"What the Hack with Adam Levin" is the award-winning weekly true cybercrime podcast--the place to hear memorable stories and get good advice.
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A podcast 7 years in the making, but delayed for all manner of reasons. Tim and Carl talk about life, love, business, and all the weird ways it somehow ties back to an episode of the Simpsons from 25 years ago. Cover art photo provided by Ben Neale on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@ben_neale
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NOVA brings you short video stories from the world of science, including excerpts from our television programs, video dispatches from producers and correspondents in the field, animations, and much more. For more science programming online and on air, visit NOVA's Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova and watch NOVA broadcasts Wednesday nights on PBS. Please note that this feed requires QuickTime 7. Free upgrade available at apple.com/itunes.
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Episode 163: Carl's Nasty Puppy Scammer Leads Him to the Cutest Surprise
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The isolation caused by the Covid pandemic led to record pet adoptions, and more than usual activity online. It was like chum to sharks for scammers who flooded social media accounts with adoption opportunities for popular breeds. This week’s guest, Holly got in touch with us about her friend Carl who joins us too to talk about his St. Bernard-size…
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Episode 162: Elizabeth Warren Tackles Big Tech
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Elizabeth Warren put the kibosh on bad banking practices with her vision for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and now, with the Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act, she’s taking on Big Data. She joined us to talk about reigning in the Wild West of online life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 161: Andy Pham Claws Back a Multi-Million Dollar Heist
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There are tens of millions of small and medium-size businesses in the United States alone, and depending on their state incorporation, many are in danger of business identity theft. Andy Pham is an American hero by many standards, for sure with regard to the right to become wildly successful. He’s truly living the American Dream. Having grown up in…
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Episode 160: Joyce and a Bank Robber Play MahJong
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Like many of us, Joyce spent hours during the Covid lockdown connecting with friends by playing games online--in her case a MahJong app. Imagine her surprise when using a legitimate app to find a scammer trying to empty her entire bank account. The most likely culprit? You will rethink your game time when you hear what it was. Learn more about your…
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Episode 159: The Wild West of the Loophole Economy
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We’ve all been there. You see something perfect online, you do all the clicks and then think, “Wait, was that legit?” Scam-lite transactions are the way of the web these days, whether it’s direct-from-manufacturer or super-sticky subscriptions, we have your back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 158: Kristin Bride Lost Her Son and Now She’s on a Mission
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Kristen Bride’s 16-year-old son died by suicide after being cyberbullied on Snapchat. Setting her sites on anonymous messaging apps that intentionally traumatize children, Bride heads to Washington DC to fight for change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Loud Tree Media
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Episode 157: Keren Elazari Decrypts the Ransomeware Nightmare
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Ransomware is a type of malware that allows hackers to commandeer data on a device or an entire network. Increasingly, the threat actors behind these crimes set their sites on mission critical targets. We talked about it with renowned cybersecurity expert Keren Elazari this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 156: Beau’s Cousin Makes the Right Call
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There was a video chat, phone messages and a lot of back and forth before Beau’s cousin began to wonder if he was thinking straight, and called to see if we thought he was being scammed. This week we get a rare look at a pig butcher in action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 155: Andrew Steven Finds a Red Flag in His Dream Backyard
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From handshake deals to digital pat-downs, the rental market is filled with great opportunities (that is, for scammers). Our very own producer, Andrew Steven recently got some first-hand experience when he and his partner tried to find a new place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 154: Can AI Commit the Perfect Crime?
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AI is everywhere – in the news, on our devices, assisting us, making life easier for us, and for criminals, too, harnessing AI to swindle people more efficiently. What’s next? We dive into the dark side of AI and ask two experts: Could AI commit the perfect crime? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 153: Roy Gets Hacked by an Evil Clown
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Did you know that you can activate malware on your computer just by looking at an image posted in the comments of an online discussion? We're big on good cyber hygiene. Our first episode provides an important life lesson: Always use a burner computer to troll your enemies. And of course beware of evil clowns. Check out Roy’s story about the time he…
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Episode 152: Max McCoy Investigates $47 Million That Isn’t in Kansas Anymore
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Max McCoy stumbled on a $47 million swindle that starts just north of the Oklahoma panhandle and bounces to Australia before things get really confusing in a haze of small town corruption, secretive law enforcement and competing theories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 151: Axton Betz-Hamilton Gets the Shock of a Lifetime (Part 2)
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Growing up in the shadow of child identity theft can be a struggle. For Axton Betz-Hamilton, her discovery of the culprit led to the shock of a lifetime. In the second installment of this two-part episode, we examine the massive financial and emotional toll of finding out a loved one wasn’t all that they seemed, and how to recover. Also discussed: …
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Episode 150: Axton Betz-Hamilton Goes Looking For Her Identity Thief (Part 1)
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By the time most people find out that they’ve been the victim of child identity theft, their credit is trashed. That’s what happened to Axton Betz-Hamilton. And like most victims of child identity theft, she was targeted by someone she knew. In the first installment of this two-part episode, the mystery of who stole Axton’s identity unravels in a v…
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Episode 149: Paul Raffile Fights Sextortion No Matter What
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Paul Raffile was in national security and corporate threat assessment before (almost) running human exploitation investigations for a major social media company (therein lies this week’s tale). He talked with us about this "silent epidemic” and vanishing job offers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 148: Beth Should Have Dated the IT Guy
