When you search for customer service numbers online, you might come across a scammer’s number instead. It’s important to be cautious when sharing personal information, and to verify identities before responding to requests for sensitive data. 

Today’s guest is Mona Terry. As Chief Victims Officer at Identity Theft Resource Center, she navigates the complexities of identity protection and identity crime recovery and management of multi-million dollar federal grants. She analyzes victim experiences to create ITRC’s Identity Report and to provide information about new and ongoing trends in identity crimes.

• [0:55] - Mona describes her role as Chief Victims Officer at Identity Theft Resource Center and how she found herself in this job.
• [3:18] - Identity crimes include theft, compromise, and misuse. What’s the difference?
• [4:26] - The number one recorded compromise is through scams, where people give their information to someone else.
• [5:30] - It is also becoming more common for someone to search for a customer service number and come across a scammer’s number instead.
• [7:01] - Some of the strategies in detecting fake websites are not helpful any longer with scammers using AI tools to make things look more legitimate.
• [10:10] - Misuse is when someone else takes over your account and is making charges or establishing new accounts in your name.
• [11:41] - Account takeovers don't only include credit cards. Social media account takeovers can be just as dangerous and more common.
• [13:28] - Identity theft is what it sounds like—stealing information with the intent to misuse it.
• [15:24] - If you suspect something is compromised, Mona recommends freezing your credit account.
• [16:45] - Freezing your account and checking credit reports is easier than it used to be.
• [19:32] - Mona describes how the Identity Theft Resource Center walks victims through the steps in resolving problems.
• [21:23] - Some situations are harder to resolve than others.
• [23:51] - Team members at Identity Theft Resource Center are not therapists, but they are trauma informed and listen to victims as they are guided through a process.
• [26:27] - When working with the Identity Theft Resource Center, clients get a recovery plan.
• [29:08] - If victims have tried something or don’t feel comfortable with something, ITRC can step in and help.
• [31:50] - Don’t be afraid to check for problems. Sometimes problems don’t show themselves immediately.

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We often put off changes and schedule them to start on January 1st. Many of these idealistic resolutions fail shortly after beginning, so it is important to be thoughtful when planning so that you can set yourself up for success.

Today’s guest is Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps. Leslie is a noted psychologist who authored a number of books, including Insecure in Love, The Insecure in Love Workbook, and Bouncing Back from Rejection. She writes the Authentically You Blog and the Psychology Today Making Change Blog. Additionally, she is a national speaker and hosts a YouTube channel.

• [1:00] - Leslie describes what she does in her career as a psychologist and author.
• [2:32] - Throughout her work, Leslie continued to go back to the question, “What makes it so hard for some people to change?”
• [5:47] - There’s nothing wrong with New Year's Resolutions. But waiting to start making a change till a specific day is not effective.
• [7:02] - You can feel good about yourself and recognize that change is good to move towards.
• [8:23] - When people are insecurely attached, they have a negative sense of self. What is driving them forward is negativity.
• [9:58] - It takes a lot of work to be able to be compassionate with yourself.
• [11:49] - Leslie discusses some small changes she made for herself that allowed her to be consistent.
• [15:04] - Leslie explains the Michelangelo Effect.
• [17:47] - Relationships you are in have an impact on your self-esteem.
• [19:02] - Just because it feels true, doesn’t mean it is true.
• [20:17] - Adding in the word “yet” gives us an idea of a future that will be different.
• [21:24] - Setbacks will happen, but they are not failures.
• [24:18] - You have to be persistent in making changes you want to make.
• [26:47] - If you can’t seem to make a change, you have to get into the micro parts of yourself and find out why.
• [28:32] - Leslie suggests making different levels of goals.
• [30:15] - Prepare yourself for good days and bad days. How can you support yourself on a down day?
• [33:10] - When you are having really good days, you can clearly remember the days you struggle. Write a letter to your future self on a down day.

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Data is continuously being collected and this information can lead to misleading conclusions about an individual. Without proper context, behavior can be misinterpreted. This underscores the need for data privacy laws and stronger protections against data brokers.

