In this crucial episode of Scam Rangers, we explore the dark and disturbing world of Sextortion. This crime occurs when online predators trick individuals, often teens, into sharing nude images or videos and then use these compromising materials to extort money, more images, or other demands. These predators threaten to share the images with the victim's friends and family if they don't comply. Our guest, Paul Raffile, a Senior Intelligence Analyst with a career dedicated to investigating online crimes and financial scams, joins us to shed light on this pressing issue.

Key Discussion Points:

Paul explains how sextortion scams unfold, the social media platforms commonly used by predators, and the emotional impact on victims, particularly teens. He shares advice for social media companies on preventing these scams, drawing on strategies from financial institutions that detect account takeovers. We also explore how money is transferred to criminals and the risk signals financial institutions can monitor to spot suspicious activities.

Resources:

Follow Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/sextortion-yahoo-boys-snapchat-tiktok-teen-wizz-rcna134200

NCRI Report: https://networkcontagion.us/reports/yahoo-boys/

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/nyregion/social-media-scam-sextortion.html

Article on WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/yahoo-boys-scammers-facebook-telegram-tiktok-youtube/

Training materials on NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/sextortion-yahoo-boys-snapchat-tiktok-teen-wizz-rcna134200

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem.

Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

In this episode, we are joined by Hailed Windham, a leading voice in the credit union community, who shares her expertise on the collaborative efforts to fight fraud. Hailed tells us about her involvement in multiple impactful initiatives, such as promoting awareness programs through the #cufightfraud campaign she initiated on social media and co-leading the bank and FI subgroup in Operation Shamrock. She also discusses her active role in Mission Omega, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts in fraud prevention.

Hailed further explains how she is driving the fight against #pigbutechering scams with the Crypto Coalition in South Carolina, aiming to drive regulatory changes and improve enforcement against cryptocurrency investment scams. 

Tune in to learn about the innovative strategies credit unions are employing to safeguard their members and stay ahead of emerging threats in the financial sector.

Hailey Windham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/

Banking on Fraudology Podcast: https://pod.link/1744207174

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem.

 Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ 

ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

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

With the founding of Stop Scams Alliance, Ken discusses his efforts to drive change at the national level, drawing inspiration from successful initiatives implemented by the British government. He outlines the strategies employed across the pond and advocates for similar action within the United States, emphasizing the importance of government intervention in combating cybercrime.

Join us as we explore Ken Westbrook's journey from personal tragedy to public advocacy, shedding light on the pressing issue of online scams and the collective effort needed to address it effectively. This episode serves as a call to action for individuals and policymakers alike, urging everyone to unite in the fight against digital deception.

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ 

ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

Resources:

Stop Scams Alliance: https://www.stopscamsalliance.org/

Op Ed New York Times: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/25/scams-ruin-american-lives-present/

Stop Scams UK: https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/

UK Strategy to sop scams: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-blueprint-to-protect-public-from-scammers

Australia strategy to stop scams:

In the first episode of Season 2 of Scam Rangers, we dive into the perspective of a Fraud Strategy leader in a US financial institution.  What is the difference between dealing with traditional account takeover fraud (unauthorized payments) and online scams (authorized payments) from the perspective of serving and retaining customers? What are the considerations leadership should take into account and how do financial institutions create the right level of friction while protecting their customer from online scams? We also explore a bank's standpoint regarding forthcoming regulations on a global scale and the much-needed but often overlooked aspect of cross-industry collaboration in the United States. Lastly, Karen sheds light on the demanding role of fraud analysts who often double as customer service representatives and therapists, a challenge faced by many members of fraud operations teams

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

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

To learn more about Ken and his work, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-palla-09b585/

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

In this episode we talk to Gabi Friedlander at Wizer about how financial institutions can create effective awareness to educate their customers on online scams, and how educating kids in school about basic concepts of online safety can help prevent scams later in life, such as romance scams, investment scams, sextortion and phishing, to name a few. At the end of the episode Gaby provides concrete advice on how you, as fraud fighters, can collaborate with your marketing teams to drive differentiated scam awareness for your customers.

You can find Gaby here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielfriedlander/

Wizer: https://www.wizer-training.com/

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/

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

Additional Resources mentioned in the podcast:

 CloudSEK report about the task scams:

https://assets-global.website-files.com/635e632477408d12d1811a64/651f4de17bc41545fc74598a_Webwyrm-%20A%20Vast%20Network%20of%20Deception%20by%20Impersonating%20Thousands%20of%20Brands%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf

Humanity Research Consultancy report on cyber-scamming and forced labor:

https://humanity-consultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HRC-Briefing_Cyber-Slavery-in-the-Scamming-Compounds.pdf

And all the links to my stories from 2021 & today that are related to the issues we discussed:

