that illustrates a way to condition yourself in being cautious and aware of your surroundings.
• [20:31] - The Witching Hour is a window of time between 11:00pm and 3:00am that your chances of being in a violent encounter are higher than other times of the day and night.
• [22:50] - We don't want to be paranoid, because if our spider senses are set too high then real problems are indistinguishable from the background.
• [25:11] - Mike describes self defense versus self protection.
• [27:40] - While in public, Mike is always assessing situations and never putting himself into a position that someone could surprise him.
• [29:14] - You want to make it that it is an unconscious response.
• [30:07] - Mike describes the different proximities and how safety comes through distance.
• [32:17] - When asked about the prisoner study where psychopaths would pick the same people to target, Mike shares that one of the things they picked up on was an asymmetrical walk.
• [33:51] - Mike describes how our level of confidence is apparent in our body language and many people seem to have a target on them because of, what Mike calls, a "victim signal."
• [34:45] - Avoid everything and every place if it doesn't feel right.
• [35:52] - Chris and Mike make the connection between real-life and online targeting.
• [37:01] - They use the psychological trick of appealing to scarcity and urgency. We are all vulnerable to these things even if we know about them.
• [40:20] - Mike shares a story about an experience with his online business being harassed by a client.
• [41:12] - The way you disconnect from someone is to ignore and disconnect them. If you tell them over and over again that you're not going to communicate, you are in fact communicating with them.
• [42:44] - Get toxic people out of your life. When you see signs of someone in your life that you feel are "off," you need to be prepared to fire people out of your life.
• [43:47] - Mike explains how the traits in the writing of the psychopath that was in his life stood out to him and shares how specific features look.
• [45:08] - The "Felon's Claw" is a trait of handwriting that indicates that someone feels guilty.
• [47:37] - Mike's final piece of advice is that you can't change a psychopath and you will likely come across one in your life. The revenge that we have as healthy, functional people is to not obsess over them.

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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Data privacy has often been an after-thought in software and platform development. Data breaches have increased consumer awareness and laws such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) have been enacted. Programmers and engineers need to think about what data they are collecting, how it is being stored and accessed, and how it is shared to protect their end users.

Today's guest is Nishant Bhajaria. Nishant leads the technical privacy and strategy teams for Uber that include data scientists, engineers, privacy experts, and others as they seek to improve data privacy for the consumers and the company. Previously, he worked in compliance, data protection and privacy at Google. He was also the head of privacy engineering at Netflix. He is a well-known expert in the field of data privacy, has developed numerous courses on the topic, and has spoken extensively at conferences and on podcasts.

• [1:09] - Nishant shares his background and how he got started in the field of data privacy. He started at Intel and explains the changes in data collection in the early 2010s.
• [2:47] - Nishant started in the field "before it was cool," because of his strengths as an engineer and writer.
• [3:33] - GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and Nishant describes what this law means and how it came about in Europe.
• [4:47] - CCPA is the US's approach and first step into data privacy laws.
• [5:53] - Consent is going to be a big topic in 2021. Nishant describes how the events of the last decade have led to data privacy laws.
• [6:56] - Nishant points out that a problem with data privacy laws as they stand right now is that they are not written by people who have the technological and engineering background.
• [8:39] - The data privacy issues that have arisen in recent years did not happen all of a sudden. Nishant explains that many mistakes across the board have led to them.
• [9:00] - Nishant lists some of the conundrums and ethical questions that come up when discussing data privacy.
• [10:23] - One of the biggest problems with data privacy is the different understanding of what that means. European countries and the United States do not have the same understanding of what privacy is.
• [11:46] - Security features exist for very good reasons, but people are generally very impatient with them.
• [12:12] - Nishant gives an example of microdecisions that come in to play when data gets into the hands of the wrong person.
• [14:17] - Nishant gives an example of how some decisions, made by companies in response to GDPR, are making sure they are in compliance but are not always consumer friendly due to a lack of understanding of the law.
• [15:56] - The internet was not designed with privacy in mind. Privacy was an afterthought.
• [17:06] - Nishant describes the challenges that we face when consumers want to access apps and sites quickly and the domino effect that takes place.
• [18:29] - There was a huge systemic change in the workforce in the field of data privacy and data collection that Nishant describes was due to most people joining this career after 2009.
• [19:43] - A problem arose when engineers would think that they were always the ethical ones because they were collecting data or designing apps and platforms to collect data for the right reasons. But that isn't always how that data is used. More to Nishant's point that data collection needs to be regulated from the get go.
• [21:03] - Privacy is all about not accessing or using data without the owner's consent, but people don't realize how much can be known about someone just with combining easily accessible data online.
• [22:10] - We have built the internet for fast access and use. Customers sign up for a lot of access to sites and apps and don't think about the use of their data when they do.
• [24:31] - For companies that are small and don't have the legal teams to handle a privacy problem, Nishant says the first thing to do is to make sure you really need the information you are asking for from your customers.
• [25:27] - It is much easier to look at what you're collecting, the necessity of it all, and how that data could be compromised in the early stages because there's not a lot of data to dig into.
• [26:06] - Another tip from Nishant is to lean on tooling to build privacy at scale. He describes what this means with examples.
• [27:36] - Nishant also explains to make sure that the wall between the legal team and the engineering/privacy team is broken down. Those teams need to work in harmony.
• [29:10] - Chris and Nishant discuss the pitfalls of deleting data and the importance of consistency.
• [31:07] - Many companies cannot afford to go through a data breach or legal problem with data privacy.
• [32:10] - There is an economical factor to consider when collecting too much data or duplicate data that Nishant describes.
• [34:18] - When signing up for services, sites, or apps, consider why they are asking for the data they say they need. A social security number, for example, is not needed for a grocery delivery.
• [36:01] - As a result of the GDPR, companies are starting to be required to disclose the information of what consumers' data is used for.
• [36:28] - Nishant says that the biggest piece of advice he has for consumers is to always ask questions. At the end of the day, it is your data and you need to know what's happening with it.
• [37:56] - Apple specifically has built a really strong privacy standard for other companies to live up to.
• [40:01] - This time of Covid and the US's political events have changed the landscape of privacy and data collection and through this crisis, Nishant is confident that great ideas and positive change come through times of unrest.
• [41:37] - Regulators and lawmakers need the engineering support and need to be a part of our conversations regarding data privacy.
• [43:24] - Nishant hasn't met anyone that has thought that privacy is unimportant, but communicating the details and the prioritization is a different challenge.
• [45:16] - Privacy by Design is Nishant's book written to educate business owners, engineers, and CEOs that privacy is taken care of at the start instead of as an afterthought as a response to a problem.
• [47:31] - Regardless of your current understanding of technology, Nishant's book is a great read to better understand privacy and data collection.

