Stolen Podcast

Episode 53: Who knew that creating a deepfake video that merged Will Smith and Cardi B into one person would become a viral success? Who knew that the creator of that video would now be focused on stopping the criminal use of the same technology? Now you can be anybody you want to be. You can be Beyoncé at a concert. You can be skydiving as an alligator. — Carl Bogan on the simplicity of deepfake technology Carl Bogan joins Erin to talk about the evolution of deepfakes — from his pioneering viral video to today’s need to protect businesses and consumers from video impersonation in scams and fraud. Carl is the visual effects pioneer who created the original viral deepfake in 2019 and has since seen his invention weaponized at scale. What began as a technical experiment to solve a startup's content problem became a two-decade reckoning with tech that’s now available to anyone with a phone and an internet connection. You don’t give a baby a knife. We’re a bunch of babies running around with knives. — Carl Bogan Episode notes and video: https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen --  Episode Sponsors   Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪BioCatch and Scamnetic.‬   Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Erin West and AARP's Kathy Stokes flip the script on the 50th episode of Stolen. It’s not about risky behavior. It’s that the scams are coming at us in every possible communication channel. We can’t avoid it. — Kathy Stokes, AARP Episode 50: Erin and Kathy dig into one of the most overlooked dimensions of the scam epidemic: the language we use — and the harm it causes. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network handles roughly 100,000 calls a year from victims and their families, and works to shift how the public, media, and policymakers talk about people who have been targeted by financial crime. It is a systemic failure. When we can all agree on that, then we can all be doing a hell of a lot more than we're doing right now.‍ — Kathy Stokes, AARP Episode notes and video: https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen --  Episode Sponsors   Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪BioCatch and Scamnetic.‬   Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Episode 52: UK survivor-turned-advocate Anna Rowe breaks down the brain chemistry behind romance fraud — cortisol, dopamine, trauma bonds — and why victims blame themselves instead of the criminals manipulating them. You don’t see anything wrong. All the red flags appear beige because of what’s going on in your body. — Anna Rowe, co-founder LoveSaid.org From the dopamine flood of love bombing to the cortisol spikes of intermittent reinforcement, Anna outlines the biological and emotional mechanisms that leave victims compliant, confused, and blaming themselves. Anna and Erin also tackle the systemic failures that prevent victims from healing, including the lack of training for banking staff, victim-blaming media headlines, and law enforcement’s slow adoption of trauma-informed language.    Episode notes and video: https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen --  Episode Sponsors   Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪BioCatch and Scamnetic.‬   Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Episode 51: Erin West sits down with Dr. David Maimon, a Georgia State University professor and cybercrime researcher for SentiLink, to dig into what the data tells us about online fraud, where it’s headed, how scammers select victims, and why our approaches to stopping them may need to change. Current trends are alarming:  A dramatic rise in home equity line of credit (HELOC) account fraud targeting homeowners with high credit scores Increasingly sophisticated AI-powered deepfakes and voice cloning used to build fake relationships at scale The looming threat of agentic AI supercharging scam compound operations within the next 18 months Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪BioCatch and Scamnetic.‬ --- Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Episode 49: BioCatch's Sharell Barshishat joins Erin West to dive deep into the fascinating (and alarming) intersection of banking, fraud, and technology. Sharell breaks down how tech is changing the fraud-fighting playbook for banking. From spotting bots at account opening to detecting a pig butchering victim’s hesitation mid-transfer, Sharell explains how technology can read what people do — not just who they are — to identify fraud in real time. He and Erin also discuss why stopping scams requires a unified approach across sectors, from banks to social media to government. From Telegram discussions to behavioral biometrics, the stakes have never been higher. ‍ 5 Key Points about Banking, Tech, and Fraud • AI is accelerating the fraud threat landscape — fast. • Behavior never lies, even when people do. • Fraud travels on a highway of mule accounts. • Australian banks show what’s possible with political will. • Scams are a banking problem, not just a victim problem.   Episode notes and video: https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪BioCatch and Scamnetic.‬   Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Deep in Cambodia's remote border region, journalists Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Southern found something that wasn't on any map — a sprawling scam compound now known as Mansion 8. In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West and The Eyewitness Project team break down how a field discovery became an international sanctions target, what the UK action means for pig butchering networks, and why the crackdown is far from over. You Can Help: Donate to the GoFundMe campaign to help trafficking survivors return to their home countries.  5 Key Points: The Status of the Scam Economy in Cambodia Crackdowns are theater, not enforcement. It's planned economic development, not opportunistic crime. The sanctions against Chen Zhi and the Prince Group caused chaos, but not closure. The system is re-victimizing trafficking survivors. The scam industry is globalizing. Episode Notes and Video  https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen   Sponsors   Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪Biocatch and Scamnetic.‬ --- Subscribe to the Stolen podcast for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