Pig-butchering scams and human trafficking articles by Cezary Podkul:

https://www.propublica.org/article/casinos-cambodia-myanmar-laos-southeast-asia-fraud-cybercrime

https://www.propublica.org/article/whats-a-pig-butchering-scam-heres-how-to-avoid-falling-victim-to-one

https://www.propublica.org/article/pig-butchering-scams-raided-cambodia-apple-trafficking

https://www.propublica.org/article/human-traffickers-force-victims-into-cyberscamming

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

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

This incident, which happened in 2016, was the first of many that continue to impact Bryan's life and the life of his family, as a victim of identity theft.  Bryan founded an organization to help romance scam victims, Advocating Against Romance Scammers, and together with his co-founder, Kathy Waters, advocates for change in the responsibility social media should have to ensure clean and reliable communication.

AARS: https://advocatingforu.com/

International World Romance Scam Prevention Day: https://protectingheartsday.com/

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

If you are a bank fraud fighter or in law enforcement, you will not want to miss this fascinating episode. Anne and Cecilie both share their personal romance scam stories and how they had to face the realities and aftermath of emotional and financial trauma, as well as judgment from society and authorities. They decided to turn their experience into a bold movement and Founded LoveSaid, a non profit with the goal to support romance scam victims with carefully orchestrated process and tools to bring victims out of the scam and to support them afterwards in navigating the emotional and financial aftermath. 

As Cecilie put it in her own words:  I'm sure they (bank fraud teams) don't have much time so they just go on the phone and tell the customer "high suspicious activity here". I can imagine how they are saying it and we (the scam victims) refuse to listen and we are cutting them off. If we can have a bank of Ex Victims who've been trained to go in and talk to these victims, we truly believe that we can get there much faster in a better way than police and banks can. We truly see the power of people with experience  coming in.

Resources: 

• www.lovesaid.org
• www.catchthecatfish.org

Socials:

• Instagram and TikTok :catchthecatfish123
• Facebook:@catchthecatfish
• You Tube: @CatchTheCatfish
• Instagram:lovesaid_org
• TikTok:lovesaid.org
• Facebook: LoveSaid
• Twitter: LoveSaidOrg
• TikTok: lovesaid.org

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/   Also check out https://scamranger.ai if you had received a message that you suspect is a scam

Additional academic research mentioned in the podcast:

Dr Elisabeth Carter’s body of work:

Forensic Linguist and Criminologist

• Carter, E. (2023) Compelled to comply: Exposing the exploitation of communicative relationships by fraudsters to gain and harness compliance from their victims. The British Journal of Criminology.
• Carter, E. (2021) Distort, extort, deceive and exploit: Exploring the inner workings of a romance fraud, The British Journal of Criminology 61(2): 283–302.
• Carter, E. (2015) The anatomy of scam communications: An empirical analysis, Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal 11(2): 89-103.
• Carter, E. (2015) Laughing matters: A conversation analytic account of the use of laughter by suspects and officers in the police interview, The Essex Graduate Journal of Sociology 50th Anniversary Special Issue 14(1): 99-113.
• Carter, E. (2015) A conversation analytic exploration of laughter in the police interview, SAGE Research Methods January 15: 68-85.
• Carter, E. (2014) When is a lie not a lie? When it's divergent: Examining lies and deceptive responses in a police interview, International Journal of Language and the Law/Linguagem e Direito‏ (1):122-140.

In this episode of Scam Rangers, we delve into the troubling world of romance scams and identity theft victims. Our guest, Kathy Waters, shares her insights into these scams and her advocacy work in supporting victims while pushing for regulatory changes on online platforms.

Key Takeaways:

1. Deception in Romance Scams: Kathy explains how scammers use stolen identities to create elaborate love stories, often set in distant locations, to manipulate and deceive their victims.

2. Kathy's Journey: Learn about Kathy's personal journey and what led her to become an advocate against scammers and a staunch supporter of victims.

3. Advocating for Change: Kathy and her team are actively working with lawmakers to change regulations and policies in the US governing online platforms to enhance user safety and protect vulnerable individuals from scams.

Explore the hidden world of romance scams, discover the resilience of identity theft victims, and understand Advocating Against Romance Scammer's  unwavering commitment to exposing wrongdoers and creating safer digital spaces. Join us for a thought-provoking journey only on Scam Rangers.

Resources:

Advocating Against Romance Scammers: https://advocatingforu.com/ The petition can be found on the website.

World Romance Scam Awareness Day: https://protectingheartsday.com/

This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin  who spent the last 15 years building technology to help financial institutions authenticate their customers and identify fraud. She believes that when it comes to scams, the story starts well before the transaction. She has created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams, and to learn from people who have decided to dedicate their lives to speaking up on behalf of scam victims and who take action to solve this problem. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/   Also check out https://scamranger.ai if you had received a message that you suspect is a scam