Today’s guest is Jeff Jockisch. Jeff is a passionate data privacy researcher dedicated to exploring the evolution of technology, our search behaviors, trust dynamics, and safeguarding of our information. As Managing Partner at ObscureIQ, he specializes in advanced data removal and privacy risk mitigation for enterprises and government organizations.

• [0:58] - Jeff describes his career and what he does in the field at ObscureIQ.
• [3:35] - Instead of taking his career into the compliance field, he took his expertise to the intersection of data privacy and data science.
• [4:40] - Jeff explains what a data broker does and breaks down a recent data breach.
• [5:40] - The legal definition of what a data broker is is very narrow.
• [6:42] - The data that is collected by data brokers can literally be anything, like health care data, drivers licenses, and viewing habits online.
• [7:32] - One of the worst types of data that is collected is cell phone location data.
• [8:46] - Data tells a story, but pieces might be missing. Data can paint an inaccurate picture of someone.
• [10:18] - Data can be interpreted in different ways.
• [12:41] - Your digital footprint can be deleted. But in addition to deleting it, your behavior needs to change.
• [13:50] - Apps track data automatically for ads.
• [16:31] - All of these companies are collecting our data, but they’re not securing it.
• [19:42] - What can someone do with collected data? The possibilities are endless.
• [21:38] - Data that is collected can also show other people who are connected to you.
• [23:10] - Some things can be deleted, including public records.
• [25:09] - The problem is that the data brokers are massively powerful.
• [27:15] - Check out the links below for resources that Jeff recommends on the steps to take in order to delete the data you are leaking.
• [29:57] - Jeff shares an experience of almost being a victim of a scam.
• [33:10] - Scammers sound totally reasonable in the moment, even when we reflect and feel stupid for making a decision.

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When a recruiter contacts you, it’s essential to do your homework, verify their sources, and trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While it can be frustrating to be this skeptical, being cautious can protect you and your finances. Today’s guest is John Sidoti. John is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Social Current. He has over 30 years of experience as an IT generalist with wide and varied experience across all aspects of the IT spectrum. 

• [0:50] - John shares his background and discusses his extensive and varied career in IT.
• [3:32] - Even as a director, John keeps hands-on projects going to keep working in the field.
• [4:45] - John describes an experience of himself falling victim to a scam on LinkedIn.
• [7:56] - At some point in the process, John realized that something seemed off.
• [9:40] - After speaking with this scam company, he continued to receive copied and pasted messages from other “recruiters”.
• [12:21] - Although the copy and website look and sound very legitimate, there are some things we can look for that raise red flags.
• [14:13] - Many scammers create fake profiles that look very professional and well done. But take the extra step and research the company and individual.
• [15:57] - In the grand scheme of things, the people who have been victimized by these types of scams are vulnerable and desperate for employment.
• [18:22] - Anyone can purchase a domain name and pull together a website using a free or cheap template that all look very legitimate.
• [20:05] - Once you know the markers, you can see them coming.
• [21:07] - Look at the domain names and how long they have been registered.
• [22:30] - Don’t assume it is just an email world. If a company does not have a legitimate phone number, it is a red flag.
• [24:02] - Another red flag is when a recruiter has been working with just one single company in their career.
• [26:45] - Recruiters should not be asking for personal information. The company will do that, not a recruiter.
• [29:43] - It’s okay to be a little cynical about this in order to protect yourself.
• [31:34] - There are other places that need to be looked at closer as well, specifically Facebook Marketplace.
• [34:16] - When you look closely at sponsored posts that seem too good to be true, you’ll notice that they are all from bots.

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Today’s threat actors and social engineers leverage social media to observe individuals’ patterns and habits. They encounter you at a coffee shop or another familiar spot. They begin to establish trust, which makes you more susceptible to their tactics. 

Today’s guest is Peter Warmka. Peter is a retired CIA officer with over two decades of breaching the security of organizations overseas in pursuit of intelligence. He is the founder of The Counterintelligence Institute, author of two books, conference speaker, consultant, and educator on the dangers of human hacking.