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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Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity often with corresponding social media accounts, phone numbers, photos, and addresses targeting a specific victim for abuse or fraud. These catfishers are organized, patient, and have a playbook that they follow to gain the trust of their target over the course of weeks, months, or even years. Effective deceviers even get advice from other scammers on how to proceed for their own success.

Today's guest is David McClellan. David was an internet marketer and website builder for over ten years. He ran and executed SEO strategies for CNET where he added 1.4 billion visitors to the portfolio. He branched out as a visionary and entrepreneur 6 years ago when he created SocialCatfish.com. His website became the fastest growing company in Riverside, California and is an Inc 500 company.

• [1:10] - David shares his background as an internet marketer turned entrepreneur and the start of SocialCatfish.com.
• [2:01] - He and his business partner used to build websites and then flip them but discovered that there was no resource out there regarding catfishing. So they started the website and it was an immediate success.
• [3:34] - Once David and his business partner figured out how to monetize their site, they were speaking directly with their customers and hearing their stories.
• [4:21] - David also began a YouTube channel that shares real stories, interviews with scammers, and David even got his hands on a playbook used by scammers.
• [4:50] - There is also a Facebook watch group where people can upload pictures of "scammers" to look out for.
• [5:22] - Romance scams are part of catfishing. David explains the similarities.
• [6:19] - David shares one of the most upsetting client stories regarding a lawyer sending cash to Nigeria. But through it all, she was able to send a tracking device and use SocialCatfish.com to meet the real person behind the stolen photo.
• [8:47] - David shares another story of a client who lost her husband and survived cancer herself being scammed through online dating.
• [10:38] - Romance scammers, especially those overseas, will spend hours talking to someone everyday because if it results in thousands of dollars, that is a lot of money where they live.
• [11:35] - Another story of a client building a relationship with a scammer and who she thought was his daughter. She had been secluded from her friends and family and the scammer even told her to commit suicide.
• [13:29] - Effective scammers will seclude a victim from their friends and family using a convincing story and are very emotionally manipulative.
• [14:50] - A newer trend in romance scams is that scammers are now starting to send inexpensive gifts to victims such as balloons, flowers, and cheap jewelry to build trust.
• [15:51] - When interviewing scammers, David asks them what happens if they don't get money and the answer is that they always get money. They even refer to victims as clients.
• [16:40] - Another new trend is when scammers reveal themselves and convince the victim that they really did fall in love and need money to get out of their very poor country.
• [18:09] - David shares the noticeable differences between men and women who are victims of catfishing and romance scams.
• [21:01] - Although victims who are lonely, depressed, widowed, or divorced are the prime targets for scammers, David shares that even married people are being sucked into scams.
• [23:09] - Chris shares a story about a previous podcast guest using other people's videos in video chat is not always a reliable method of confirming identity.
• [24:19] - David explains that there is open source software available where he could record anything and make the people in the video say whatever he wants them to say.
• [25:25] - People whose images are stolen to use by scammers are victims, too. David also tries to help these people as well.
• [26:19] - David shares a story about a man who was catfished, convinced of their real identity, and killed the woman he thought the scammer was.
• [27:09] - If you are contacted randomly by a stranger, including games with chat features like Words with Friends, and someone ever asks you for some form of money, that is a big sign of a scammer.
• [28:05] - Scammers will also tend to try to get a victim to chat outside of the dating app so their profile does not get reported and taken down.
• [29:00] - Most of the time, scammers tend to start asking for money after about 90 days, but David says that sometimes they'll wait less time or more time before asking.
• [31:21] - Financial crimes seem not to have the same level of consequences when caught than in-person crimes. Many crimes like this are sometimes not even reported.
• [33:06] - It is not illegal to give somebody money. When it is reported to law enforcement, there's not much police can do. You should still report it, but it is a civil issue.
• [35:18] - David also shares that sometimes there are people in the United States that are helping scammers overseas.
• [37:39] - There's not enough education surrounding internet safety. Education is empowering.
• [38:51] - Chris shares an experience with his bank and how they are starting to be trained on making sure people are wiring money to someone they've actually met.
• [39:54] - We are seeing it more and more that bank employees are noticing and advising clients that they are likely being scammed.
• [41:22] - Social media sites and companies are getting better with helping educate people and prevent scams, but scammers are also getting better and more convincing.
• [44:05] - David has a private Facebook group called SCF Seekers which is all about information without judgment.

