Hacking Humans
Recent Episodes
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up, including a milestone for Maria’s 100th episode and a listener’s thoughts on whether it should be called “Catch of the Week” instead of “Catch of the Day.” We also revisit FINRA’s Market Data and Investments Explorer. Joe covers a major taxpayer fund scam in Mobile, Alabama, and another report on the growing threat of financial fraud. Maria explores the European Commission’s investigation into Booking.com’s handling of scams, including fake property listings and phishing messages targeting travelers with legitimate reservations. Dave examines a new FTC report showing that reported fraud losses among Americans aged 60 and older have climbed fivefold since 2020, with investment scams, impersonation schemes, and romance scams contributing to devastating financial losses. Our Catch of the Day comes from Michael, who received a phishing email claiming there was a problem with his ChatGPT payment method. The giveaway? He doesn’t have a ChatGPT subscription.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up, including a chicken update and a little Greek vocabulary. Dave explores new tools from FINRA designed to help investors research the markets, assess their vulnerability to financial fraud, and practice recognizing common scam tactics before real money is at stake. Joe looks at Apate, an Australian startup using AI agents to pose as potential scam victims, waste fraudsters’ time, and gather intelligence that can help researchers and security teams better understand and disrupt scams. Maria covers new approaches to cybersecurity awareness and personal cyber readiness, exploring how we can move beyond traditional awareness campaigns and help people better protect themselves online. Our Catch of the Day comes from Anthony, who received a convincing-looking scam email about his trademark application that uses publicly available information and a fake mandatory verification appointment to pressure him into calling a fraudulent number.
This week, N2K CyberWire hosts Maria Varmazis and Joe Carrigan are joined by Kieran Human while Dave Bittner is out. Together, they discuss the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits making headlines. We start with some follow up on Daejon Love’s story, but we’ll save that for next week. Plus, Joe has a chicken update. Maria explores reporting that TikTok relaxed its advertising enforcement rules, coinciding with a sharp increase in scams involving fake ads for deeply discounted products that never arrive. Joe looks at Wisconsin’s efforts to curb cryptocurrency ATM scams through transaction limits, identity verification, and mandatory refunds, with early reports suggesting the restrictions are making a difference. Kieran Human covers a data breach disclosed by Revolut that exposed customers’ financial information and passport details. Our Catch of the Day comes from Rachel, who received a suspicious invitation email from a hacked contact that asked her to download and install software.
No such thing as a free parking spot.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Maria on ACATS fraud, including a reminder that protecting your accounts starts with the basics: strong passwords and multifactor authentication. Joe also has a follow-up inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and an experiment with AI. Joe covers a New York parking scam involving fake QR codes placed on parking kiosks, then takes a strange detour into Pennsylvania’s spotted lanternfly quarantine and an alleged scheme involving fake lanternfly permits. Dave looks at a fake iPhone Duo preorder scam that uses an Apple-style site and a supposed $500 voucher to deliver a DarkSword exploit to vulnerable iPhones. Maria explores new Consumer Reports research showing that 91% of Americans have encountered a digital scam or cyberattack attempt, while confidence in the privacy of personal data continues to fall. Our Catch of the Day comes from Reddit, where a spam caller appears to be on the hunt for someone named Juan.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Crowchild Bob, who questions Joe’s math from the Xinbi story—and Joe has an explanation for that billion-dollar mix-up. Dave covers a new twist on business email compromise, where scammers use AI-assisted messages, fake invoices, and fabricated email conversations to convince finance teams to make large payments. Maria explores fake desktop apps impersonating legitimate HR and payroll services, using trusted platforms and legitimate software to gain remote access to victims’ computers. Joe shares a scam story from Jay on LinkedIn. And our Catch of the Day comes from Twitter on a fake email.
