When COVID-related shutdowns started wreaking havoc on businesses, jobs, and paychecks, the US Government came to the rescue, providing a financial life preserver worth trillions of dollars. However, as the money flowed to individual bank accounts in the form of Paycheck Protection Program loans and Labor Department-backed state unemployment checks, fraudsters, identity thieves, and cybercriminals were salivating at the chance to take it. Today, Mike and Mark welcome US Secret Service Agent Roy Dotson to the show.  Roy has been in law enforcement for over 30 years, 20 of which have been dedicated to the US Secret Service, protecting eight US Presidents.  He is an expert on cybercrime fraud, money laundering, and asset forfeiture, having led over 100 successful investigations and recovered over $4 billion in victim assets.  Roy currently serves as the US Secret Service’s National Pandemic Recovery Coordinator.

[email protected]

https://www.secretservice.gov/investigation/cyber

https://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/?fwp_year=2022

If you were a victim of identity theft related to an SBA loan, go to this site to see the recommended reporting process: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/Identity%20Theft%20Letter%20for%20COVID-19%20EIDL-508.pdf

If you were a victim of identity theft related to Unemployment Insurance benefits, go to this site to see the recommended reporting process: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/unemployment-insurance-payment-accuracy/UIFraudReporting

Twitter: @SecretService 

Today we present another Special Edition of "The Protectors." Mike and Mark have the pleasure of speaking with Carlos Lang about ATM Skimming and Malware that is running rampant in the US and Internationally. Carlos has been a specialist in fraud prevention in financial institutions for over 25 years and is an analyst and developer of solutions to protect ATMs from skimmers, shimmers, malware, black boxes, and unauthorized access. In addition, Carlos has implemented complex e-Banking security projects that help diminish fraud in large financial institutions across the U.S. and Latin America by using multi-factor authentication. Listen to the expert as Carlos provides tips and advice to help protect yourself from this ever-evolving, billion-dollar crime wave. 

Synthetic Identity fraud schemes have proliferated in the past few years becoming the nation's largest form of identity theft. Today on The Protectors, we present a Special Broadcast from the 2021 IAFCI Conference in Chicago. Mike and Mark have the pleasure of speaking with Steve Lenderman. Steve has been heavily involved in investigating and identifying synthetic identities and entities and is considered an industry expert with over 25 years in the financial crimes sector. He was the Fraud Operations Lead for PayPal Business Loans where he was responsible for managing fraud detection, investigations, and mitigation, and has spent time with Barclaycard US where he oversaw major investigations, internal investigations, and bust-outs/credit abuse. Listen and learn so that your wallet or purse doesn't become a crime scene

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-lenderman/

Let's face it - Organized Retail Crime (ORC) affects large corporations, small businesses, and your wallet! On today's show, Mike and Mark welcome ORC expert Ruben Banuelos. Ruben is a US Army veteran with over 20 years of investigative experience working various assignments including Patrol, Fraud Investigations, Senior Organized Retail Crime Investigator and International Advisor for Organized Retail Crime with the IAFCI.  Ruben's expertise and advice throughout the show is a virtual handbook for both business owners and consumers alike. As the wave of Organized Retail Crime crashes down on America, educate yourself with Ruben's tips, recommendations, and helpful suggestions so that you or your business doesn't become a victim!

On today's show, Mike and Mark speak with Abdul Abufilat. Abdul is a senior threat intelligence analyst at the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Center working in the areas of information security, national security, and supply chain risk management. Abdul lets us in on the some of the greatest security threats that businesses large and small are facing today. He also gives us his perspective on how intelligence threats from our adversaries are affecting supply chains here in the U.S.

Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report Link:

https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/?cmp=knc:ggl:ac:ent:security:8003162844&utm_term=verizon%20data%20breach%20investigations%20report&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=GGL_BND_Security_Phrase&utm_content=Enterprise&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9zejb28-AIV2GpvBB3Ebg9GEAAYASABEgJpkfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mike and Mark expose new scams that are affecting teens and college students across the nation. They also share the lighter side of fraud that they've experienced throughout their decades in law enforcement.

https://www.iafci.org

Mike and Mark welcome Mark Kasak to the show. Mark is a nationwide financial fraud prevention, investigations, and training leader whose current focus is on preventing financial crime in financial institutions and assisting consumers in protecting their financial profiles. Marks discusses current trends in identity theft victimization/prevention and consumer safeguard plans while also providing insight into what financial institutions are doing to better protect their customers from the many different types of financial fraud.

uspis.gov

ftc.gov

On today's show, Mike and Mark welcome Michael Fasanello. Michael is a private sector compliance executive and thought leader specializing in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF), global sanctions, and other illicit finance, with a current focus on the digital assets and blockchain technology space. In this episode, Michael discusses the currently emerging market of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and their use in the Digital Asset Space. He takes us further into Digital Assets by exploring Cryptocurrency. Michael runs through the scams that he often sees in his profession while giving us helpful tips on avoiding these scams. Michael also gives us his outlook on the future for cyber-enabled "FinCrime" and how to safely navigate your way through this new financial world increasingly reliant on technology.

Compliance Officer | Blockchain & Crypto Subject Matter Expert | Thought Leader | Former US Banking Regulator

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bl0ckchain/

Twitter: @BL0CKCHAINMIKE

Twitter: @cryptotwitter

Website: https://www.LVL.CO

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/

Book: Investigating Cryptocurrencies: Understanding, Extracting, and Analyzing Blockchain Evidence

Article: https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/nft-scammers-arrested-over-dollar16m-rug-pull-face-20-years-in-jail/ar-AAVt6rX

Mike and Mark welcome NYPD Detective Daniel Alessandrino to the podcast to take a deeper look at financial crimes and their connection to organized criminal groups and gangs. Listeners will get a street level view of how fraud and financial crimes help fund and attract some to a life of crime and gang activity.

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-alessandrino-7a37b1126

In today's episode, Mike and Mark speak with financial crimes specialist and author, Kelly Ross. Kelly, a former police officer and SME for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police gives listeners a close-up look at the crimes associated with diamonds and precious metals and how they tie into the seedy world of organized crime. He also discusses the obstacles and complications involved in investigating these crimes and what the future holds for law enforcement and the criminal element in the billion-dollar underground precious metal, diamond, and gemstone industry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ross-b9760a27/