PODCAST · leisure
Scam Rangers
by Ayelet Biger-Levin
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/
Episodes
-
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 postings, fraudulent recruiters, and hijacked professional identities. After being laid...
-
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 Ian Matthews, founder and CEO of Strata Labs and former founder and CEO of WMC Global,...
-
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 across multiple channels, the challenge is no longer simply blocking spam or stopping...
-
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, to explore the emotional and psychological impact of scams and why empathy is so...
-
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 prosecutor, and cybercrime researcher Paul Raffile to hear the incredible story of their...
-
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, founder of Stop Scams Alliance and former CIA analyst, to discuss why scams should be...
-
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 customers into authorizing payments themselves, transaction monitoring alone can't tell the...
-
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 sit down with Ayleen Charlotte, survivor of the Tinder Swindler and founder of SAFE...
-
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 Amanda Shute, Senior Risk Manager, External Fraud Oversight, whose career began on the...
-
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 trust? In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Tracy...
-
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. Charles turned into a fraud investigator after his mother fell victim to financial elder...
-
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 identities to AI-powered romance and investment scams. They discuss how criminals are...
-
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 ranger to leading fraud prevention at Capital One, Jamie shares why fighting scams...
-
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 Network, to explore the human side of scams, and what’s changed over the past two decades.…
more -
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 far more than just a financial problem. Scams have evolved into highly coordinated,...
-
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 infrastructure behind them. They break down why these scams are growing so quickly, how...
-
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 unique path into the world of scam prevention after spending more than two decades working...
-
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 Prevention. Over the past year, Griffin has led a diverse coalition of 80 institutions, ranging...
-
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 at the University of Minnesota, to explore the human impact of scam prevention and...
-
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 investigator and YouTuber, to unpack how modern investment scams scale online, why even smart and...
-
"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 shares the intimate details of how a sophisticated criminal operation exploited her...
-
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 happened in 2025 across regulation, enforcement, and industry action, and why 2026 must...
-
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 tactics used by scammers and the most effective methods for prevention and intervention. The...
-
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 deep into how scam ads are hyper-targeted using the same ad tech that powers…
more -
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 infiltrating scam call centers, exposing how large-scale fraud operations really work—from…
more -
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 solve a problem you’re not measuring? In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest...
-
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 Prevention Framework, lessons from the UK’s Contingent Reimbursement Model and Online...
-
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 ecosystem, including embedding in fraudsters' digital environments, analyzing business email...
-
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 discuss the importance of collaborative efforts across sectors, including banking,...
-
Empowering Customers Against Scams: The Power of Storytelling, A conversation with Kathelijne Swaak and Niels Vink, Fraud prevention leaders at ABN AMRO Bank
In this episode of ScamRangers, we dive into the transformative power of storytelling with Niels Vink and Kathelijne Swaak from ABN AMRO's fraud prevention team. Discover how ABN AMRO is flipping social engineering on its head by using real customer stories to strengthen their fraud awareness...
-
Sextortion: The Evil Scam Targeting our Teens in Their Bedrooms, A Conversation with Paul Raffile, Senior Intelligence Analyst
In this crucial episode of Scam Rangers, we explore the dark and disturbing world of Sextortion. This crime occurs when online predators trick individuals, often teens, into sharing nude images or videos and then use these compromising materials to extort money, more images, or other demands.…
more -
Getting in Front of the Scam: How to Build Trust With Your Customers, A conversation with Hailey Windham, a Credit Union Fraud Fighter
In this episode, we are joined by Hailed Windham, a leading voice in the credit union community, who shares her expertise on the collaborative efforts to fight fraud. Hailed tells us about her involvement in multiple impactful initiatives, such as promoting awareness programs through the...
-
Coordinated Action: The Key to a National Strategy Against Scams, A conversation with Ken Westbrook, CEO and Founder of Stop Scams Alliance
In this episode of Scam Rangers, we sit down with Ken Westbrook, a former member of the US intelligence community, as he shares the story that sparked his mission to combat online scams. Ken opens up about his mother's unfortunate encounter with online criminals and how it inspired him to take...
-
Is Fraud Prevention the New Customer Service? A Conversation with Karen Boyer, SVP Financial Crimes and Fraud Intelligence, M&T Bank
In the first episode of Season 2 of Scam Rangers, we dive into the perspective of a Fraud Strategy leader in a US financial institution. What is the difference between dealing with traditional account takeover fraud (unauthorized payments) and online scams (authorized payments) from the…
more -
Will Regulation Drive Action? Reimbursement and Liability in Online Scams, A Conversation with Ken Palla, Retired Director, MUFG Union Bank
In this episode we take a look at the activity around regulation with regards to online scams in the US, UK and Australia, following comprehensive analysis done by Ken over the last year. The overall outlook is pretty positive. We see a lot of good attention, especially in the UK, and we are...
-
Online Scam Awareness That Sticks: How to Get Marketing on Board, With Gabriel Friedlander, CEO of Wizer - Free Security Awareness Training
In this episode we talk to Gabi Friedlander at Wizer about how financial institutions can create effective awareness to educate their customers on online scams, and how educating kids in school about basic concepts of online safety can help prevent scams later in life, such as romance scams,...