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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Many are resigned to stay silent about the pain of being scammed, but today's guest helps empower others by vulnerably communicating her experience and sharing specific warning signs.

Today's guest is Debby Montgomery Johnson. Debby is founder of The Woman Behind the Smile, Inc. She is a best-selling author, international speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host, former Air Force officer who served at the Pentagon, and is a woman on a mission. In her book The Woman Behind the Smile, she shares her personal experience with a love that turned to betrayal and financial disaster. She removes the mask of shame and shows others how to do the same.

• [1:07] - Debby shares the person she was before she was scammed. Her husband of 26 years had unexpectedly passed away, she had a varied career background, and is a mother and grandmother.
• [2:08] - After her husband passed away, she had to step up and run his business without a lot of training or knowledge.
• [3:05] - Debby had very little time to grieve as she would work her job and then go straight into managing her late husband's business.
• [3:59] - When her friends noticed that she was staying home so much to work on the business, they told her she needed to get out and "have a life." A friend recommended online dating.
• [4:56] - Debby was very transparent in her online dating profile. She stepped into it very carefully.
• [5:46] - Although Debby was very particular, she did eventually meet someone who caught her attention and that's how everything started.
• [6:43] - Debby explains that something that scammers do is try to take you off the dating sites to talk and Debby would talk to him on Yahoo Chat instead.
• [8:39] - After speaking with a psychologist later on, Debby was told that she likely never felt listened to based on her behaviors and she admits that Eric, the man she met online, did listen to her.
• [9:47] - Over two years of communicating with Eric, Debby felt listened to and shares that she had wonderful conversations through writing with him.
• [11:22] - At this point in time, Debby was familiar with online dating scams and never felt like anything sinister was going on.
• [12:23] - Debby began lending money to Eric as a way to help him through his jobs until he would get paid. He always promised to pay her back. The energy came from the sooner he finished a job, the sooner he would come home.
• [14:01] - The first red flag for Debby was when he asked her to set up a power of attorney and use Western Union to send him money.
• [15:43] - In addition to asking for money, Eric also was successful in further isolating Debby from her friends and family. Debby shares how her sons warned her against a relationship with Eric.
• [17:50] - After being married for so long, Debby wasn't ready for a physical relationship, but she was ready for a friendship. Eric turned into a confidante.
• [18:59] - Debby explains how she wanted to video chat with Eric but that he always had an excuse as to why he couldn't get online to do that.
• [20:13] - Eric continued to ask Debby for money for his issues with his international business. Looking back, she shares that it all seems so ridiculous but the urgency was overpowering.
• [21:01] - Debby admits that she did not have the large sums of money Eric needed and she dipped into retirement funds, sold jewelry, and even borrowed a very large sum from her parents.
• [23:47] - When asked if she would go back and change things if she could, Debby says she would actually let things happen the way they happened. She learned so much about herself during this time and is now able to help others.
• [25:36] - Chris shares a story that illustrates the lack of knowledge surrounding scams and security.
• [27:28] - When you think of an online romance scam, you'll think 'oh that will never happen to me.' That's not the point. It could happen to your mother, your daughter, or your best friend.
• [28:31] - Other victims that have been scammed reach out to Debby after reading her book and Debby has noticed that everyone's story is exactly the same. These scammers are very well trained.
• [29:59] - Debby's sons were very upset after the scam was revealed, but they also felt that they had not done their job to protect their mother as well.
• [30:54] - Eric and Debby had a lengthy conversation about forgiveness and he confessed that it all had been a scam.
• [32:13] - Initially Debby didn't believe Eric and asked for proof that it was a scam. They finally conducted a video chat and she saw the real person behind it all.
• [33:09] - Eric admitted that throughout the scam, he had started to feel real feelings for Debby and had to come clean.
• [34:30] - Debby went to the FBI and they told her that there was nothing they could do because he was not in the country.
• [36:04] - She told a new friend her story and through their conversation she discovered that the other woman's mother was also scammed. That was the moment Debby realized that she had a mission now.
• [38:14] - Debby was put in contact with an organization called Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams that has been working with victims and survivors all over the world.
• [41:08] - Chris and Debby discuss other popular scams that are happening that drain a lot of money from individuals and businesses.
• [43:02] - Chris references a past episode that also proved that many victims and survivors don't report things because of the embarrassment of being scammed.
• [45:01] - A friend of Debby's is now dating online and Debby shares that she can spot a scammer very quickly now and objectively helps her friend navigate different profiles.
• [47:36] - Many men have had their pictures used by scammers. And sometimes they are able to contact people who have been communicating with a scammer through their likeness and convince them that it is a scam.
• [49:03] - Debby and Chris discuss why many scammers use the likeness of people in the military.
• [51:10] - The first people you need to tell if you've been scammed this way is your family so you can have support and be surrounded by people who love you.
• [53:45] - Something more recent that is happening with the onset of more available video chat platforms is now scammers can steal videos and voice over to provide more convincing communication.
• [56:01] - All different age groups are hit by romance scams in different ways. Older generations are more reliant on Skype and Facetime but the younger generations are using different mobile apps like Snapchat and Instagram.
• [56:32] - When making a dating profile, do not list that you are widowed or divorced. It may make you a target.
• [57:35] - Don't put your business or any way to look up your finances on your dating profile.
• [58:21] - Pictures used in profiles can also be red flags. You can reverse Google the image and sometimes find that they're photos of a model or stock photo.
• [59:24] - If someone you are talking to is constantly international and can't get home, that is a romance scam red flag.
• [60:11] - Currently, money is being sent to scammers through cryptocurrency, gift cards, or even gaming platform credit.
• [61:45] - If you think you might be involved in a scam or know someone who is, Debby recommends you check out Anyscam.com or AgainstScam.org.
• [62:47] - Debby says you need to report everything and take the time to write down your story to get it out. Find someone who you trust and can help you move forward.
• [64:09] - Another sad reality of romance scams is that victims shut themselves off from love and dating again and isolate themselves from potential positive relationships.

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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Keeping children safe online is a concern for every parent. Children can have a technical skill that is far more advanced than their cognitive development and it is not easy to know how and what boundaries to set.

Today's guest is Susan McLean. Susan is Australia's foremost expert in the area of cyber safety and was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years. Widely known as The Cyber Cop, she was the first Victoria police officer appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people. In 2003, she was a Victoria Police Region 4 Youth Officer of the Year. She has also been awarded the National Medal and Victoria Police Service Medal. Susan established a consulting firm in March 2007 called Cyber Safety Solutions and has grown to be the most highly respected and in demand cyber safety consultancy in Australia.

Show Notes:

