Scam Rangers
- Folgen
- 65
- Erscheint
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- Letzte Folge
- 11. Nov. 2026
Über den Podcast
Scam Rangers - A podcast about the human side of fraud and the people who are on a mission to protect us. We will hear from activists, researchers, prosecutors, human trafficking experts and other advocates, telling the story of scams and scam victims from their perspectives. Most importantly - we can learn what we can do about it. If you are enjoying this show, subscribe, and follow me on LinkedIn for more information and news about online scams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Folgen 65
When Seeing Is Believing: How AI Supercharges Scam Psychology, a conversation with Dr. Martina Dove, a scam psychology researcher
What happens when the things we rely on to establish trust, including what we see and hear, can be manufactured by a scammer?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back Dr. Martina Dove …
Shownotes
What happens when the things we rely on to establish trust, including what we see and hear, can be manufactured by a scammer?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back Dr. Martina Dove, scam psychology expert, researcher, and advisor to RangersAI, to explore how AI is supercharging the psychological tactics behind scams.
Drawing on her research and interviews with victims, Martina explains how our circumstances, needs, and experiences shape which stories feel relevant and which opportunities we are willing to consider. Scammers exploit those circumstances, building trust through conversations, social proof, and carefully constructed evidence.
Together, Ayelet and Martina examine how that manipulation unfolds, from investment groups filled with apparent success stories to fake bank accounts that make a romance scammer’s story seem credible. They discuss how AI agents can sustain personalized conversations around the clock, and why deepfakes and voice cloning interfere with our instinctive ways of recognizing people we trust.
Martina also challenges familiar advice like “don’t panic” and explains why it can fall short when someone believes a loved one is in danger.
The conversation explores why prevention at the point of social engineering is critical. By the time a bank flags a payment, the customer may already be convinced that sending money is the right thing to do. Earlier intervention creates an opportunity to interrupt manipulation before trust and emotional commitment deepen.
In This Episode
- The anatomy of a scam and the circumstances that make an approach persuasive
- How scammers build trust through social proof and fabricated evidence
- How AI agents, deepfakes, and voice cloning amplify manipulation
- Why familiar scam prevention advice can miss the mark
- Opportunities to intervene during social engineering, before money moves
About the Guest
Dr. Martina Dove is a researcher specializing in scam psychology, persuasion, and vulnerability to fraud, and an advisor to RangersAI. She combines her PhD research and interviews with scam victims with experience in product and user research to help develop tools and guidance that support consumers.
About the Host
Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her advisory for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet works with financial institutions and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
When Opportunity Becomes a Trap: Inside the Job Scam Economy, a conversation with Jay Jones, "The Profiler"
What happens when people looking for work become targets for organized fraud?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Jay Jones, known as The Profiler, an investigator exposing fake job …
Shownotes
What happens when people looking for work become targets for organized fraud?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Jay Jones, known as The Profiler, an investigator exposing fake job postings, fraudulent recruiters, and hijacked professional identities.
After being laid off from an advertising job, Jay encountered a fake résumé-writing operation targeting job seekers. Instead of looking away, he began following the threads. What started as one investigation became a one-man mission to expose the networks using fake opportunities to steal money, personal information, and access to professional accounts.
Today, Jay says he has helped get nearly 60,000 fake job listings removed, most from LinkedIn and some from Tea, and has flagged more than 7,000 scam profiles. His work has recently been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Fox News Radio, and Bloomberg.
Together, Ayelet and Jay explore the growing job-scam ecosystem, from fake résumé writers and “LinkedIn optimization” offers to fake recruiters, hijacked profiles, and impersonated company pages. They discuss why profile age, mutual connections, verification badges, and polished language are not always enough to establish trust.
Protecting job seekers requires more than teaching people to spot suspicious messages. It requires stronger accountability, better platform safeguards, and a willingness to verify the person, company, and opportunity behind every interaction.About Jay JonesJay Jones, known as The Profiler, turned his own experience with job-search fraud into a mission to expose employment scams at scale. He investigates fake job postings, recruiter impersonation, professional-profile takeovers, and fraudulent companies targeting job seekers.
Learn more about Jay’s work: https://www.theprofiler.org/
Recent coverage:
The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/tech/the-vigilante-whos-taking-down-recruitment-scammers-one-fake-job-ad-at-a-time-e441b100
Fox News Radio: https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/10/02/laid-off-to-scam-hunter-how-one-man-takes-on-fake-job-listings/
Bloomberg This Weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I591wG6jB9E
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her advisory for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet works with financial institutions and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
The Intelligence Gap: Why Are Scams Still Getting Through? A conversation with Ian Matthews, Founder and CEO of Strata Labs
Scam signals exist across telecom networks, messaging platforms, and financial institutions. Why aren’t they translating into stronger protection?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with …
Shownotes
Scam signals exist across telecom networks, messaging platforms, and financial institutions. Why aren’t they translating into stronger protection?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Ian Matthews, founder and CEO of Strata Labs and former founder and CEO of WMC Global, about the limits of message filtering, the changing role of carriers and technology platforms, and the intelligence banks could use to intervene earlier.
Ian explains what reported messages reveal about scammers and their targets, and why getting those signals to financial institutions could help prevent losses before money moves.
In This Episode- Why scam messages still get through network filters.
- How RCS and iMessage are changing visibility and protection.
- What reported messages reveal and how banks could use that intelligence.
- The barriers to sharing signals across industries.
- How AI is accelerating scams and the need for stronger collaboration.
Ian Matthews leads Strata Labs, a strategic advisory focused on telecommunications, cybersecurity, and AI. Previously, he founded and led WMC Global, connecting telecom threat intelligence with the organizations working to protect consumers.
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her advisory for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet works with financial institutions and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
Fighting Scams, Rebuilding Trust. One Call at a Time, a conversation with Jaime Zetterstrom, VP Product Management, SOMOS
What happens when people stop trusting their phones?Scammers have made calls, texts, and messaging platforms central to the way they reach and manipulate victims. And as scams become more targeted and move …
Shownotes
What happens when people stop trusting their phones?Scammers have made calls, texts, and messaging platforms central to the way they reach and manipulate victims. And as scams become more targeted and move across multiple channels, the challenge is no longer simply blocking spam or stopping robocalls.
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Jaime Zetterstrom, VP of Product & Innovation at Somos, to explore the role of the telecom industry in fighting scams—and the difficult balance between protecting consumers, preserving privacy, and keeping communications open.
Jaime explains why modern scams are increasingly “surgical,” how criminals move between platforms to evade detection, and why collaboration between telecom providers, financial institutions, regulators, and consumers is becoming essential.
They also explore a bigger consequence of the scam epidemic: the erosion of trust. When people stop answering unknown calls or trusting messages, legitimate businesses, banks, healthcare providers, and other organizations lose an important way to reach them.
Rebuilding that trust, Jaime says, may happen one call and one message at a time.