-
Crypto Investment Scams: How it started. How it's going, with Cezary Podkul ,Reporter at ProPublica
In this fascinating episode of Scam Rangers we discuss the atmosphere that allowed the evolution of financial grooming, AKA Pig Butchering scams, as well as how these scams have evolved over time and the trajectory in which they are going. Despite a number of arrests and crackdowns, the picture…
more -
Identity Theft Forever - The Real People Behind Fake Profile Pics, with Bryan Denny, Co-Founder, Advocating Against Romance Scammers
After completing his military service of 26 years in the US Military, Bryan Denny was approached one day via LinkedIn, where he opened a profile to start his job search, by a women who thought she was in a relationship with him. She was scammed by a criminal who stole Bryan's photos and created a...
-
Standing Boldly Against Romance Scams: Empowering Victims on the Path to Recovery, with Cecilie Fjellhøy and Anne Rowe, Co-Founder of LoveSaid
If you are a bank fraud fighter or in law enforcement, you will not want to miss this fascinating episode. Anne and Cecilie both share their personal romance scam stories and how they had to face the realities and aftermath of emotional and financial trauma, as well as judgment from society and...
-
Hearts Exposed: Navigating the Boundaries of Free Speech and Scam Crimes, with Kathy Waters, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Advocating Against Romance Scammers
In this episode of Scam Rangers, we delve into the troubling world of romance scams and identity theft victims. Our guest, Kathy Waters, shares her insights into these scams and her advocacy work in supporting victims while pushing for regulatory changes on online platforms. Key Takeaways: 1....
-
Mind Games: The Psychology Behind Scams, A conversation with Alan Castel, Professor at UCLA Psychology, Expert in Memory, Cognition and Aging
In this Episode, Alan and Ayelet discuss the psychology behind the human traits scammers prey on to scam victims, and the pos-scam emotions of isolation and shame victims experience. Resources: Article in Psychology today:...
-
Defying Romance Scams: Cracking the Seductive Script, A conversation with Ruth Grover, Founder of Scam Haters United
In this episode we share a remarkable journey of resilience, empowerment, and the fight against romance scams. Join us as we explore the inspiring story of RUTH GROVER, who transformed her experience as a target of a romance scam into a powerful mission to help others. Ruth founded "Scam Haters...
-
Unveiling Deception: Business Email Compromise Crusaders Unite., a conversation with Ronnie Tokazowski , founder of the BEC Working Group
In this eye-opening episode, we dive into the intricate world of Business Email Compromise (BEC), a sophisticated cybercrime that preys on individuals and organizations. Join us as we uncover the tactics employed by scammers, from romance scam victims turned accomplices to the dark realm of gift...
-
Scam-Proofing Social Media: The Good, The Bad, and The Reality , A conversation with Assaf Kipnis, ex-Facebook Integrity Team lead
In this revealing episode, we sit down with Assaf, a former member of Fakebook's integrity team, to explore the complexities of combating scams and fraud on social media platforms. Assaf shares candid insights into the challenges faced by the team in preserving user safety while maintaining...
-
The eLegal Challenge of Online Scams - Fighting New Crimes with Old Laws - A conversation with Erin West and Alona Katz, District Attorneys and scam fighters
Join Erin West, a District Attorney from Santa Clara County, CA, and Alona Katz, a DA representing Manhattan, NYC, as they confront the pressing challenges within the legal system when it comes to combating a new breed of crime: crypto investment scams, also known as "Financial Grooming" or the...
-
Hang Up on Fraud: Tackling Robocalls and Scam Calls, A conversation with Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail
In this episode we shed light on the rising issue of robocalls and scam calls, untangling the complex web of technology, regulations, and telco motivations. Explore the advanced tools and methods employed to detect and thwart these deceitful calls, while understanding the vital role regulations...
-
Untangling the Scam - A Fraud Specialist's Mission (im)Possible, A conversation with Tiffany Paulsen, Fraud Specialist
In this episode Tiffany Paulsen and Ayelet Biger-Levin dive into the delicate balance a fraud investigator needs to maintain in order to work with scam victims to untangle the emotional manipulation a cybercriminal/ scammer took them through. Tiffany explains her approach which is infused with…
more -
Insights from the E-Fraud Global Forum on Online Scams and Countermeasures, with Uri Rivner, CEO, Refine Intelligence
Join us for an informative episode as we explore the world of online scams and gain insights from the e-Fraud Global Forum at RSA Conference. Our guest, Uri Rivner, CEO of Refine Intelligence, shares his expertise on the challenges faced by institutions in detecting scams and the operational...
-
Fighting Scams on a Global Scale - Collaborating to Win, With Jorij Abraham, Global Anti Scam Alliance
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Jorij Abram, the CEO of Scamadviser and General Manager of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), talks about his journey into fighting scams and shares some valuable insights about the scams landscape. Jorij discusses the common types of scams, including online...
-
Combatting Scams With Technology and Collaboration: A conversation with Nicola Staub, CEO and Co Founder, Cybera
In this episode of Scam Rangers, Nicola shares his journey in fighting scams and talks about how victims are not getting enough help or understanding from law enforcement. He also talked about his vision for Cybera, a company that provides a platform to help victims of financial crimes. The...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
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/
HOSTED BY
Ayelet Biger-Levin
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Scam Rangers have?
Scam Rangers currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Scam Rangers about?
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...
How often does Scam Rangers release new episodes?
Scam Rangers has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Scam Rangers?
You can listen to Scam Rangers on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Scam Rangers?
Scam Rangers is created and hosted by Ayelet Biger-Levin.
URL copied to clipboard!