When no one believed them, The Eyewitness Project's Nathan and Lindsay kept reporting. Now the world is paying attention. Erin West talks with the investigative journalists whose frontline work in Cambodia is driving real change in how governments and law enforcement respond to transnational scam compounds. In the first of a two-part conversation, Lindsey and Nathan trace the arc from Sihanoukville’s casino boom and China’s capital flight crackdown to the rise of sprawling scam compounds that now dot Cambodia’s borders. Episode notes and video: https://operationshamrock.org/podcast/stolen --  Episode Sponsors   Thank you to our Stolen podcast sponsors, ‪Biocatch and Scamnetic. --- Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

Fraud Detective Marc Evans provides insight into how scammers use social engineering to scam individuals and businesses. Episode 46: Erin West sits down with Marc Evans, an active metropolitan fraud detective and the founder of Fraud Hero, for a deep dive into the mechanics of modern social engineering scams. Marc brings front-line insight into the schemes hitting hardest right now—from tech-support cons and business email compromise to casino heists pulled off entirely over the phone. He traces his own path into fraud investigation, including a personal brush with identity theft that almost cost him his law-enforcement career before it began.  Marc and Erin unpack how scammers exploit psychology — manufacturing authority, urgency, and trust — to steal money before victims even realize what has happened. They talk about how cryptocurrency ATMs have become the payment method of choice for scammers, and cover the efforts to rein them in. Marc shares his vision for Fraud Hero, an education platform designed to stop scams before they start by giving everyday people and businesses the knowledge he uses on the job.

AARP’s Amy Nofziger outlines why scams keep working, who they really target, and what actually helps people heal. Amy Nofziger has spent 24 years running AARP's Fraud Watch Network Helpline — and the one thing she wants every victim to know is this: you are not alone, and this is not your fault. In this episode, Erin and Amy dig into why shame keeps victims silent, why the loneliness epidemic is a scammer's best weapon, why brilliant people fall hardest, and why if your gut felt off — that was your body trying to protect you. If you've been scammed, love someone who has, or just want to understand why these crimes are so devastatingly effective, this episode is for you. If you or someone you love has been scammed, pick up the phone — the first call is the first step to getting your power back. Call AARP's Fraud Watch Helpline: 1-877-908-3360.   Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