In This Episode- Why telecom is at the center of many scam journeys
- How scams have evolved from high-volume spam to more targeted, cross-platform attacks
- Why stopping scam communications is more complicated than simply blocking suspicious calls or messages
- What telecom providers are already doing to combat fraudulent traffic
- How banks and telecom providers can share signals to disrupt scams earlier
- Why consumer reporting matters—and why consumers need a better feedback loop
- How scams are damaging trust in calls and messages
- The opportunity to create more trusted communication between legitimate brands and consumers
- Why Jaime believes scams are, at their core, an identity problem
Fighting scams isn't only about stopping a bad call or message. It's also about protecting the trust that allows people and legitimate organizations to communicate.
Rebuilding that trust will require collaboration across industries—and will happen one call and one message at a time.
About the Host - Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.Through her work at RangersAI and her advisory for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet works with financial institutions and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
When Logic Isn't Enough: The Role of Empathy in Fighting Scams, A conversation with Dr. Trina Clayeaux, CEO of Give an Hour
What happens when someone is so deeply caught in a scam that facts and logic no longer reach them?In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger Levin sits down with Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour …
Shownotes
What happens when someone is so deeply caught in a scam that facts and logic no longer reach them?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger Levin sits down with Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour, to explore the emotional and psychological impact of scams and why empathy is so important in prevention, intervention and recovery.
When someone is in the middle of a scam, they may be under intense pressure, emotionally invested or deeply manipulated. Simply telling them, “This is a scam,” may not work.
Trina introduces a powerful green, yellow and red framework for understanding a victim’s emotional state. If someone is in the red, bringing more logic may only push them further away. Instead, we need to recognize where they are, slow things down and adapt how we communicate.
“Trust is the connective tissue to all of this.”
The conversation also looks at the broader scam lifecycle, from early intervention to financial institution response, recovery and healing. Because scams are not only financial crimes. They can leave victims struggling with shame, isolation, loss of trust and increased vulnerability to repeat scams.
Ultimately, fighting scams requires more than detection. It requires understanding human behavior and meeting people where they are.
In this episode- Why logic alone may not stop a scam
- The green, yellow and red emotional framework
- How empathy can improve scam intervention
- Building trust without shaming the customer
- The emotional impact of scams
- Preventing repeat victimization
- Connecting prevention, recovery and healing
Dr. Trina Clayeux is CEO of Give an Hour, a national social impact organization focused on mental health and supporting people impacted by human caused trauma. Give an Hour provides clinical support, peer support, education and training, including programs focused on the psychological and emotional impact of fraud and scams.
About the hostAyelet Biger Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI, the company behind ScamRanger. With more than 15 years in fraud prevention and cybersecurity, she is an Ambassador for the Global Anti Scam Alliance and host of Scam Rangers, exploring how we can better protect people and fight scams.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
Confronting the Yahoo Boys: A Blueprint for Fighting Back, A conversation with Erin West and Paul Raffile
What happens when investigators follow a scam all the way to the people behind it?In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Erin West, founder of Operation Shamrock and former …
Shownotes
What happens when investigators follow a scam all the way to the people behind it?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Erin West, founder of Operation Shamrock and former prosecutor, and cybercrime researcher Paul Raffile to hear the incredible story of their investigation into financial sextortion.
Erin and Paul created a decoy social media profile posing as a teenage boy and quickly became targets of a sextortion scam. They followed the digital trail, built a blueprint of the network, and traveled to Nigeria to find the people behind it.
There, they interviewed scammers, worked with local partners and law enforcement, explored the role of juju rituals in some scam operations, and ultimately confronted the suspected scammer they had tracked.
“We came here to find you. We’re two investigators.”
What they discovered raises bigger questions about how we fight scams. Detection and prevention matter , but what about deterrence and consequences? When the scammers themselves were asked what could stop more people from committing these crimes, their answer was striking: more arrests.
In this episode- Inside a real-world financial sextortion investigation
- Following the trail from social media to Nigeria
- Building a blueprint of the criminal network
- What scammers revealed about how they operate
- The role of juju rituals in some scam operations
- Confronting the suspected scammer
- Why deterrence and enforcement matter
- What law enforcement and industry need to do differently
Erin West is the founder of Operation Shamrock and a former Deputy District Attorney who spent 26 years prosecuting crime, including eight years investigating high-tech and cryptocurrency-enabled crime. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinnordbywest/
Paul Raffile is a cybercrime researcher specializing in transnational organized crime and financial sextortion, with a background in government intelligence, corporate intelligence and digital investigations. https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffile/
About the hostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI, the company behind ScamRanger. With more than 15 years in fraud prevention and cybersecurity, she is an Ambassador for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and host of Scam Rangers, exploring how we can better protect people and fight scams. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
You Can't Fight What You Don't Measure, A conversation with Ken Westbrook, Founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance
What if one of the biggest reasons we’re struggling to fight scams is that we don’t fully understand the scale of the problem?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back Ken Westbrook …
Shownotes
What if one of the biggest reasons we’re struggling to fight scams is that we don’t fully understand the scale of the problem?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back Ken Westbrook, founder of Stop Scams Alliance and former CIA analyst, to discuss why scams should be treated as a national security threat, and why doing that starts with better data.
Ken shares the story behind Stop Scams Alliance’s collaboration with Gallup and what the new research reveals about scam victimization in America. The findings paint a troubling picture: roughly one in four Americans report having been scammed, nearly three-quarters of victims say the experience negatively affected their mental health or well-being, and 98% of U.S. adults believe scams pose a threat.
The conversation goes beyond the numbers to explore what needs to happen next: the role financial institutions can play in scam intelligence and reporting, how technology and AI can strengthen defenses, the need for greater public-private collaboration, and what it would actually mean to treat scams as a national security priority.
In this episode:- Why traditional reporting doesn’t capture the true scale of scams
- What the Gallup research reveals about victims and the impact of scams
- Why financial institutions could play a larger role in scam intelligence
- How AI is changing both scam attacks and defenses
- Why stronger collaboration across government and industry is critical
- Why we need consistent measurement to know whether we’re actually making progress
Link to the Gallup survey: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/711827/scams-in-america.aspx
About Ken WestbrookKen Westbrook is the founder of Stop Scams Alliance, a nonprofit bringing together stakeholders across the scam ecosystem to improve how the U.S. prevents and responds to scams. Before founding the organization, Ken spent 33 years at the CIA as an analyst — experience that now shapes his approach to understanding and combating scams as an organized, evolving threat.
Stop scams Alliance: https://www.stopscamsalliance.org/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the founder and CEO of RangersAI and host of the Scam Rangers podcast. A fraud and cybersecurity expert with more than 20 years of experience, she has held leadership roles at companies including IBM, RSA Security and BioCatch.
Through Scam Rangers, Ayelet brings together experts from financial services, technology, behavioral science, law enforcement and policy to explore how scams work, why people fall victim, and what we can do to build greater scam resilience.
www.rangersai.com
Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
The Trust Layer: Why Banks Must Partner with Customers to Stop Scams
For years, the banking industry focused on one goal: reduce friction. Every extra interaction with a customer was viewed as something to avoid.But scams have changed the rules.When criminals manipulate …
Shownotes
For years, the banking industry focused on one goal: reduce friction. Every extra interaction with a customer was viewed as something to avoid.
