Cristy shares her heartbreaking story of falling victim to an elaborate celebrity impersonation scam. After making her Instagram profile public for one week to support her niece, she was contacted by someone claiming to be comedian Matt Rife. What began as a seemingly authentic connection—complete with voice messages, flowers, and deep conversations about mindfulness—evolved into a sophisticated romance and cryptocurrency investment fraud that cost her everything.

In this emotional episode of Stolen with host Erin West, Cristy reveals how scammers used love bombing, multiple fake personas (including a PR person and financial planner), and psychological manipulation to isolate her and gain her trust. She discusses the warning signs she missed, the devastating financial and emotional impact, and her journey toward recovery and self-forgiveness.

If you or someone you know has been targeted by celebrity impersonation scams, romance fraud, or cryptocurrency investment schemes, this episode offers crucial insights into how these operations work and why even intelligent, cautious people can fall victim.

When the U.S. unsealed its indictment against Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, it didn’t just take down one man—it exposed a global scam empire built on trafficking, corruption, and stolen crypto. Erin West sits down with expert Jake Sims to unpack the historic $15 billion seizure, what it means for Cambodia’s ruling elite, and why this moment could redefine the global fight against organized cybercrime.

St. Louis detective Mike Clinton joins Erin West to reveal how local, state, and federal law enforcement are teaming up to take down crypto scammers. From the rise of fusion centers to the success of Operation Shamrock and the Shamrock Triage Team, this episode dives deep into how collaboration—and grit—are closing the gap between victims and justice. Learn how one detective turned chaos into a national model for combating crypto-enabled crime.

In this eye-opening episode of Stolen, host Erin West sits down with anti-money laundering expert Alison Jimenez to discuss the rapidly growing crisis of financial sextortion targeting teenage boys. Learn how this transnational crime works, how scammers move money, and what parents and financial institutions can do to protect children.

What You'll Learn:

Expert Insights: Alison Jimenez breaks down the financial infrastructure behind sextortion scams, explaining money mule operations, Bitcoin transfers, and the regulatory landscape. She shares actionable recommendations for parents, including privacy controls, parental notifications, and how to talk to your kids about this threat.

Key Takeaways for Parents:

Whether you're a parent, work in financial services, or care about protecting children online, this episode provides crucial information about one of the fastest-growing crimes affecting American teens today.

In this powerful episode, former prosecutor Erin West lays out an urgent call to action after three and a half years of fighting the pig butchering crisis. Drawing from her 26+ years in law enforcement and recent travels to scam compounds in Southeast Asia, Erin delivers a sobering truth: things aren't getting better—they're getting exponentially worse.

Erin presents seven critical pillars for defeating the scamdemic, from reframing how we talk about victims (these are PhD holders, bank presidents, and doctors—not "stupid people") to demanding accountability from American companies enabling these crimes. She explains why this isn't just fraud—it's a humanitarian disaster involving hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims and a national security threat involving the mass transfer of generational wealth into the hands of Chinese organized crime syndicates.

This episode coincides with the release of the Aspen Institute's "United Against Fraud" report and introduces Operation Shamrock's innovative victim reporting portal through TRM Labs. Whether you're in law enforcement, tech, finance, or simply a concerned citizen, Erin explains exactly what role you can play in this fight.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with legendary scambaiter Jim Browning, the YouTuber who infiltrates scam call centers and exposes criminals to millions of viewers. Together, they dig into how scammers trick victims through robocalls, fake tech support, and crypto ATMs—and reveal how Browning uncovered a pig butchering compound in Dubai that led to one of the largest scammer raids in history. From the inside workings of call centers in India to global networks run by organized crime, this conversation shines a light on the tactics scammers use, the human cost of fraud, and what it takes to fight back.

👉 If you’ve ever wondered how scammers really operate—or how one man managed to terrify call centers around the world—this is the episode you don’t want to miss.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West speaks with Nahid, a mother who lost everything to a romance-driven cryptocurrency scam known as “pig butchering.” What started on a dating app quickly spiraled into a nightmare of fake investments, manipulated trust, and financial ruin. Nahid courageously shares how scammers used love, deepfakes, and a counterfeit “Fidelity Options” platform to steal over a million dollars—and how law enforcement failed to help.

This episode sheds light on:

How scammers groom victims on dating apps and WhatsApp

Why Tether (USDT) is the coin of choice for pig butchering fraud

The emotional toll and stigma survivors face

The urgent need for banks, exchanges, and law enforcement to step up

Nahid’s story is heartbreaking, but it’s also a warning—and a call for systemic change. If you’ve ever wondered how these scams work, how victims get pulled in so deeply, and why reporting often feels hopeless, this episode will open your eyes.

Romance scams aren’t just about money—they’re about psychology, shame, and stolen trust. In this episode of Stolen, Erin West talks with author Becky Holmes (Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love With You) about the rise of celebrity impostor scams, why smart and kind people fall victim, and how society’s lack of empathy fuels the crisis. A powerful, funny, and eye-opening look at the future of fraud.

Sextortion isn’t just happening online — it’s being industrialized inside scam compounds like KK Park in Southeast Asia. In this episode, Erin West talks with Eric Heintz of International Justice Mission about his groundbreaking study linking sextortion of minors to the same criminal networks running pig butchering scams and cryptocurrency fraud. They expose how forced labor, satellite imagery, and open-source data reveal the terrifying scale of abuse, from trafficked workers to children targeted worldwide. This conversation is a wake-up call: sextortion is not an isolated crime, but part of a global scam machine that demands urgent action.

Romance scams are one of the fastest-growing forms of online fraud, costing victims billions each year. In this episode of Stolen, Erin West talks with Mary, a romance scam survivor who refused to be silenced. Instead of hiding in shame, Mary documented every message, tracked her scammers, and even used AI to fight back.

Her unconventional approach shows just how far victims are forced to go when law enforcement tools and systems fall short. Together, Erin and Mary unpack the reality of romance fraud, pig butchering scams, psychological manipulation, and why we need urgent law enforcement solutions to stop transnational organized crime.

If you want to understand how romance scams work — and why survivors like Mary are stepping into the role of investigator — this episode will open your eyes to the global scamdemic we’re facing today.