• [0:56] - Peter shares his background and what he has done in his interesting career.
• [3:27] - The Counterintelligence Institute helps organizations and individuals understand what types of information threat actors are trying to steal.
• [6:08] - Peter discusses the surprise his friends and family experienced when learning he had been working for the CIA.
• [9:13] - There are some skills that Peter had to learn when going into this career, but other skills came more naturally.
• [11:15] - Trust is different in various societies, and Americans are particularly vulnerable.
• [13:31] - Peter explains how he developed trust with others.
• [16:00] - There are ways to leverage trust in this type of work.
• [19:32] - Peter discusses international breaches and the types of intelligence breaches from other governments.
• [23:11] - The internet has made information so readily available to everyone, including information you may not want them to have.
• [25:19] - There are different types of information found on the different kinds of social media platforms that all come together to paint a whole picture.
• [28:09] - Human hacking, or social engineering, can be accomplished through five different communication channels.
• [31:21] - Peter describes a very powerful and common in-person scenario.
• [35:53] - We have to get away from the silo-approach, thinking that breaches are only coming from the IT network.
• [37:24] - Peter wrote a book in the early days of Covid-19 for organizations. He then wrote a book geared more towards individuals.
• [39:41] - Privacy and security settings are great, but platforms can still be hacked.
• [41:56] - It shouldn’t be “trust, then verify.” It needs to be “verify, then trust.”
• [44:27] - AI tools have made things even more complicated for victims and easy for threat actors.
• [46:37] - LinkedIn specifically is overwhelmed with fake accounts.
• [48:50] - Workplace education on this topic is backwards in organizations since they are seen as compliance training.

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Creating habits of healthy skepticism when receiving texts or emails can prevent you from clicking on phishing links. Everybody is vulnerable online, especially when distracted or in a hurry. But cultivating critical thinking and self-awareness can enhance protection against manipulation.

Today’s guest is Perry Carpenter. Perry is an award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker with over two decades in cybersecurity, focusing on how cyber criminals exploit human behavior. As the Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps build robust, human-centric defenses against social engineering-based threats. His latest book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions, tackles AI’s role in deception.

• [1:02] - Perry shares his background and what his career has entailed.
• [4:01] - Regardless of how much people say, spend, or do on security-related issues, the people side of things is hard to control.
• [5:25] - Perry has always been interested in deception and misdirection.
• [6:59] - Even as a security professional, Perry has experienced enough distraction to click a phishing email.
• [9:43] - It is easier to be distracted and not follow usual healthy security habits than being on a computer.
• [12:24] - We fall into habits easily, especially when the behavior is simple and easy.
• [16:00] - Technology based deception is more available to anybody than in any other time in history.
• [18:10] - Security professionals and often pushed in the roles of giving advice.
• [19:40] - Reflection questions like “Why is this in front of me?” might prevent someone from falling victim to a scam.
• [26:58] - Everybody is vulnerable. Even though cybersecurity professionals know more on the topic than some others, it is still possible for them as well.
• [30:40] - Pig butchering and crypto scammers sometimes actually do send money back as a tactic to earn trust and increase hope.
• [34:42] - We have to have a healthy skepticism of the information environment that we live in.
• [36:39] - There are very few situations in life where you won’t benefit from slowing down and thinking things through.
• [38:41] - Perry suggests a family activity that will help boost understanding of pressure tactics.
• [40:17] - The narratives or tells that work for someone might raise a red flag to others.
• [43:25] - As a society, we’ve gotten to a point where we don’t like to introspect.
• [45:59] - Perry discusses the content of his most recent book and how it is information without the “easy way out”.

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In a world of cybersecurity and online privacy, anonymity seems to be the key. VPNs are often promoted as the cure-all to our internet needs. Let’s talk about some of those misconceptions.

Today’s guest is Lance Cottrell. Lance founded Anonymizer in 1995 and is an internationally recognized expert in cryptography, online privacy, and internet security. He is the principal author on multiple internet privacy and security technology patents. Lance stayed on as Chief Scientist as Anonymizer was acquired by Intrepid, and now advises start-ups through his platform.