But scams have changed the rules.
When criminals manipulate customers into authorizing payments themselves, transaction monitoring alone can't tell the whole story. The missing piece is context—and the only person who has it is the customer.
In this episode, Ayelet sits down with Kate Pundik, Fraud Risk Management Program Manager at Valley Bank, and Juliana Bogotinoska, FVP and BSA Officer at Bankwell, to discuss why proactive customer engagement is becoming one of the most powerful tools in modern fraud prevention.
Together, they explore how banks are rethinking trust, why customer outreach is no longer viewed as unnecessary friction, and how partnering with customers can improve fraud detection, strengthen relationships, and prevent losses before money moves.
In this episode, you'll learn:- Why scams require a completely different fraud prevention strategy than traditional account takeover.
- Why the customer often has the one piece of information banks cannot see: intent.
- How customer outreach helps prevent account takeover, check fraud, scams, and money mule activity.
- Why reaching out to customers is becoming a better customer service experience—not simply another security control.
- How financial institutions are building trusted communication channels with customers.
- Why fraud, AML, risk, technology, marketing, and customer-facing teams must work together to protect customers.
- How AI is changing both scam tactics and the way banks must respond.
- Why the future of fraud prevention is built on partnership, trust, and communication.
The future of fraud prevention isn't simply about detecting suspicious transactions. It's about building trusted relationships with customers, giving them the confidence to make safer decisions, and creating a partnership where banks and customers work together to stop fraud before money moves.
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and the Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about the work being done to build scam resilience.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Why You Can't Break a Scam With Facts Alone, A conversation with Ayleen Charlotte, Founder S.A.F.E.
Most of us believe that if someone is being scammed, all they need is proof.Show them the evidence. Point out the red flags. Explain the facts.But what if that's not enough?In this episode of Scam Rangers, I …
Shownotes
Most of us believe that if someone is being scammed, all they need is proof.
Show them the evidence. Point out the red flags. Explain the facts.
But what if that's not enough?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, I sit down with Ayleen Charlotte, survivor of the Tinder Swindler and founder of SAFE (Scam Awareness & Fraud Education), to explore what really happens when someone isunder the influence of a scammer and why breaking that manipulation requires much more than facts.
Ayleen shares her personal journey from victim to advocate, including the emotional aftermath of discovering that the relationship she believed in never existed. We discuss how scams reshape the way people think, why victims often defend the scammer, and what banks, investigators, frontline teams, and even family members need to understand if they truly want to help.
This conversation goes beyond one remarkable story. It challenges many of the assumptions we've made about scam prevention and highlights why understanding human psychology is just as important as understanding fraud.
What You'll Learn- Why scam victims can't always be convinced with facts alone.
- How manipulation changes the way people think, process information, and make decisions.
- The different stages of the "scam spell" and why interventions must adapt to each stage.
- Why fraudsters intentionally position banks and loved ones as the enemy.
- What organizations can do to become more victim-centered and trauma-informed.
- How Ayleen transformed her lived experience into SAFE, a training platform helping financial institutions, law enforcement, and organizations better support scam victims.
Ayleen Charlotte is an international speaker, fraud awareness advocate, and founder of SAFE (Scam Awareness & Fraud Education). Following her experience as one of the victims featured in The Tinder Swindler, she dedicated her career to helping organizations better understand the psychology of manipulation and improve how they support scam victims through victim-centered, trauma-informed education.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayleen-charlotte-09a338256/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and the Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention.
Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about the work being done to build scam resilience.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
People Act on Who They Trust, Not What They Know - Amanda Shute on Customer Trust, AI Manipulation, and the Future of Fraud Prevention
What does the future of fraud prevention look like from the perspective of someone who has spent two decades helping scam victims?In this episode of The Scam Rangers Podcast, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with …
Shownotes
What does the future of fraud prevention look like from the perspective of someone who has spent two decades helping scam victims?
In this episode of The Scam Rangers Podcast, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Amanda Shute, Senior Risk Manager, External Fraud Oversight, whose career began on the front lines as a bank teller helping customers after devastating scams. That experience shaped her belief that fraud prevention isn't just about stopping transactions. It's about helping people navigate trust.
Together they explore how AI is changing the scam landscape, why traditional awareness campaigns often fail in emotionally charged moments, and what financial institutions can do to build customer resilience before a payment is ever made.
From relationship-building and victim advocacy to synthetic trust and real-time intervention, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the human side of fraud prevention, and why trust may become the industry's most important security control.
In this episode you'll learn:
- How Amanda's career on the teller line shaped her approach to fraud prevention
- Why scam victims lose more than money. They lose trust
- The role financial institutions can play in rebuilding customer confidence
- What "synthetic trust" means in the age of AI-generated scams
- The new warning signs of AI-driven social media fraud
- Why awareness alone isn't enough once emotions take over
- How banks can evolve from fraud recovery to customer resilience
- Why collaboration across institutions is becoming essential
- What the new FinCEN 314(b) clarification means for information sharing
- Why every fraud professional should continuously learn from peers across the industry
Why this episode matters
Scams are no longer simply attacks on accounts—they're attacks on trust. As AI enables criminals to create increasingly convincing stories and identities, financial institutions face a new challenge: helping customers make better trust decisions before manipulation succeeds.
Amanda offers a practical roadmap for how fraud leaders can rethink prevention—not just through stronger controls, but by building trusted relationships, creating meaningful interventions, and putting the customer experience at the center of their strategy. You can learn more about her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandashute/
About the Host - Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/
RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
When Trust Becomes the Attack Surface: Building Scam Resilience in a World of Manipulation, a conversation with Tracy Hall
What makes someone vulnerable to a scam?Many people assume scams only happen to people who are uninformed, careless, or less tech-savvy. But what if the real attack surface isn't technology at all?What if it's …
Shownotes
What makes someone vulnerable to a scam?
Many people assume scams only happen to people who are uninformed, careless, or less tech-savvy. But what if the real attack surface isn't technology at all?
What if it's trust?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Tracy Hall—author, advocate, and survivor of one of Australia's most notorious romance fraud cases. After losing her life savings to a professional con artist who spent eighteen months building trust and creating a false identity, Tracy transformed her experience into a mission to educate, advocate, and drive change.
Together, they explore how manipulation works, why intelligence alone doesn't protect us from scams, the dangers of victim-blaming, and what organizations, governments, and individuals can do to build scam resilience in an increasingly digital world.
This conversation goes beyond romance fraud. It's about the psychology of trust, the human side of scams, and why resilience, not fear, is one of our most powerful defenses.
In This Episode- How professional scammers build trust over time
- Why scams are fundamentally about manipulation, not technology
- The "long con" and how criminals create believable worlds
- Why intelligent, successful people can become scam victims
- The role of vulnerability, life transitions, and emotional context
- Tracy's journey from victim to advocate
- The impact of victim-blaming on reporting and recovery
- The importance of lived experience in shaping scam prevention strategies
- How organizations can improve scam awareness and education
- Why trust has become the new attack surface
Tracy Hall is an author, speaker, scam awareness advocate, and survivor of one of Australia's most high-profile romance fraud cases. Following the publication of her book, The Last Victim, Tracy has become a leading voice in scam awareness, victim advocacy, and consumer education, working with organizations, governments, and communities around the world to improve understanding of scams and fraud.