• [1:21] - Susan shares her background in law enforcement and her first online appointment was in 1994.
• [2:17] - She was led to America in her quest to learn as much as she could about cyber safety. The training she was a part of was The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Team training and more trainings in Texas.
• [3:35] - When Susan returned to Australia, she outlined a plan of action for law enforcement in Australia.
• [4:14] - When Susan's support retired, she lost all internal support at that time. Others claimed she was making things up to create a job opportunity and that because she was a woman, she couldn't do this job.
• [5:07] - Susan quit her job because she became passionate about this concern and took a risk in developing her own consultant agency. She works extensively with schools, parents, and teachers.
• [6:46] - Now, law enforcement takes cyber crime more seriously.
• [7:51] - Susan says that although there is acknowledgement of cyberbullying and online safety issues, there is still a lack of training of front line police officers.
• [8:50] - Susan describes JACKET teams in Australia and how it works in her country.
• [9:30] - The amount of arrests is phenomenal, but Susan would much rather there were no arrests because we can educate young people to not fall victim to these types of crimes.
• [10:27] - Susan shares that most arrests are made within Australia but that there are international crime gangs specifically in sex trafficking and sexual exploitation that are elsewhere.
• [12:08] - The statistics in Australia show that a quarter of all teens have been cyber bullied at some point. This can mean a lot of different things. It's almost always an extension of schoolyard bullying.
• [12:47] - Nude photos are also prominent and fit the definition of child exploitation offenses.
• [13:58] - To be an effective parent in the 21st century, you have to parent in the digital space.
• [14:43] - The internet is 100% an adult world that you are putting your child into. Risks cannot be removed but you can identify and limit the risk with boundaries for your child.
• [15:18] - Young people's technical skill far outweighs their cognitive and brain development. There is a massive gap between what they can actually do and what they can understand.
• [16:29] - Susan explains that if your child is under 13, you should be in complete control over everything your child does online.
• [17:33] - Start with one platform that you can manage when you feel they are ready for it. Constant monitoring and parent judgement on maturity is necessary.
• [19:01] - Susan recommends having a rule in place that you will check all accounts and devices a certain number of random days per month.
• [20:33] - Checking lists of friends and contacts, the child has to explain who they are to the parent's expectations. If you can't invite them over for dinner, they don't belong on their list.
• [21:55] - Susan shares how the majority of in-person sexual abuse or exploitation are with people the victim knows. But online, the majority are people who are unknown to the child or teen.
• [23:02] - If you are familiar with the person and are unsure if it is their real account, ask them.
• [24:27] - Parents also need to have conversations prior to online use to make sure their children are not being the ones doing the bullying.
• [25:45] - If you are the caretaker of any child or minor, you have to be aware that they are targets.
• [26:03] - Susan explains that the majority of inappropriate photos are taken in bedrooms and bathrooms with the doors closed. She shares examples of ways a parent can prohibit devices with cameras in those rooms.
• [27:48] - Especially during Covid, the limitation of devices and children online became difficult.
• [28:28] - One of the biggest mistakes parents make is giving their child or teen a phone thinking it will keep them safe. They are handy, but they are not safety devices.
• [30:18] - Susan also lists the other issues that come with extensive use of electronic devices, including posture, muscular and skeletal problems, and eye strain.
• [32:27] - Every adult has a responsibility to keep children safe on and offline.
• [34:34] - Susan recommends several websites for parent and child education on cyber safety that include games and kid friendly language.
• [37:59] - Susan is also the author of Sexts, Texts, and Selfies which is an internationally available book. The only changes based on the country are the laws and legislation.
• [40:12] - It is everywhere no matter the crime. Cyber safety is absolutely crucial.

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If you've got student loans, you feel the pressure of that financial obligation, but watch out. There are scammers looking to take advantage of your situation, offering student loan consolidation or elimination for a fee. Our guest today is Robert Farrington.

Robert is founder of The College Investor. He has been featured in many media outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, ABC and NBC News. As America's millennial money expert and America's student loan debt expert, he is on a mission to help people escape student loan debt and start building wealth for their future.

Show Notes:

• [0:54] - Robert founded The College Investor website when he was a college student. He shares his background as a blogger and his experience when a post about student loan debt went viral.
• [2:33] - College is a great investment for a lot of people, but like any investment, if you spend too much it might not be worth it.
• [3:01] - You don't go to college to learn because you find everything you need online for free. College is a signal to potential employers that you have a degree.
• [4:02] - Robert points out that trade schools and "dirty jobs" are a fantastic opportunity to make a lot of money without going to college but that many young adults don't know enough about them.
• [5:29] - There are three main types of schools: state school, non-profit, and for-profit. Robert gives examples of each kind.
• [6:39] - One type of student loan is federal student loans through the government with the requirement that you attend an accredited school.
• [7:23] - The other type of student loan is a private student loan that comes from a bank, credit card company, or other private lender. These are similar to a mortgage.
• [8:15] - Robert shares that there are so many student loan scams out there but they all have the same theme: to either lower the monthly payment or lower the total amount somehow.
• [9:32] - There are many programs that are legitimate and that will lower your monthly payment. The red flag is the fee that you pay. Robert explains how this works.
• [10:01] - The most popular loan forgiveness program that is fully legitimate is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that there is no fee for.
• [11:11] - There is loan consolidation which takes all your loans and puts them into one loan. Robert doesn't recommend this and explains why.
• [12:13] - If you call your lender and let them know that you can't pay, there is something they can do. It is a scam if you pay a third party and they can fill out your paperwork incorrectly.
• [13:26] - Robert describes another type of scammers that pose as a pseudo law firm that tells people to stop paying their loans and then go to court for them to represent you to get you lower payments. But this trashes your credit and doesn't get you ahead.
• [15:03] - Robert recommends to always start with caller your lender and talk to them about your options. Communicate your needs.
• [16:51] - There are also really great apps available that will help you manage your finances and Robert points out that there are valid and legitimate paid programs.
• [17:16] - The legitimate paid financial advisors won't do anything for you. They will give you a plan and you will need to take the steps to follow the plan.
• [19:39] - Robert admits that most loan service providers make errors and there are definitely problems. However, they manage loans for millions of people.
• [20:51] - All paperwork done on your behalf needs to be looked over. A lot of companies that have been shut down were because of falsified information.
• [21:38] - Robert explains how some scam companies will take your fees and not do any work at all. They'll send you email updates as if things are being done and then you default.
• [22:28] - Even if you are going to work with someone, you still need to log in to your loan provider account and check things every month. Ultimately, you are responsible.
• [24:09] - Congress wants government loan servicers to promote these programs but they never do.
• [26:01] - If you feel that you have been scammed, you need to lock down all of your information. Change all passwords and check all of your accounts to make sure your information has not been changed.
• [27:20] - No legitimate company will ever ask you for your password or log in on your behalf. It is a literal federal crime.
• [27:58] - Robert shares the most incredible dollar amounts that some scam companies have collected.
• [28:51] - Robert also explains that some people pay companies to do this work for them because they don't take the time to do the research.
• [30:01] - Student loans are challenging because it seems like there's no way out. People know that there's not a lot of options. Scammers are preying on.
• [32:36] - There are 100 Americans with over 100 million dollars in student loans. They got there because of graduate schools.