What if the person on your screen isn't real? Author and cybersecurity expert Perry Carpenter joins Erin West to break down how deepfakes, AI-generated voice cloning, and synthetic media have become the scammer's most powerful weapons — and why your own desire to believe is their greatest asset. Perry is the author of Faik: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deception, and he doesn't pull punches. In this episode, he live-demos deepfake face-swapping technology that costs $60 and installs like any app, explains why deepfake detection software is always one step behind, and reveals how scam operations run Telegram channels where criminals share tips, troubleshoot their tech, and celebrate their "sales goals." Erin and Perry also dig into the psychology that makes victims so vulnerable — and what regular people can do right now to stay grounded in a world where reality is increasingly malleable. You'll learn: How cheaply and easily deepfake face and voice tech is available to scammers today Why confirmation bias is more dangerous than the technology itself The difference between AI, deepfakes, and synthetic media — and why it matters What to tell your family members about verifying what they see online Why scam compounds operate like legitimate businesses — complete with Telegram support channels Perry and Erin will both be speaking at SXSW 2026 — catch them live in Austin.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Episode 43: Ken Westbrook shares how his mother got him into fighting scams, the challenge in measuring the scale of scams, and the actions the U.S. needs to take to better fight scams. When Ken Westbrook's elderly mother was targeted by a phantom hacker scam, he did what any former CIA analyst would do — he investigated. What he found shocked him: hundreds of billions of dollars draining from American pockets each year, flowing directly to transnational organized crime, and no one in the federal government in charge of stopping it. In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with Ken Westbrook, founder of Stop Scams Alliance, to talk solutions. Ken lays out a concrete three-step plan to turn the tide: a White House coordinator for fraud modeled after drug policy reform, a national data fusion center inspired by NCMEC, and stronger authentication standards for financial ads online. They also dig into the most comprehensive scam survey ever conducted — a Gallup study that will finally give policymakers the data they need to act. America is losing this fight because we're not organized. Ken Westbrook has a plan to change that.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Episode 42: What do synthetic identities, bust-out credit card fraud, and pig butchering scams have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode of Stolen, Erin sits down with Steve Lenderman — a 26-year fraud prevention veteran who's worked across credit cards, PayPal, FinTech, and payroll — for a masterclass on how financial fraud really works, and why so many institutions are still failing victims. Steve breaks down synthetic identity fraud (what it is, how it started, and why "digital ghosts" are now being used to launder scam proceeds), explains the mechanics of bust-out fraud in plain English, and connects the dots between old-school financial crime and today's cryptocurrency scams. He also gets into what banks could be doing right now — from device fingerprinting to behavioral analytics — to detect and protect customers before a pig butchering scam spirals out of control. Plus: the fraud triangle, why KYC is not a fraud control, and why having great data scientists on your team means nothing if they don't understand what a scam actually looks like.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Episode 41: Erin West returns to Cambodia to investigate whether the world’s largest pig butchering scam operations are truly shutting down—or simply regrouping. From Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, she walks inside abandoned scam compounds, examines the crackdown tied to Chen Zhi and Prince Group, and exposes the human trafficking driving global crypto fraud. Are these compounds finished—or just paused? This episode reveals what American victims are really up against. Thank you to Sumsub for supporting the travel to Cambodia. Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Episode 40: Erin West and Scamnetic CEO Al Pascual discuss the growing issue of scams and the development of innovative technology solutions to combat them. They explore the importance of technology in monitoring communications, verifying identities, and providing evidence to help individuals recognize scams. Their conversation also highlights how AI and deepfake technology is making scams more effective and the need for a comprehensive approach to scam prevention that involves education, technology, and community support.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Episode 39: #whatifwecould actually slow the global scam epidemic? In this episode of Stolen, Erin West speaks with former bank executive and fraud leader Donna Turner about the hard truths behind scam prevention — including why banks can’t solve this alone, how outdated rules are protecting criminals, and what regulators, fintech, telecom, and social platforms need to do next. This is a candid conversation about incentives, liability, human behavior, and why small, imperfect steps today beat perfect solutions that never arrive.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Update from Cambodia: Shakilu was released from the scam compound where he’d been trafficked and forced to scam, but he’s now trapped with no way to get home.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West shares an update she never expected to give. Months ago, Erin was in regular contact with a young man from Uganda who had been trafficked into a scam compound in Cambodia. Beaten, confined, and forced to scam victims around the world, he disappeared in late September—leading Erin to fear the worst. Then, a WhatsApp message arrived. This episode unpacks what happened next—and why his “release” from the compound is not the happy ending it might sound like. Erin pulls back the curtain on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Cambodia right now: thousands of trafficking victims suddenly pushed onto the streets with no money, no valid documents, no clear path home, and constant fear of arrest. This is the other side of the scamdemic—the side we don’t talk about enough. The human cost. The broken systems. And the hard truth that shutting down scam compounds without a plan doesn’t equal freedom. A raw, urgent update from the front lines of a crisis that is far from over.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

The future of AI education isn’t coming from a boardroom—it’s coming from a high school classroom. Erin West speaks with student innovator Adya Tewari.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West talks with cybercrime expert Gary Warner about the solution he helped build through Intelligence for Good—a nonprofit that provides solutions by identifying scam websites, tracing crypto wallets, and disrupting transnational fraud at scale. Gary explains how this model works in practice: his team uncovers fake investment platforms, extract wallet addresses, and feed that intelligence directly to crypto exchanges, analytics firms, and law enforcement partners—resulting in wallets being flagged, transactions blocked, and scam operations forced to rebuild from scratch. This is what real disruption looks like: not awareness alone, but making scams slower, more expensive, and harder to run. If you’re looking for a practical, scalable response to pig butchering scams and organized cybercrime, this episode shows what’s actually working.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West is joined by researcher and investigator Jake Sims to break down the unprecedented arrest and deportation of Chen Zhi, one of the most powerful scam kingpins operating out of Cambodia. They unpack how years of investigative journalism, evidence gathering, sanctions, and sustained pressure led to real accountability—and why this case matters for the global fight against pig butchering scams, human trafficking, and transnational organized crime. Erin and Jake also discuss what the arrest didn’t solve, the intelligence gaps it leaves behind, and what governments, media, and the private sector must do next to dismantle scam states for good.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