Key Takeaway: Scams don't target intelligence. They target trust.And in a world where trust has become the attack surface, awareness alone isn't enough—we need scam resilience.
Resources- Learn more about Tracy Hall and The Last Victim: https://a.co/d/08gE6hm4
- Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyhall1975/
About the Host
Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
The Predator Next Door: Unmasking the Invisible Threat of Eldercare Fraud, A conversation with Charles E. Wallace Jr., author of The Caregiver's Game
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Charles E. Wallace Jr., author of The Caregiver's Game: The Caregiver's Game: Unraveling Financial Deceit in the Shadows of Dementia …
Shownotes
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Charles E. Wallace Jr., author of The Caregiver's Game: The Caregiver's Game: Unraveling Financial Deceit in the Shadows of Dementia. Charles turned into a fraud investigator after his mother fell victim to financial elder abuse. Together, they pull back the curtain on the subtle, malicious ecosystem of caregiver grooming, which drained hundreds of thousands of dollars right under the noses of family members and financial fiduciaries.Charles discusses the "paradox of modern banking", how digital transaction networks fail to capture age-based vulnerabilities or notice when an elderly person's life savings are systematically bled dry through discount retail stores and unauthorized credit accounts. From the devastating isolation tactics used to separate his mother from her family to discovering a trail of prior victims left by the very predator hired to protect her, Charles explains why the financial industry must shift away from administrative silos and move toward behavioral, real-time transaction monitoring.
We also explore the gaps in standard Adult Protective Services investigations and why Charles believes banks need to give families better collaborative dashboard tools to monitor and protect generational wealth before it’s too late.
A link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Caregivers-Game-Unraveling-Financial-Dementia/dp/B0G322349C
About the Host
Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
Powered by AI, Targeting Money We Don't Yet Have: The New Scam Playbook, A conversation with David Maimon, Professor at Georgia State University
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet sits down with fraud researcher and professor David Maimon to unpack some of the most alarming scam trends emerging today, from abandoned identity fraud and synthetic …
Shownotes
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet sits down with fraud researcher and professor David Maimon to unpack some of the most alarming scam trends emerging today, from abandoned identity fraud and synthetic identities to AI-powered romance and investment scams.
They discuss how criminals are targeting former immigrants, children, and deceased individuals whose identities are no longer actively monitored, and how those identities are being sold and exploited for loans, bank accounts, and fraud rings.
The conversation also dives into a disturbing evolution in romance and investment scams: criminals are no longer just stealing victims’ savings, they are strategically targeting people with strong credit profiles and home equity to maximize returns through HELOC fraud and investment manipulation.
Finally, Ayelet and David explore how AI is beginning to automate scam operations at scale, including experiments with conversational AI agents capable of running fully automated “pig butchering” investment scams.
Key Topics Covered- Abandoned identities and identity reuse fraud
- Synthetic identity marketplaces on Telegram
- Romance scams evolving into large-scale financial exploitation
- HELOC targeting and victim profiling
- AI-powered scam conversations and agentic AI
- DeepSeek guardrail concerns
- The future of fraud prevention and scam mitigation
David Maimon is a cybercrime researcher focused on fraud ecosystems, financial crime, identity fraud, and online scam operations. His work explores how criminals operate across Telegram, darknet forums, and emerging AI systems to scale fraud operations. David is a Professor at Georgia State University and Head of Fraud Insights at SentiLink
Listen now and stay ahead of the latest scam tactics shaping the future of fraud.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-maimon-29343632/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
From Forest Ranger to Scam Ranger: Building a National Security Approach to Scam Prevention, A conversation with Jamie Simmons, Head of Fraud Prevention, Investigations and Riak Management at Capita lOne
In this episode, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Jamie Simmons to explore how scams have evolved from traditional fraud into a global, AI-driven threat rooted in human psychology.From his early days as a park …
Shownotes
In this episode, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Jamie Simmons to explore how scams have evolved from traditional fraud into a global, AI-driven threat rooted in human psychology.From his early days as a park ranger to leading fraud prevention at Capital One, Jamie shares why fighting scams today requires a shift toward prevention before manipulation happens and not just stopping payments after the fact.
🔑 Key Takeaways- Scams are not just fraud—they’re social engineering at scale
- Impact spans all age groups and all financial products
- The real opportunity is moving “left of boom”—before money moves
- Stopping scams requires collaboration across banks, telecom, and tech
- Data sharing is essential—but still limited by policy
- Treating people as victims (not mistakes) is critical to progress
About the Host
Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder of RangersAI and host of Scam Rangers, where she brings together leaders across industries to tackle the human side of scams—combining fraud expertise, psychology, and real-world prevention strategies.
🔗 Resources- Global Anti-Scam Alliance https://gasa.org/
- National Elder Fraud Coordination Center - https://www.fightelderfraud.org/
Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
The Emotional Front Lines: Supporting Victims and Fighting Fraud with AARP, A conversation with Amy Nofziger, Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support at the AARP Fraud Watch Network
Scams don’t start with transactions. They start with trust.In this episode of ScamRangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Amy Nofziger, Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support at the AARP Fraud Watch …
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Scams don’t start with transactions. They start with trust.
In this episode of ScamRangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Amy Nofziger, Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support at the AARP Fraud Watch Network, to explore the human side of scams, and what’s changed over the past two decades.
Amy and her team receive ~450 calls a day from victims and concerned individuals. And what they’re seeing is clear:
The losses are bigger. The manipulation is deeper. And the emotional impact is often devastating.
This conversation dives into:
- Why scams are fundamentally human problems, not just fraud problems
- How criminals exploit trust, emotion, and purpose
- The rise of long-term relationship scams and financial grooming
- What victims actually need and why trauma-informed support matters
- How awareness, reporting, and collaboration are finally starting to shift the tide
- AARP Fraud Watch Network (main resource):
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ - Fraud Watch Network Helpline (call support):
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/helpline/ - AARP BankSafe (for financial institutions):
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/banksafe/
Amy Nofziger leads fraud victim support at AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, where she has spent over two decades helping individuals navigate the aftermath of scams. She oversees a national helpline, volunteers, and programs focused on education, prevention, and recovery.
📣 Call to ActionIf you’re in a financial institution, fintech, or fraud prevention role, this episode will change how you think about scams.
👉 Share this episode with your team
About the Host
👉 Start thinking earlier in the scam journey
👉 And help shift the industry toward preventionAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
Slam the Scam: Inside the SSA's Fight Against Government Impersonation, A conversation with Rebecca Rose, Senior Public Affairs Officer Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Rebecca Rose from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General to unpack the reality of scams today, and why they are …
Shownotes
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Rebecca Rose from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General to unpack the reality of scams today, and why they are far more than just a financial problem.