• [33:00] - There are two types of people who benefit the most from student loans. The first are low-income who plan to make between $30-$50k a year. The other one are the ones who borrow over $100k per year for graduate school.
• [35:34] - It always starts with getting organized. If you're feeling overwhelmed, get it organized and look at it all.

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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In this episode, we deviate a bit from our traditional topics to incorporate the growing diversity in the Infosec world. In the past, this has been a male dominated field, but the culture is changing.

Our guest today is Eleanor Dallway. Eleanor is the Editorial Director at Infosecurity Magazine, and she is at the front of the security industry. She has more than 15 years of online job experience and knows more about information security than most English Literature graduates should. She spends her working days interviewing industry professionals, keeping the website updated with news on a regular basis, editing the magazine, and attending industry events.

• [1:03] - Eleanor's experience in Infosec began in 2006 when she started working for Infosecurity Magazine. She also has experience editing for a wine and spirits magazine as well as one for retail.
• [2:03] - Eleanor admits that information security is her favorite, because she's worked in it the longest and it is constantly changing.
• [2:51] - Her favorite part of her job is interviewing industry professionals. She shares several famous individuals who she has been able to interview.
• [4:18] - Eleanor admits that she was very nervous to interview Kevin Mitnick and describes the experience.
• [5:57] - Kevin Mitnick did magic tricks for Eleanor for fun, but demonstrated how con artists are very much like magicians.
• [9:55] - Chris and Eleanor chat about their different interviews with previous podcast guest John McAfee.
• [11:14] - John McAfee spoke an unscripted rant at an event that Eleanor was able to be present for.
• [12:30] - Infosec trends are compared to fashion trends because they are cyclical and come back again.
• [13:38] - Some trends that Eleanor discusses are the Cloud, artificial intelligence, and the focus on the human side of security.
• [15:13] - Awareness now is much different than it was 15 years ago when Eleanor began working for Infosecurity Magazine. Now, they are major headlines and mainstream news.
• [16:48] - Eleanor's company puts in software that randomly tests people.
• [19:31] - We start to distrust people who are actually trustworthy and tend to become cynical.
• [20:18] - The types of scams that trend ebb and flow. Sometimes the trend is text scams, emails, or phone calls, generally speaking.
• [21:40] - There are clever scammers who use the current climate to change their approach. Eleanor shares that she has seen a lot of scams with packages delivered because more people are shopping online.
• [23:56] - When someone targets Eleanor, she knows she can handle it, but she gets very angry when scammers target her parents and grandmother.
• [25:52] - Eleanor discusses various conferences and events. She doesn't tend to worry about heavy security for some of them, but for several of them, she takes every precaution.
• [28:10] - For the most part, Eleanor tends to go to more of the businessy conferences.
• [30:42] - Eleanor admits that most of the things on her phone or computer are not that interesting so she feels comfortable taking her devices with her to other countries when traveling.
• [31:28] - In regards to women in the industry, Eleanor says that it is still male dominated but it is moving in the right direction.
• [32:48] - Eleanor has worked with programs that encourage teenage girls in high school to get into the infosec and technology world.
• [33:25] - Eleanor launched Women in Cybersecurity Networking Group that began small in the UK but is now national. The purpose is to create a community.
• [35:02] - Marketing cybersecurity needs a lot of change to include more accurate images and descriptions.
• [36:11] - There's a lot of going on in this space in regards to diversity in the industry, but Eleanor feels that it is not being done quickly enough.
• [37:33] - The security industry is very resilient and has not been hurt by the pandemic except that they are shorthanded. Unemployment is high in many places, so people should be jumping ship and going into it.