Even scam-savvy families aren’t immune. In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West—former prosecutor and national expert on transnational fraud—shares a deeply personal story: how her own family member was devastated by a Publisher’s Clearing House scam, despite doing “everything right.” From coached gift card purchases at Target to fake FBI agents, burner phones, and an unrelenting flood of follow-on scams, Erin walks listeners through how modern fraud actually works—and why education and awareness alone are failing victims. This episode breaks down: How Publisher’s Clearing House scams really operate Why seniors remain vulnerable even with safeguards in place How scammers maintain psychological control over victims What happens after the first scam—and why victims are relentlessly retargeted Why 2026 must be the year we move from awareness to real, scalable solutions Erin also lays out what’s next: the technologies, partnerships, and cross-industry collaboration that can stop scams before they reach our loved ones. If you think “this would never happen to my family,” this episode is for you.   Stolen is hosted by Erin West, former Santa Clara County prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock. Learn more about Operation Shamrock: operationshamrock.org Meet Our Sponsors BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate. Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with sextortion expert Paul Raffile to expose the fastest-growing and most lethal online scam targeting teen boys. They break down how financially motivated sextortion works, who’s behind it, why cases are exploding, and what parents, platforms, and law enforcement must do now to stop it. This is a conversation every parent needs to hear.

Jane thought she was talking to Amazon, her bank, the FTC, and the Social Security Administration. She wasn’t. Over the course of several days, scammers used authority, isolation, and fear to walk her—step by step—into withdrawing and shipping her own money in what felt like a legitimate government process. In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West breaks down a highly sophisticated phone scam that nearly wiped Jane out—and explains why this can happen to smart, cautious people. You’ll hear exactly how the scam worked, why it felt real at every turn, and how one bank manager asking a single question stopped it before it went even further. This episode exposes the psychology behind modern financial fraud, the danger of shame and silence, and why survivor stories are one of the most powerful tools we have to stop the scamdemic.

In this explosive episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with Jake Sims—Harvard fellow and global expert on transnational organized crime—to unpack two massive developments: the damning Reuters leak about Meta’s scam ad revenue, and the escalating military clash on the Thai-Cambodian border tied directly to scam compounds. Jake reveals what happened inside his high-pressure GASA “fireside chat” with Meta, why trust in big platforms is collapsing, and how scam centers are shaping geopolitics in real time. This is the episode you listen to if you want the truth behind the headlines.

Erin West delivers the keynote she planned give at the American summit of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance—an unfiltered, no-fluff breakdown of the global scam crisis, Southeast Asia’s compounds, Big Tech’s profits, and why 2026 must be the year we divide and conquer. This episode exposes the truth, calls out the enablers, and lays out what must happen to finally fight the scamdemic.

Join Erin West in Entebbe, Uganda, for an extraordinary conversation with Small Q, a survivor of two of Southeast Asia's most notorious scam compounds. In this eye-opening episode, Small Q reveals the brutal reality inside pig butchering operations, where human trafficking victims are forced to execute cryptocurrency romance scams against Americans and people worldwide. Discover the shocking tactics scammers use: fake offices, planted models for video verification, and sophisticated social engineering techniques designed to build trust before stealing life savings. Small Q shares his harrowing experience of 20-hour workdays, electric taser punishments, and complete movement control inside compounds like KK Park in Myanmar. This conversation includes a major revelation as Small Q identifies being held in two separate notorious compounds, providing crucial insights into how these criminal operations have evolved since 2020. Learn how recruiters in Uganda and across Africa lure victims with promises of legitimate data entry jobs paying $1,200 monthly—only to traffic them into forced scam labor. Small Q discusses his path to freedom, his music of hope and resilience, and his mission to raise awareness about human trafficking and crypto scams. This episode is essential listening for fraud prevention professionals, law enforcement, potential job seekers in Africa, and anyone concerned about the intersection of human trafficking and financial crime.