Scams have evolved into highly coordinated, psychologically-driven attacks designed to manipulate people in moments of fear, urgency, and trust. Rebecca shares how government imposter scams work, why they continue to grow, and the patterns behind them, including the now well-known “4 P’s”: person, problem or prize, pressure, and payment.
We also explore the growing sophistication of scams, from long, multi-stage attacks designed to drain victims over time, to impersonation across social media and digital channels. Most importantly, we discuss the emotional and psychological toll scams leave behind, and why prevention, education, and awareness are more critical than ever.
This conversation highlights the mission behind Slam the Scam, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness and empower individuals to recognize scams before it’s too late.
Because by the time someone reaches the point of payment… the damage has often already begun.
🔗 Show Notes & Links- Social Security Administration Scam Resource Page
https://www.ssa.gov/scams
(Learn how to recognize and report scams, and protect your identity) - Report a Scam to SSA OIG
https://oig.ssa.gov/report
(Report suspected Social Security-related scams) - Slam the Scam Day (SSA OIG Initiative)
https://oig.ssa.gov/scam
(National awareness campaign to combat scams) - FTC Scam Reporting & Data
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov
(Report scams and explore trends) - Identity Theft & Scam Resources
https://www.identitytheft.gov - AARP Fraud Watch Network
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud
(Hotline and education resources mentioned in the episode)
Rebecca Rose: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebexrose/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
- Social Security Administration Scam Resource Page
Crypto Investment Scams: Why They're Winning and How We Fight Back , A conversation with Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs at TRM Labs
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet speaks with Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs and former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor, about the rise of crypto investment scams and the global …
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In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet speaks with Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs and former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor, about the rise of crypto investment scams and the global infrastructure behind them.
They break down why these scams are growing so quickly, how financial grooming works in the crypto era, and what makes these schemes so effective at scale. Ari shares insights into blockchain intelligence, how investigators trace illicit funds, and why recovery remains so difficult once money moves.
The conversation expands to the broader ecosystem—organized criminal networks, human trafficking, and the increasing role of AI in supercharging scams. They also explore what governments, law enforcement, and the private sector are doing to respond—and where gaps still exist.
Key Topics- Why crypto investment scams are accelerating globally
- Financial grooming and the evolution of scam tactics
- How blockchain tracing works—and its limitations
- The scale of the global scam economy
- Organized crime, scam compounds, and human trafficking
- AI’s role in making scams more sophisticated
- Real-time disruption and public-private collaboration
- Challenges in fund recovery and victim restitutionhttps://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engaged
Ari Redbord is the Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence company working with law enforcement, regulators, and financial institutions to detect and prevent illicit activity in crypto. He previously served as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice and held roles at the U.S. Treasury focused on financial crime and national security.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-redbord/
Resources:
Beacon Network (public-private collaboration initiative) - https://www.trmlabs.com/beacon-network
TRM Talks - https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/trm-talks/tracing-a-romance-scam-a-survivors-story-and-the-investigation-behind-it
Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud Schemes: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engaged
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
From Diplomacy to the Frontlines: Fighting Asia's Scam Compounds, A conversation with Nils Mueller, Director, North American Chapter Global Anti-Scam Alliance
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Nils Mueller, Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and former USAID Foreign Service Officer.Nils shares his …
Shownotes
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Nils Mueller, Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and former USAID Foreign Service Officer.
Nils shares his unique path into the world of scam prevention after spending more than two decades working in international development and governance. During his time in Southeast Asia, he witnessed the rapid rise of industrial-scale scam operations run from organized crime compounds that target victims around the world.
Together, Ayelet and Nils discuss how these scam compounds emerged, the human trafficking behind many of these operations, and why online scams have become a national security issue for governments. They also explore how global cooperation between governments, civil society, and the private sector can help disrupt these networks and protect consumers.
Topics Covered- How scam compounds in Southeast Asia evolved from casino infrastructure into large-scale global fraud operations
- The human trafficking behind many scam operations and how workers are recruited into these compounds
- Why scams have become a national security and economic threat, costing billions each year
- The role of international collaboration, sanctions, and law enforcement in disrupting organized scam networks
- How the Global Anti-Scam Alliance is bringing together governments, companies, and advocates to coordinate the fight against scams
Nils Mueller is the Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and a former Foreign Service Officer with USAID. Over a 20-year career, he worked across Africa and Southeast Asia on governance, anti-corruption, and development initiatives.
During his posting in Thailand, Nils became deeply involved in understanding and addressing the rise of scam compounds and the human trafficking networks connected to them.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-m-mueller/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
Pragmatically Ambitious: Breaking the Finger-Pointing Cycle to Stop Scams, A Conversation with Kate Griffin, Kate Griffin, Director of Inclusive Finance at the Aspen Institute
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin joins Kate Griffin, Director of Inclusive Finance at the Aspen Institute, to discuss the monumental work of the National Task Force on Fraud and Scam …
Shownotes
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin joins Kate Griffin, Director of Inclusive Finance at the Aspen Institute, to discuss the monumental work of the National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention. Over the past year, Griffin has led a diverse coalition of 80 institutions, ranging from financial giants like JPMorgan Chase and Capital One to tech leaders like Google, Meta, and Apple, to develop a unified strategy against the global scam epidemic.
Griffin pulls back the curtain on the "ambitiously pragmatic" approach required to bring competitors and government agencies to the same table. She explores the delicate balance of inclusive finance, explaining how fraud prevention measures can inadvertently create barriers for low-income households. The conversation covers the task force's strategic decision to bypass the "blame game" of liability to focus on immediate prevention, the role of cross-sector information sharing, and the emergence of the Southeast Asian Scam Center Strike Force. This episode provides a high-level look at how policy, private sector action, and human values are converging to dismantle the business model of modern scammers.
Key Takeaways: A New Era of Cross-Sector Collaboration- The "Yes And" Moment: Griffin highlights that while progress in private sector investment and government policy is worth celebrating, the fight requires sustained, concerted action across the entire scam lifecycle.
- Neutral Facilitation: The Aspen Institute’s role as a neutral third party allowed for "hard conversations" between sectors like telcos and banks that often point fingers at one another.
- Bipartisan Momentum: Fraud has become a rare point of total bipartisan agreement in Washington; the scammers "do not ask who you voted for," leading to the creation of the Stop Scams Caucus in Congress.
- The Scam Lifecycle Framework: The task force’s recommendations are organized around the scam lifecycle, focusing on suppressing activity, disrupting infrastructure, and empowering victims through better response and support.
- Pragmatic Policy: The episode details how the task force's work influenced the U.S.’s first-ever national strategy for financial inclusion and continues to brief Capitol Hill on drafting future anti-scam legislation.