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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As we start the new year, we often contemplate resolutions and adopting new behaviors into our lives. Good mentoring relationships can have an amazingly powerful impact on both our personal and professional lives, but a bad one can lead to a devastating outcome. Learn how to identify a great match in today's episode with Mark Timm.

Mark Timm has been a serial entrepreneur and exponential thinking practitioner for nearly two decades. He started more than two dozen companies, several of which have multiplied and been sold. His experience with dealing with the entrepreneurial challenges has fueled his passion for teaching people how to balance the demands of family life and business.

• [1:15] - Mark co-wrote the book Mentor to Millions because of his experiences (good and bad) with mentors. He describes how he met the friend he wrote the book with.
• [2:32] - Where mentorship goes bad is when you think you have found the right person due to their success.
• [3:28] - The first thing to look for in a mentor is to ask them about their failures. You want a mentor who is not only a big success story.
• [4:17] - The second thing to look for in a mentor is their ability to really listen. A good mentor will listen and learn about you in order to help you down the right path.
• [4:58] - The third thing to look for is a mentor who has a mentor themselves. Learning is a lifelong journey.
• [5:31] - Mark shares a negative experience with a mentor in an industry he didn't know much about. This mentor tended to tell Mark everything he was doing wrong.
• [7:51] - Mark likes to have more than one mentor because one mentor is not capable of helping you in every facet of your life.
• [9:45] - Most people don't know how to find a mentor. It begins by having some vulnerability. Are you ready to be coached and taught?
• [11:59] - You already know everyone you need to know in order to accomplish everything that you need to accomplish in this world. Your inner circle may know the exact person you need.
• [12:51] - The formula is 1) get the right mentor, 2) become that mentor's best student, and 3) take everything you've learned and teach it to someone else.
• [14:05] - Mark ends every chapter in Mentor to Millions with him applying what he learned in his business to his family.
• [15:06] - Mark describes how important his mentorship experiences have been with his family.
• [16:23] - Mark gives an example of how a personality test that he was using in his business and how he bought extras to do with his family in the same way.
• [17:58] - The personality test experience gave Mark's family a tool to be themselves and understand each other.
• [18:26] - In regards to finding a mentor that is "wired differently" than yourself, there are so many different situations and combinations of people.
• [19:55] - When you can say that you know the person, you like the person, and you trust the person, there could be a very good opportunity for a mentorship when you know they can help you.
• [21:36] - Anyone can learn, but it takes the right kind of person to teach.
• [23:11] - If you'd like to become a mentor, you need to practice listening and be open about your failures and how you've learned from them.
• [25:17] - Mark talks about Mentor to Millions and his experiences with a great mentor.
• [27:00] - Mark is one his way to his first multi-million dollar business because of the lessons he's learned with his mentor.
• [27:38] - Now, Mark mentors successful entrepreneurs with their family and home life, which is what Mark is passionate about.
• [29:03] - It is not all about balance, it's about integration. Mark describes how combining his worlds made a huge difference in his business and relationships.
• [30:29] - Mark and Kevin and offering a special mentoring opportunity to listeners who buy the book. Go to KevinMentor.com for 30 days of free mentoring after proof of purchasing the book.

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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• Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond by Mark Timm and Kevin Harrington

Trust is important for our employees, our clients, and our potential customers and as entrepreneurs, we need to learn how to create it. As business professionals, we need to learn how to choose who to be in partnerships with so that we are able to protect ourselves and our businesses from lawsuits and poor decisions.

Our guest today is Mary Kelly. Dr. Mary C. Kelly has many titles, but her favorite is as a teacher. She is focused on teaching professionals to navigate the economy, build their business, be a true leader, and get more done. Mary has authored thirteen books on business leadership and today she is sharing with us a few ways not to be easy prey in business.