In this powerful episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with global anti-trafficking expert Matt Friedman—CEO of the Mekong Club and one of the most experienced voices in the fight against modern slavery. Matt pulls back the curtain on the brutal realities of human trafficking, forced criminality inside scam compounds, and why the world is still failing the millions of people trapped in these systems. Together, Erin and Matt dig into: How trafficking “evolved” into forced criminality in Southeast Asian scam compounds The staggering scale of modern slavery—and why we're rescuing only 0.2% of victims The violence, torture, and psychological devastation inside these scam centers Why banks, businesses, and everyday people have a bigger role to play than they realize What it actually takes to wake up the world to this crisis The hope, the frustration, and the path forward If you've ever wondered how scams, trafficking, and global criminal networks intersect—or what you personally can do to help—this conversation is raw, urgent, and impossible to ignore. Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

When Jay Jones was laid off and posted his "Open to Work" banner on LinkedIn, he was immediately targeted by scammers. In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West sits down with The Profiler to expose the sophisticated job scam industry preying on vulnerable job seekers. Jay reveals how fake recruiters, resume writers, and hiring managers use ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scare tactics to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and commit identity theft. Learn how scammers are infiltrating LinkedIn with fake company pages, fake jobs on real company profiles, and romance scams targeting executives. Jay shares red flags to watch for, including phrases like "beat the ATS," upfront payment requests, and confidential job postings. Whether you're a new graduate, recently laid off, or actively job hunting, this episode provides critical insights to protect yourself from job scams that cost victims thousands of dollars and pose a national security threat to the United States.

In this episode, Erin West sits down with Ari Redbord of TRM Labs to unpack one of the biggest moves yet against global scam networks — the $15 billion forfeiture and indictment of Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi and the Prince Group. They break down what the U.S. government did, how sanctions, forfeiture, and FinCEN actions work together, and why this is a turning point in the global fight against pig butchering scams and transnational organized crime.

Cristy shares her heartbreaking story of falling victim to an elaborate celebrity impersonation scam. After making her Instagram profile public for one week to support her niece, she was contacted by someone claiming to be comedian Matt Rife. What began as a seemingly authentic connection—complete with voice messages, flowers, and deep conversations about mindfulness—evolved into a sophisticated romance and cryptocurrency investment fraud that cost her everything. In this emotional episode of Stolen with host Erin West, Cristy reveals how scammers used love bombing, multiple fake personas (including a PR person and financial planner), and psychological manipulation to isolate her and gain her trust. She discusses the warning signs she missed, the devastating financial and emotional impact, and her journey toward recovery and self-forgiveness. If you or someone you know has been targeted by celebrity impersonation scams, romance fraud, or cryptocurrency investment schemes, this episode offers crucial insights into how these operations work and why even intelligent, cautious people can fall victim.

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

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

In this eye-opening episode of Stolen, host Erin West sits down with anti-money laundering expert Alison Jimenez to discuss the rapidly growing crisis of financial sextortion targeting teenage boys. Learn how this transnational crime works, how scammers move money, and what parents and financial institutions can do to protect children. What You'll Learn: How financial sextortion schemes target teenage boys through social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat The shocking statistics: 1 in 3 American teenage boys have been targeted, with complaints rising from 139 in 2021 to over 36,000 in 2024 How scammers use peer-to-peer payment apps (Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Apple Pay) and gift cards to extract money from victims The cryptocurrency trail: how money moves from U.S. victims to criminal organizations in Nigeria and West Africa Red flags parents should watch for in their teen's payment apps Why "safety by design" matters for financial products targeting minors Practical steps financial institutions can take to add friction to these schemes Expert Insights: Alison Jimenez breaks down the financial infrastructure behind sextortion scams, explaining money mule operations, Bitcoin transfers, and the regulatory landscape. She shares actionable recommendations for parents, including privacy controls, parental notifications, and how to talk to your kids about this threat. Key Takeaways for Parents: Most payment apps automatically enroll teens in services like Zelle without opt-out options Scammers typically demand around $300 per victim using peer-to-peer payments or specific gift cards The crime moves quickly—from initial contact to blackmail can happen in minutes or hours Only 10-20% of scammers actually share images if victims don't pay, but the psychological harm is severe Whether you're a parent, work in financial services, or care about protecting children online, this episode provides crucial information about one of the fastest-growing crimes affecting American teens today.