For more information about the task force visit: https://fraudtaskforce.aspeninstitute.org/
Read the national strategy document: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/671a80aa4a84f2359ce4d360/t/690e1fe9c5c80642162575a5/1762533353206/FraudTFReport_Digital_Final+%282%29.pdf
Follow Kate Griffin on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedgriffin/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
Protecting Customers Without Losing Them: The Cost of Getting Scam Protection Wrong, A Conversation with Marti DeLiema
Fraud prevention is often framed as a battle against criminals, but what happens to the customer along the way?In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Marti DeLiema, a researcher …
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Fraud prevention is often framed as a battle against criminals, but what happens to the customer along the way?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Marti DeLiema, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, to explore the human impact of scam prevention and fraud interventions and the unintended consequences that can emerge when protection efforts aren’t designed with empathy and care.
While fraud teams work tirelessly to stop money from flowing to criminals, this conversation shines a light on what happens after an intervention is triggered: how customers experience account restrictions, investigations, and confrontational moments and how those experiences shape trust, retention, and long-term relationships.
This episode is a must-listen not only for fraud and frontline teams, but also for digital banking, customer experience, marketing, growth, and retention leaders who may not always see what happens on the fraud front lines, yet own the customer relationship that follows.
What You’ll Learn- Why scam prevention is a cross-functional customer experience moment, not just a fraud decision
- How well-intended interventions can make victims feel blamed, criminalized, or pushed away
- The emotional impact of scam prevention on individuals and families
- How trust, dignity, and autonomy factor into fraud decisions
- Why the way institutions intervene can influence attrition and long-term loyalty
- What digital, CX, and marketing teams need to understand about fraud moments they don’t always see
Marti DeLiema
Marti DeLiema is an Assistant Professor and Gerontologist at the University of Minnesotawhose. Her work focuses on aging, financial exploitation, scams, and the human impact of fraud prevention efforts. Her research examines how individuals experience fraud interventions and what institutions can do to protect people while preserving trust and dignity.https://www.linkedin.com/in/marti-deliema-95323535/
About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.
Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.
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/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
From Ads to Atrocity: How Investment Scams Scale Online, A Conversation with Jim Browning, Scam Investigator and YouTuber
Investment scams are no longer clumsy or obvious. They’re professional, polished, and engineered to look legitimate. In this episode of Scam Rangers, we’re joined again by Jim Browning, renowned scam …
Shownotes
Investment scams are no longer clumsy or obvious. They’re professional, polished, and engineered to look legitimate. In this episode of Scam Rangers, we’re joined again by Jim Browning, renowned scam investigator and YouTuber, to unpack how modern investment scams scale online, why even smart and cautious people fall victim, and how platforms, ads, and recovery scams fuel a devastating cycle of harm.
Drawing from firsthand investigations, undercover work, and real victim stories, Jim reveals how today’s scams operate as full-blown business models, from lead generation through online ads, to fake investment platforms, to secondary “recovery” scams that exploit victims all over again.
This conversation goes beyond tactics to expose the systemic failures enabling scams at scale — and what it will actually take to slow them down.
What We Cover in This Episode- How online ads have become the primary on-ramp for investment scams
- Why modern investment scams are designed to look realistic, not “too good to be true”
- The hidden ecosystem behind scam ads, lead sellers, and scam operators
- How fake investment platforms manipulate trust, timing, and withdrawal rules
- Why victims are often allowed to withdraw small amounts — until they can’t
- The rise of recovery scams and why they’re often more cruel than the original fraud
- How scammers exploit crypto wallets, remote access tools, and psychological pressure
- Why attribution, enforcement, and cross-border accountability remain so difficult
- What Jim is seeing change — and where there’s real reason for cautious optimism
- Scams don’t look like scams anymore — they look like regulated products, advisors, and platforms
- Online advertising is a force multiplier, dramatically lowering the cost of victim acquisition
- Recovery scams are a second wave of victimization, targeting people at their most desperate moment
- Technology alone won’t fix this — coordination across platforms, banks, regulators, and law enforcement is essential
- Awareness helps, but intervention earlier in the scam lifecycle is critical to preventing irreversible harm
Jim Browning is a scam investigator and one of the most recognized voices in exposing online fraud. Through technical expertise and investigative work, he infiltrates scam operations, reveals how they function, and works to disrupt their impact. His work has helped raise global awareness of how modern scams operate , and why they continue to succeed.
Follow Jim on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimBrowningAbout the HostThis 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/"He Never Asked for the Money": What Banks and Regulators Need to Know About Romance Scams, With Beth Hyland
In this deeply personal and moving episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Beth Hyland, a romance scam survivor who has transformed her experience into a powerful mission for advocacy. Beth …
Shownotes
In this deeply personal and moving episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Beth Hyland, a romance scam survivor who has transformed her experience into a powerful mission for advocacy. Beth shares the intimate details of how a sophisticated criminal operation exploited her emotional vulnerability following a divorce, leading to over $26,000 to be stolen from her through Bitcoin ATMs and fraudulent loans.
The conversation highlights the terrifying effectiveness of "love bombing" and the psychological "fog" that prevents even highly intelligent, self-aware individuals from seeing the red flags. Beth discusses the critical moment her financial advisor intervened to "break the spell" and how she is now fighting back by testifying before Congress and authoring her book, Diary of a Romance Scam.
Key Takeaways:- The Vulnerability Window: Beth explains how a period of isolation and the "exhale" after a major life transition made her a prime target for a scammer who mirrored her values of self-awareness and spirituality.
- Calculated Diversions: The scammer used "diversion tactics," such as staging technical issues during video calls or picking fights to create emotional distance when Beth asked for transparency.
- The Illusion of Partnership: To build intense trust, the scammer gave Beth his "bank login" information and had her facilitate transfers for him, making her feel like a trusted partner rather than a target.
- The Power of Professional Intervention: Beth credits her financial advisor for saving her from an additional $50,000 stolen from her. His training in romance fraud allowed him to deliver the news with empathy and provide a "stall tactic" that helped Beth safely exit the relationship.
- Redefining the Language: Beth advocates for a shift in how society views fraud, moving away from "falling for a scam" to being "manipulated into a crime" and insisting that money was "stolen," not just lost.
- A Call to Action for Banks: Beth urges financial institutions to move beyond "by-the-way" questions and implement deeper training for tellers to recognize the behavioral red flags of a "worn-out" victim withdrawing large sums of cash.
This episode is a vital resource for fraud fighters, legislators, and anyone seeking to understand the devastating emotional and financial toll of romance scams. It serves as a reminder that empathy and education are our strongest tools in the fight against high-stakes emotional manipulation.
Follow Beth on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-hyland-06a98876/
Diary of a Romance Scam: https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Romance-Scam-Swiping-Right/dp/1662962843
🎧 About Scam Rangers
Scam Rangers is a podcast exploring the human, technical, and policy sides of scams. Hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, Founder and CEO of RangersAI, the podcast brings together experts, practitioners, and advocates working to stop scams before the money moves.
For more information go to www.rangersai.com
Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Scam Prevention in 2026: Moving from Recommendations to Urgent Execution, A Conversation with Ken Palla, Former Cybersecurity Executive at MUFG Union Bank
In the final Scam Rangers episode of 2025, Ayelet Biger-Levin is joined by industry veteran Ken Palla for a deep year-in-review of the global scam prevention landscape.This conversation examines what actually …
Shownotes
In the final Scam Rangers episode of 2025, Ayelet Biger-Levin is joined by industry veteran Ken Palla for a deep year-in-review of the global scam prevention landscape.