• [1:09] - Lance shares his background and how he spent the start of his career and into founding Anonymizer.
• [3:03] - To continue destigmatizing being a victim of a scam, Lance shares his own experience as a victim himself.
• [5:38] - In-person scammers are very believable. They learn through building a relationship the things that you want.
• [9:47] - There are two reasons why people commit treason - revenge and justice.
• [10:42] - Prior to founding Anonymizer, Lance had fantastic access to the internet in the early 90s and became involved in the open-source community.
• [13:58] - Lance describes how Anonymizer did business-wise and where it capped.
• [17:40] - There are different types of customers for Anonymizer, general consumers as well as government entities.
• [20:30] - There were certainly times where someone would come to Anonymizer and they had done something that was really pretty dire.
• [23:28] - Anonymizer was able to develop some new technologies that Lance describes.
• [25:35] - If you need to trust someone, research who that someone is and understand if you can.
• [27:11] - The biggest mistake is thinking your IP address is the important thing.
• [29:19] - Actually achieving anonymity or pseudonymity and maintaining overtime is incredibly challenging.
• [31:09] - Human behavior tends to give away anonymity.
• [33:47] - People don’t think anywhere near enough on the threat model.
• [34:58] - When are VPNs actually beneficial?
• [37:32] - Be very specific about what you want to protect.
• [40:05] - Obsession and trying to run your life around trying to be anonymous is not helpful.
• [41:41] - Lance discusses some of the interesting aspects of the psychology of criminals.
• [43:10] - Lance shares some parting advice and the basic things to do to stay protected.

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Cybersecurity is more crucial than ever. It’s essential that we proactively safeguard our data and recognize that no one is immune to attacks. We are all vulnerable. As malicious actors continually enhance their tactics, we must stay one step ahead by consistently improving our defenses.

Today’s guest is Vincent LaRocca. Vincent is the CEO of CyberSecOp with the commitment to protecting sensitive data and mitigating cyber threats. With over two decades of experience, Vincent has successfully steered CyberSecOp to become one of the world’s fastest growing managed security providers, specializing in cybersecurity assessments, breach management, and risk management consulting.

• [1:15] - Vincent shares his background and how he found himself working in cybersecurity.
• [2:40] - Even the experts are vulnerable. Vincent shares an experience he had with fraud at his bank.
• [4:16] - Cyber threat trends are moving to AI.
• [6:19] - As consumers, we need to be aware of how AI is using our data and what we give it permission to have access to.
• [8:19] - AI isn’t going anywhere. It will continue to grow and develop.
• [9:16] - Threat actors are unfortunately usually one step ahead of defenses. They are using AI to exploit vulnerabilities.
• [11:54] - AI gives threat actors even more reach. The number of incidents and scams are extremely high and will multiply.
• [13:59] - Small organizations and business owners are hit pretty hard by breaches since they often do not have a cybersecurity team.
• [16:09] - Vincent shares some of the traits and qualifications that are good to look for in cybersecurity professionals for small businesses.
• [19:07] - Defenses are built against things that we know about, not things we don’t know about.
• [21:27] - There are things that can be done that are free or more cost-effective.
• [23:40] - There’s no point in putting a fancy lock on the front door if there’s nothing protecting the back door.
• [27:06] - Even if an organization has invested in cybersecurity and knows how to keep data safe, if their partners or vendors do not, it means very little.
• [28:31] - There are so many breaches that have happened that we don’t even know about and our data is out there mixed in with so much more.
• [30:31] - We are a part of an AI revolution currently and the landscape of AI will be completely different in just a few years.
• [33:58] - The tools for cybersecurity, including machine learning, are improving every day as well.
• [37:09] - Don’t turn a blind eye and assume you can’t afford protection.

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As consumers, we may realize the need to be vigilant by using two-factor authentication and password managers, but there are so many scams out there that can impersonate legitimate organizations, websites, and people. We really can’t let our guard down.