In this powerful episode, former prosecutor Erin West lays out an urgent call to action after three and a half years of fighting the pig butchering crisis. Drawing from her 26+ years in law enforcement and recent travels to scam compounds in Southeast Asia, Erin delivers a sobering truth: things aren't getting better—they're getting exponentially worse. Erin presents seven critical pillars for defeating the scamdemic, from reframing how we talk about victims (these are PhD holders, bank presidents, and doctors—not "stupid people") to demanding accountability from American companies enabling these crimes. She explains why this isn't just fraud—it's a humanitarian disaster involving hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims and a national security threat involving the mass transfer of generational wealth into the hands of Chinese organized crime syndicates. This episode coincides with the release of the Aspen Institute's "United Against Fraud" report and introduces Operation Shamrock's innovative victim reporting portal through TRM Labs. Whether you're in law enforcement, tech, finance, or simply a concerned citizen, Erin explains exactly what role you can play in this fight.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with legendary scambaiter Jim Browning, the YouTuber who infiltrates scam call centers and exposes criminals to millions of viewers. Together, they dig into how scammers trick victims through robocalls, fake tech support, and crypto ATMs—and reveal how Browning uncovered a pig butchering compound in Dubai that led to one of the largest scammer raids in history. From the inside workings of call centers in India to global networks run by organized crime, this conversation shines a light on the tactics scammers use, the human cost of fraud, and what it takes to fight back. 👉 If you’ve ever wondered how scammers really operate—or how one man managed to terrify call centers around the world—this is the episode you don’t want to miss.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West speaks with Nahid, a mother who lost everything to a romance-driven cryptocurrency scam known as “pig butchering.” What started on a dating app quickly spiraled into a nightmare of fake investments, manipulated trust, and financial ruin. Nahid courageously shares how scammers used love, deepfakes, and a counterfeit “Fidelity Options” platform to steal over a million dollars—and how law enforcement failed to help. This episode sheds light on: How scammers groom victims on dating apps and WhatsApp Why Tether (USDT) is the coin of choice for pig butchering fraud The emotional toll and stigma survivors face The urgent need for banks, exchanges, and law enforcement to step up Nahid’s story is heartbreaking, but it’s also a warning—and a call for systemic change. If you’ve ever wondered how these scams work, how victims get pulled in so deeply, and why reporting often feels hopeless, this episode will open your eyes.

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

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

Romance scams are one of the fastest-growing forms of online fraud, costing victims billions each year. In this episode of Stolen, Erin West talks with Mary, a romance scam survivor who refused to be silenced. Instead of hiding in shame, Mary documented every message, tracked her scammers, and even used AI to fight back. Her unconventional approach shows just how far victims are forced to go when law enforcement tools and systems fall short. Together, Erin and Mary unpack the reality of romance fraud, pig butchering scams, psychological manipulation, and why we need urgent law enforcement solutions to stop transnational organized crime. If you want to understand how romance scams work — and why survivors like Mary are stepping into the role of investigator — this episode will open your eyes to the global scamdemic we’re facing today.

In this eye-opening episode of the Stolen Podcast, host Erin West interviews Chris Colocousis, a romance scam survivor who lost 90% of his retirement savings to a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment fraud known as "pig butchering." Chris shares his detailed story of how what began as a Facebook friend request from an attractive woman led to months of manipulation, fake cryptocurrency trading platforms, and devastating financial loss. Learn about the red flags he missed, the psychological tactics scammers use, and why even crypto.com's fraud warnings couldn't stop the theft. Key topics covered: Romance scam red flags and manipulation tactics How fake cryptocurrency trading apps steal money Why moving conversations to WhatsApp is a warning sign The failure of law enforcement and banks to recover stolen funds How scammers use deepfakes and sophisticated technology Steps to take if you've been victimized by financial fraud This episode serves as both a cautionary tale and educational resource for anyone using social media or considering cryptocurrency investments. Chris's story demonstrates how these transnational organized crime networks target everyday Americans with devastating effectiveness.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with former U.S. Secret Service agent Matt O’Neill — a pioneer in fighting cyber-enabled fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and transnational organized crime. They dig into why the U.S. is losing ground in the battle against pig butchering scams, romance scams, and large-scale investment fraud — and what actually works to disrupt these criminal networks. O’Neill shares bold, practical steps law enforcement, tech companies, and the financial sector can take right now to stop scammers, from improving cryptocurrency crime investigations to dismantling money mule networks. From the creation of the Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center to the urgent need for a U.S. national anti-scam center, this conversation delivers insider strategies, cutting-edge tech solutions, and real talk about why victims of financial fraud are too often left with nowhere to turn — and how we can change that.