• [1:05] - Dr. Kelly primarily works as a corporate speaker and advisor to improve profit growth.
• [1:44] - Businesses need to make sure that they are protecting themselves against people who want to sue them for stupid things.
• [2:31] - When you are interviewing someone coming into your business, you have to be careful of the questions you ask.
• [3:12] - Dr. Kelly also points out the importance of keeping your brick and mortar location safe and secure.
• [4:22] - Mary shares an example of campsites getting sued by people who were taking advantage of the owners.
• [6:01] - In 2020, vulnerabilities became more apparent to business owners.
• [8:48] - As a business, one of the number one things people want to know is if you can deliver what you say you can deliver.
• [9:06] - Dr. Kelly gives several tips for businesses including Google searching yourself and watching your Yelp reviews.
• [11:08] - Mary references a book that she co-wrote regarding trust in the business world. How you build trust with your employees is how they build trust with your clients.
• [12:29] - Chris shares how he approaches business partners.
• [14:10] - Mary admits to some early mistakes she made after taking the advice of someone else that cost her in thousands of dollars.
• [16:01] - Don't be afraid to differentiate and brand yourself for the core values of your business. Let people know what your core values are.
• [17:49] - Your posts on social media are being looked at. How are you and your business being perceived?
• [20:17] - Recording conversations are a good idea so you have a clean copy of tough conversations that may need clarification.
• [22:35] - There are so many bad business consultants out there and Mary describes how this can be detrimental to your business.
• [24:09] - Mary admits a mistake she learned from with a book deal and an example of working with a medical firm that experienced a scam.
• [25:57] - Mary's dad was recently a victim of a scam that is similar to a previous Easy Prey episode with Jim Browning.
• [27:01] - Chris shares an example of a scam he fell victim of.
• [28:12] - We need to help others to not make the same mistakes.
• [29:37] - If you are a leader in an organization, always assume that someone is watching everything you do and say.
• [31:18] - It is not our clients' job to stay in touch with your business. It is your job to stay in touch with your client in a way that adds value and trust.
• [33:09] - Dr. Kelly wrote a book about business during Covid-19 and shares a lot of her research that can benefit current businesses.
• [34:29] - Mary shares current scams for businesses during Covid-19 and how common they are.
• [35:29] - There are several car dealership scams going on at the moment as well and Mary describes what this looks like.
• [36:57] - If you sign anything, take a picture of it.
• [37:49] - Chris shares another current scam that has been very common lately with overcharging customers as their business practice.
• [39:17] - We need to not be afraid to ask clients for referrals and feedback.
• [41:37] - When it comes to mistakes, own up to them and move on. Mary shares her free productivity sheet that she uses every single day to help avoid mistakes.

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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Criminals don't just randomly pick their targets. They look for easy prey. Find out what you might inadvertently be doing that makes a criminal choose you as their next victim.

Today's guest is James Casey. James has made a life-long career out of understanding why people break the law. He began in law enforcement and was on the National Security Council in Washington. Then he worked in the FBI for over 25 years, where he was named the Special Agent in charge of the Jacksonville division. James is currently the president of FCS Global Advisors, an investigative and crisis management firm where he has been for the past 8 years.

• [0:53] - James shares his background in law enforcement and his career path to eventually work in the FBI.
• [1:51] - What James focuses on now is higher end investigation in Florida, primarily litigation and white collar cases.
• [2:24] - In regards to personal security risk, James believes due to the number of distractions, people are always at risk.
• [3:06] - Social media has become a place for people to share too much information which becomes a security risk.
• [3:38] - James shares a scenario of oversharing about your own children.
• [4:53] - You can segregate your social media accounts. Some can be more public for business needs, such as LinkedIn, and then others can be more private for sharing information and photos for friends and family.
• [5:51] - When you're out and about, you need to be paying attention. Take the earbuds out and watch the people around you.
• [6:49] - James shares how crime doesn't go away, it just moves to someone or some place that is easier.
• [7:44] - With travel, James presents a scenario and the importance of being prepared for anything,
• [9:20] - Traditional burglaries are targeting empty houses during the day with no alarms and tend to access the back door.
• [10:17] - James shares a scenario of watching a news story about a home invasion and the general majority of burglaries having a back story.
• [12:02] - By the time a story gets to TV, it is a unique story and doesn't generally match the norm. James tells about an undercover scenario he worked on.
• [14:05] - In regards to car theft, James shares a real-life scenario of learning how cars are stolen in most cases.
• [16:51] - While working in Detroit, James worked with many cases of stolen cars for parts, which is still a problem today. Chris also shares a personal experience of his car being stolen and stripped for parts.
• [20:01] - A book that James has read and recommends by Gavin de Becker called The Gift of Fear. James has done some research into intuition and instinct.
• [21:42] - James shares a scenario of an active shooter in an airport in Fort Lauderdale and how people reacted to demonstrate some people's intuition.
• [23:05] - Women are often targeted and have a gut feeling that something is wrong but tend to talk themselves out of it.
• [25:03] - In addition to fight and flight, there is also "freeze," which is a legitimate response for many people. James shares his theory on why some people do this.
• [26:50] - In a lot of situations, people rationalize why something wouldn't be a gunshot.
• [27:18] - Chris and James discuss stalkers and the types of stalkers that are common to see. James illustrates the types of stalkers with real-life scenarios.

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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