Today’s guest is Soups Ranjan. Soups has over 18 years of experience in software engineering, data science, and risk management. He is the co-founder and CEO of Sardine. This behavior-infused platform offers fraud prevention, compliance, and payment solutions for various industries including banking, online marketplaces, FinTech, crypto, online gaming, and gift card exchanges. Previously, Soups led the Risk and Data Science teams at CoinBase, where he scaled the platform and enabled millions of users to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency securely and efficiently.

• [1:15] - Soups shares his background and information about his company, Sardine.
• [4:30] - He has not been a victim of a scam online but did experience an in-person scam.
• [6:57] - Sardine works with a diverse set of clients. Trends differ based on the industry. One major trend is an increase in triangulation fraud.
• [9:07] - Once they have card details, they can pretty much do whatever they want with it.
• [11:40] - Even on a contactless card, using tap-to-pay, be careful. Don’t hand over your device.
• [12:43] - It is becoming increasingly difficult to verify the identities of merchants.
• [15:21] - There is a big rise in scams as a result of the demand for real-time money transfers and exchanges.
• [17:45] - Some scammers are instructing victims to install screen viewers and recording tools.
• [19:50] - Machine learning is used to help protect clients.
• [21:41] - There are intrinsic behaviors that Sardine monitors to watch for unusual activity.
• [24:41] - Soups describes some of the other types of data that is observed in addition to behavior.
• [27:08] - Soups explains 3D Secure and what the benefits of this system are.
• [30:41] - Dollars lost to scams have far surpassed the dollars lost to fraud.
• [33:37] - The United States is behind in regulatory measures.
• [35:59] - It is best to work with banks that take fraud and scams very seriously.
• [37:15] - Soups lists some of the red flags and be on the lookout for.
• [39:44] - It is extremely important to protect your email address in the same way you protect your bank account.

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There are a shocking amount of businesses that ultimately fail because of fraud. Many managers and business owners are unaware of their losses because they do not have the systems in place to look for fraud and it may not be their primary concern.

Today’s guest is James Ratley. Jim graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 1971, he joined the Dallas Police Department as a police officer. He was on numerous task forces with a concentration on major fraud cases. He joined a major forensic accounting practice and was in charge of fraud investigations.

In 1988, he was named the Program Director of The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and in 2006, became the President. In 2011, he became the CEO and he retired in 2018 after 30 years there. James has been an adjunct professor, published author, and named by Accounting Today as one of the top influencers multiple times.

• [1:14] - James shares his background and the way his career panned out over 30 years.
• [3:35] - When the ACFE was established, there was no information or education around it at all.
• [5:09] - The average organization loses 5% of their revenue to fraud. Out of every ten people hired, statistically, six of them will steal from you.
• [6:46] - Fraud can be prevented and strategies to reduce fraud are typically inexpensive.
• [8:40] - It’s important for business owners not to be afraid to call it fraud.
• [10:25] - Fraud perpetrators believe they deserve what they’ve taken.
• [13:26] - It’s important for businesses to have strong management and leadership. Training is crucial.
• [14:18] - James discusses the most common types of fraud and how even the seemingly minor things could be detrimental.
• [18:24] - Fraud perpetrators are really good at hiding what they are doing and making the business owners believe it could never be them.
• [20:15] - Another strategy is to separate tasks out and be strict about them.
• [21:37] - Surprise cash counts is another good strategy.
• [23:13] - There are no small frauds, only frauds that have not had time to reach maturity.
• [25:44] - You impact rationalization through education.
• [29:16] - James lists some of the red flags that could indicate something more going on.
• [31:31] - There should be policies and regulations that purchasing officers are held to.
• [36:30] - Auditors must be completely independent.
• [40:10] - Some business owners will deny the problem is happening because it is hard to deal with and accept that someone they trust could be stealing.
• [44:35] - Many small organizations go out of business due to operating at a loss. Most of the time this is because of fraud.
• [47:25] - Never judge someone by the standards you have for yourself.
• [51:12] - Something to remember is that most fraudsters will steal in even numbers.
• [53:11] - In most cases that James has worked, the manager had seen all the signs, but never thought anything about it.

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