Romance scam survivor Cecilie Fjellhøy, made famous by Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, joins Erin West to expose the real cost of online fraud — and why justice is still out of reach for victims. In this powerful episode of The Stolen Podcast, Erin and Cecilie dive deep into: What really happened in the Tinder Swindler romance scam The psychological tactics scammers use to trap victims Why victims of fraud are ignored — or even criminalized — by law enforcement How romance fraud survivors can fight back Cecilie’s new Netflix series Love, Con, Revenge Building a nonprofit to help other victims navigate the system This is not just a story about one scam. It’s a roadmap of what happens when a financial crime destroys your life — and no one shows up to help. 🎥 Watch The Tinder Swindler on Netflix 📅 Watch Cecilie’s Netflix new series Love, Con, Revenge 🛡️ Visit Cecilie’s nonprofit at LoveSaid.org    

In this jaw-dropping episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with Jacob Sims—one of the most brilliant and fearless voices in the global fight against human trafficking and financial crime. Together, they unpack the explosive truth about how Cambodia has become the epicenter of next-gen fraud, fueled by a shadow economy of pig butchering scams, forced labor, and elite corruption. From the streets of Phnom Penh to high-level policy failures, Sims breaks down how a multi-billion-dollar scam industry took over half of Cambodia's GDP—and how powerful state actors are not just complicit, but actively profiting. If you’ve ever asked, “Who’s behind all these scams?”—this is the episode you can’t miss. Spoiler: it's not a whodunit. It's a who's-already-doing-it.

From Uganda to Myanmar: A Journey of Resilience and Hope Join Erin West as she delves into the harrowing yet inspiring story of Small Q, a gospel artist from Uganda. Discover how Small Q was lured by false promises of work abroad, only to find himself trapped in a scamming camp in Myanmar. Through resilience and faith, he navigated unimaginable challenges and emerged with a mission to raise awareness about human trafficking. Small Q's initial journey from Uganda in search of better opportunities. The shocking reality of being trapped in a scamming camp. The role of faith and music in Small Q's survival and healing. Efforts to raise awareness and combat human trafficking. Guest: Small Q, Gospel Artist and Activist #HumanTraffickingAwareness #Resilience #GospelMusic #Inspiration #pigbutchering #scam #transnationalorganizedcrime Subscribe now for more powerful stories of hope and resilience.

This episode explores how a Minnesota police sergeant became a cryptocurrency crime investigator after discovering Bitcoin scams targeting elderly victims in his community, ultimately developing blockchain investigation techniques that help law enforcement agencies nationwide. Sergeant Jake Tuzinski discusses pig butchering scams, cryptocurrency ATM fraud prevention, digital asset recovery methods, and the formation of a law enforcement coalition that has recovered over $3 million from crypto scammers while providing victim support and closure.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West and Aleks Ring discuss the complexities of transnational organized crime, focusing on the role of forensic accounting, community education, and legislative advocacy in combating scams and protecting victims. They explore the challenges posed by cryptocurrency and the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and community members to address these issues effectively. Takeaways Transnational organized crime includes human trafficking and financial scams. Forensic accounting is crucial in disrupting criminal financing. Community education can significantly increase crime reporting. Crypto ATMs pose unique risks and require public awareness. Building relationships with local law enforcement is essential. Legislative advocacy is necessary for victim protection. Train the Trainer programs empower communities to combat scams. Collaboration among law enforcement agencies enhances investigation efforts. Open-source tools can aid in tracing cryptocurrency transactions. Education and awareness are key to preventing financial crimes.    

Erin West and Matt Hogan discuss the complexities of financial crimes, the role of technology, and the impact on victims. They explore various scams, including job scams and cryptocurrency-related fraud, and emphasize the importance of law enforcement's role in combating them. The conversation highlights the need for collaboration among law enforcement, legislation, and community resources to effectively address financial crimes and support victims.

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West speaks with Dr. Martina Dove, a psychologist specializing in the study of scams and human behavior. They discuss the psychological manipulation techniques used by scammers, the impact of scams on victims, and the societal consequences of eroded trust. Dr. Dove emphasizes the importance of empathy in interventions with victims and provides insights into the evolving nature of scams, highlighting the need for updated awareness and education.