This conversation examines what actually happened in 2025 across regulation, enforcement, and industry action, and why 2026 must move decisively from research and recommendations to urgent execution.
From mandatory reimbursement in the UK, to Australia’s Scam Prevention Framework, emerging collaboration in Canada, and fragmented efforts in the United States, the episode cuts through policy language to focus on real-world impact.
The discussion also outlines concrete actions financial institutions, telcos, and digital platforms can take now to better protect consumers, reduce losses, and treat scams as the organized crime and national security threat they are.
This episode closes the year with a clear message. The research is done. The problem is understood. Now the industry must act.
Topics Covered- What 2025 revealed about the effectiveness of global scam regulation
- Where reimbursement models succeed and where they fall short
- Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US, lessons from different approaches
- Why execution, not new task forces or studies, is the real gap
- Urgent actions banks can take to prevent scams before money moves
- The role of telcos and digital platforms in stopping scams upstream
- Government, law enforcement, and the need for coordinated leadership
- Why 2026 must be treated as a year of action
Former cybersecurity executive at MUFG Union Bank, longtime industry advisor, and recipient of the Legends of Fraud Award. Ken has spent decades focused on online security, fraud prevention, and consumer protection, and is a leading voice on scam regulation and industry accountability. You can find Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-palla-09b585/Australian Scam Prevention Framework – Analysis of the November 2025 Treasury Consultancy https://www.gasa.org/post/assessment-of-the-november-2025-australian-treasury-scam-prevention-framework-consultancy🎧 About Scam RangersScam Rangers is a podcast exploring the human, technical, and policy sides of scams. Hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, Founder and CEO of RangersAI, the podcast brings together experts, practitioners, and advocates working to stop scams before the money moves. For more information go to www.rangersai.com
Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
🔔 Closing NoteAs we move into 2026, one thing is clear.
Scam prevention cannot wait for perfect policy.
It requires urgent execution across industry and government.Breaking the Scam Spell: From Grooming to Intervention with Martina Dove, Scam psychology expert
In this powerful episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with scam psychology expert Martina Dove to dive deep into the psychology of scams. Martina shares her insights on the psychological …
Shownotes
In this powerful episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with scam psychology expert Martina Dove to dive deep into the psychology of scams. Martina shares her insights on the psychological tactics used by scammers and the most effective methods for prevention and intervention.
The conversation dives deep into the origins of Martina's research, which began with her interest in the Barnum effect , a phenomenon where people accept vague feedback as true when it applies to everyone. Barnum, an 1800s magician, even wrote a book on scams that are still in operation today, like romance scams and lotteries. Martina emphasizes that scams are now a "product that caters for everyone", as vulnerability depends on individual circumstances and personality, not IQ.
Key Takeaways: The Scam Lifecycle and Psychology
- The Scammer's Hook: Scams, which now feature excellent grammar due to AI, prey on either opportunity (like job or romance scams) or fear (like sextortion). Once a victim responds to the initial communication, it's difficult to stop engaging.
- Grooming: A "Wear-Down" Process: Scams that go on for a long time—like pig butchering—evoke multiple visceral influences, starting with excitement and then inducing anxiety and fear of loss. The scammer will subtly withdraw or use verbal abuse if the victim does not comply. This wear-down period, which can last months, can cause victims to lose executive functions, affecting their memory and decision-making.
- Targeting Trust: Scammers groom victims to distrust their bank by teaching them that the bank will try to stop them, or by creating elaborate stories, such as a regulator investigating internal fraud. By the time the bank intervenes, the victim is a "worn out person" who truly believes the scammer's narrative.
- Effective Intervention: Empathy is Key: Authoritarian warnings, like "Don't panic" or "Never click links," are proven not to work, as they trigger a physiological reaction and make people switch off. Instead, interventions—especially from "Break the Spell" teams—need to be conversational and empathetic. Martina suggests asking the victim to simply "stall" the transfer, which often causes the scammer to escalate pressure, providing a warning sign to the victim.
You can find more about Martina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-dove/
A link to her book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Fraud-Persuasion-and-Scam-Techniques-Understanding-What-Makes-Us-Vulnerable/Dove/p/book/9781032953908
This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud.
Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Learn More: https://www.rangersai.com/
Targeted by Design: The Dark Side of Online Advertising, A Conversation With Sarah Ralston, The Media Trust and Proxyware
In this powerful episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Sarah Ralston, online safety expert, fraud investigator, and mother of five, about the hidden dangers lurking in online ads.We dive …
Shownotes
In this powerful episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Sarah Ralston, online safety expert, fraud investigator, and mother of five, about the hidden dangers lurking in online ads.
We dive deep into how scam ads are hyper-targeted using the same ad tech that powers legitimate marketing, exploiting trust, grief, and even childhood curiosity. From cloaking techniques that evade detection to the heartbreaking targeting of seniors on obituary pages and kids in school, Sarah uncovers the shocking truths behind today’s online ecosystem.
We discuss:
- The psychological manipulation baked into scam ads
- Why 20% of programmatic ads may be scams
- How bad actors use ad tech better than most marketers
- Cloaking and how it defeats traditional ad review systems
- Real-world stories of targeted exploitation—including children and grieving seniors
- What businesses, schools, and governments can do now
- Where hope lies: data sharing, regulation, and collaboration
If you’ve ever wondered how safe your online experience really is—or how to protect others—this episode is a must-listen.
Sarah Ralston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ralston-businessops/
Additional Resources:
- Google Ads Safety Report 2024
- Israeli Internet Association: Algorithmic Scams Report
- Tech Support Scams GASA Webinar August 20, 2025
Subscribe to Scam Rangers for more behind-the-scenes looks at the human side of scams—and the people fighting back.
This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud. Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
More from RangersAI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rangersai/ Learn More: https://www.rangersai.com/
Turning the Tables: A Deep Dive into Scam Call Centers, a Conversation with Jim Browning, Scambaiter and YouTuber
In this fascinating episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin interviews renowned scam investigator Jim Browning, whose YouTube channel has over 4.4 million subscribers. Jim has made headlines for …
Shownotes
In this fascinating episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin interviews renowned scam investigator Jim Browning, whose YouTube channel has over 4.4 million subscribers. Jim has made headlines for infiltrating scam call centers, exposing how large-scale fraud operations really work—from pig butchering scams to telco account hijacking.We explore:
- How Jim first gained access to scammer computers and what he discovered
- The psychology and tactics behind fake tech support, telco discount, and payment alert scams
- How a whistleblower inside a Dubai-based scam center helped bring down a network of 3,000 scammers
- The critical role of one-time passcodes (OTPs) and why reading them out loud can compromise your identity
- What banks, tech leaders, and consumers can do to fight back
This episode is essential listening for anyone working in fraud prevention, cybersecurity, or digital customer protection.
Videos Mentioned in the Episode:- Pig Butchering Scam and Dubai Call Center Investigation
https://youtu.be/dV9U_aoHI_g?si=0d2gtrmdcVrjZSbu - Scammer Call Center with CCTV Footage (Firmart Travels)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le71yVPh4uk - Arnold Schwarzenegger Soundboard Prank on Scammers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF-NtGsZ6Zo
Jim Browning is a software engineer turned scam exposer who has dedicated the past decade to disrupting scam operations around the world. His investigative videos have led to real-world law enforcement actions and helped educate millions on how scams really work.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JimBrowningThis podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud. Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
More from RangersAI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rangersai/
Learn More: https://www.rangersai.com/
Demystifying Scam Fog: You Can't Fix What You Don't Measure, A Conversation with Peter Tapling, Managing Director PTap Advisory
🎙️ Episode Title: Demystifying Scam Fog: You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Measure 👤 Guest: Peter Tapling, Managing Director at PTap Advisory 🎧 Host: Ayelet Biger-Levin, ScamRangers🔍 Episode Overview:How can you …
Shownotes
🎙️ Episode Title: Demystifying Scam Fog: You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Measure
👤 Guest: Peter Tapling, Managing Director at PTap Advisory
🎧 Host: Ayelet Biger-Levin, ScamRangers🔍 Episode Overview:
How can you solve a problem you’re not measuring?In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest blind spots in scam prevention: data classification. Peter Tapling — identity and fraud prevention pioneer — joins Ayelet to unpack why “just calling it a loss” won’t cut it anymore. From romance scams to investment cons, if we’re not labeling the type of scam, we’re missing the patterns that could help us prevent them.
We also explore:
- The difference between authorized and unauthorized fraud — and why it matters
- Why financial institutions must own their phone numbers like intellectual property
- How social engineering beats traditional education
- The power of slowing down payments — and the psychology behind it
- Detecting mule accounts, synthetic identities, and spotting patterns
- The role of scam classifiers and information sharing models
📌 Resources Mentioned:
- [Scam Classifier Model – Federal Reserve Bank of Boston] https://fedpaymentsimprovement.org/strategic-initiatives/payments-security/scams/scamclassifier-model/
- [Scams Information Sharing Work Group – Fed Boston] https://fedpaymentsimprovement.org/news/blog/sharing-information-on-scams-to-improve-fraud-mitigation/
- [Biocatch blog: 9 Types of Mule Accounts] https://www.biocatch.com/blog/the-mules-among-us
- [Aspen Institute Financial Security Program] https://fraudtaskforce.aspeninstitute.org/
🔗 Connect with Peter Tapling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptap/
🎙️ More from RangersAI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rangersai/
🌐 Learn More: https://www.rangersai.com/This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud.
Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Learn more about her work at RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
How Australia Slashed Scam Losses by 30% & What's Missing in the U.S., A Conversation with Ken Palla, Former Director, MUFG Union Bank
In this episode of ScamRangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back fraud and financial crime expert Ken Palla to discuss the evolving global response to scams. They dive into Australia’s groundbreaking Scam …
Shownotes
In this episode of ScamRangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back fraud and financial crime expert Ken Palla to discuss the evolving global response to scams. They dive into Australia’s groundbreaking Scam Prevention Framework, lessons from the UK’s Contingent Reimbursement Model and Online Safety Act, and why the U.S. lags behind in fraud prevention. Ken shares insights on the need for ecosystem-wide collaboration, financial institutions' role in scam prevention, and the regulatory challenges hindering progress in the U.S.
Tune in to learn:
- How Australia reduced scam losses by nearly 30% in one year
- The UK’s mandatory scam reimbursement regulation and its implications
- Why financial institutions must take a proactive role in scam prevention
- The challenges and opportunities for data sharing and fraud controls in the U.S.
- The rise of AI-driven scams and what banks can do to protect their customers
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Ken Palla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-palla-09b585/
- Ken Palla’s Blog on the California Senate Hearing: https://www.biocatch.com/blog/california-senate-scam-prevention
- Aspen Institute Financial Health Task Force : https://fraudtaskforce.aspeninstitute.org/
- Latest FTC Scam Statistics Report?: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/03/new-ftc-data-show-big-jump-reported-losses-fraud-125-billion-2024
This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud.
Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Learn more about her work at RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/Deceptive Practices: A Deep Dive into Online Scammers' Behavior, A conversation with David Maimon, Professor at Georgia State University
In this episode, we explore the groundbreaking research of Prof. David Maimon, a leading expert in cybersecurity and online fraud. Prof. Maimon discusses his innovative methods for studying the cybercrime …
Shownotes
In this episode, we explore the groundbreaking research of Prof. David Maimon, a leading expert in cybersecurity and online fraud. Prof. Maimon discusses his innovative methods for studying the cybercrime ecosystem, including embedding in fraudsters' digital environments, analyzing business email compromise scams, and uncovering the use of deepfake technology in modern fraud. Learn how his evidence-based approach bridges the gap between academic research and practical applications, providing actionable insights to combat online scams effectively.
You can find his research here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David-Maimon
Connect with Prof. David Maimon on LinkedIn: David Maimon LinkedIn
About the Host:
This podcast is hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin, who has 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. Ayelet created this podcast to talk about the human side of scams and to learn from those dedicated to advocating for scam victims and taking action against fraud.Be sure to follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: Ayelet Biger-Levin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
Learn more about her work at RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/The Australian Formula for Tackling Scams: A Shared Responsibility Approach, A conversation with Toby Evans, Head of Economic Crime, Australian Payments Network
In this episode, talk to Toby Evans, Head of Economic Crime, Australian Payments Network to explore the newly introduced Australian scams prevention framework and its implications for various industries. We …
Shownotes
In this episode, talk to Toby Evans, Head of Economic Crime, Australian Payments Network to explore the newly introduced Australian scams prevention framework and its implications for various industries. We discuss the importance of collaborative efforts across sectors, including banking, telecommunications, and digital platforms, in addressing the growing threat of scams.
Key Themes:- New Legislation Overview: Introduction of a draft scams prevention framework open for comments until October 4, 2024.
Key principles include scam prevention, detection, and disruption. - Scope Beyond Banks: Emphasis on the involvement of multiple sectors, including telecommunications and digital platforms.
Recognition of the shared responsibility to combat scams. - Significant Penalties: Overview of substantial penalties for non-compliance, with fines reaching over $50 million for severe breaches.
Importance of companies taking proactive measures against scams. - Collaborative Approach: Insights from Toby Evans on the necessity for all industries to work together in the fight against scams.
Discussion on how a unified front can enhance protection for consumers. - Proactive Measures and Strategies: Importance of businesses implementing robust anti-scam strategies.
Encouragement for sharing intelligence and aligning efforts to create a safer environment.
Follow Toby On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-evans-635661231/
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. h
ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
ScamRanger: https://scamranger.ai/
04 Sep 2024 · 46 minutes
- New Legislation Overview: Introduction of a draft scams prevention framework open for comments until October 4, 2024.
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