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Beth sent more than $26,000 to a man she met on Tinder. It was a romance scam, but one that brought complex storytelling, nuanced psychology and even acting skills to bear in a way that shocked even us. Check out this week’s episode to hear just how “good” romance scammers can be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 147: Kara Swisher Calls Out the Man Babies of Big Tech
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Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley since the early days, and she’s made a ton of enemies the old fashioned way (by telling the truth about the new robber barons of our digital lives). In a new memoir called Burn Book, she pulls the curtain back on a world run by powerful babies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi…
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Episode 146: Elizabeth Warren Tackles Big Tech
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Elizabeth Warren put the kibosh on bad banking practices with her vision for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and now, with the Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act, she’s taking on Big Data. She joined us to talk about reigning in the Wild West of online life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 145: Becky Holmes Knows Who *Isn’t* Dating Keanu Reeves
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Becky Holmes loves DMing with scammers. When it comes to romance scammers, she will do whatever it takes, pursuing them to the great delight of her fans on social media. From flings with A-listers to the lantern-jawed soldier with a heart of gold, Becky's on a mission to unravel the weird world of online swindler love. Learn more about your ad choi…
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Episode 144: Erin West Puts the Bad Guys to Shame
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Erin West is the Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County, California, and the founder of Project Shamrock. Whether she’s prosecuting eye-popping SIM-swap money grabs or putting large-scale pig butchering operations out of business, her stories and experience can help you stay safer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi…
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Episode 143: Carina Follows Her Heart Into a Crypto Scam
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No one’s too smart for a well designed scam. Case in point, neuroscientist, triathlete Carina who thought the finance bro she met on Bumble was the one for her, but the only real thing was the money she lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Loud Tree Media
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Episode 142: Tarah Wheeler Narrowly Avoids Getting Got
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No one is immune from being scammed. Just ask Tarah Wheeler, founder and CEO of Red Queen Dynamics, a company that specializes in keeping people scam-free. While onboarding a new hire, a process she put in place stopped a scammer despite a serious cyber misstep. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your podcasts. If you lik…
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Episode 141: Secret Service Agent “Mark” Works the Pan-Africa Beat
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Who better to talk to about pan-African crime syndicates than someone tasked with shutting them down? From drug mules and sextortion to romance scams and spearphishing, this week’s talk with Secret Service Agent “Mark” pulls back the curtain on Black Axe and other crime rings operating worldwide. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available whereve…
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Episode 140: Cybersecurity Girl Caitlin Sarian Tries to Delete Herself Online
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Every part of life that comes in contact with the Internet is tracked, packed and sold to a a seemingly infinite network of data brokers. Caitlin Sarian AKA Cybersecurity Girl joined us this week to discuss why scrubbing your information is trickier than it sounds and what you can do about it. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever y…
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Episode 139: Cory Doctorow Makes Us Wonder if Everything’s a Scam
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Think you’re too savvy to get scammed? Author and activist Cory Doctorow explains how we’re all one muffaletta and a malfunctioning jet door away from falling prey to the most basic of cons. He joins us this week to talk about that and to fill us in about his new book, “The Bezzle.” “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your…
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Episode 138: Presley Rhodes Fights an Army of Thirst Trap Thieves
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Presley Rhodes makes a living posting what she calls “the subtle art of the thirst trap.” Popular on Instagram, she uses that platform to draw her most parched followers to OnlyFans where she can get paid. But what happens when a scammer buys access to those images? Nothing good. To hear what happened (and try to figure it out) we talked to someone…
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Episode 137: Joy and Michelle Talk Skimmers, Scammers and SNAP EBT Fraud
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SNAP food assistance is a lifeline for more than 40 million Americans experiencing food insecurity. In a growing trend, criminals are targeting major security lapses in SNAP fund distribution, stealing millions in aid, so we asked this week’s guests how we can put a stop to it. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your podc…
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Episode 136: Brett Johnson Explains the Abject Terror that Awaits Us All
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Brett Johnson has been called the Godfather of cyber crime. He was on the FBI’s most-wanted list. And he was on What the Hack before! He returns for a freewheeling conversation about what’s new in cybercrime, how it’s changed and wants you to know how to better protect your digital life. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get…
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Episode 135: Christina’s Alleged Romance Scammer Plays A Long Con
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Romance scammers spend a lot of time on dating apps, but they almost never meet their targets in person. Christina’s Mr. Right moved quickly. Charming in-person, he lived in the same area and worked in the same industry. It was only after she committed to building a new life with him in Florida that everything began to fall apart. “What the Hack wi…
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Episode 134: EFF's Eva Galperin Is Not the Pope of Fighting Stalkerware (But She Is)
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Privacy matters for most of us, but it can be a matter of life and death for some especially when it comes to stalkerware. Electronic Frontier Foundation director of cybersecurity Eva Galperin joined us this week to teach us about the way too common software that can be used to track your every move. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available whe…
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Episode 133: Tim Byrne’s Vintage Industrial is Scammer-Proof
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Tim Byrne’s vintage industrial furniture designs are a staple for A-Listers and designers around the world, which puts him in the sites of scammers–whether the target is time, money or goods. Listen as we learn how Byrne’s keen eye for the masterpiece lurking in a hunk of old factory equipment helps him spot thieves before they can strike. “What th…
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Episode 132: Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark Hates Scammers More than We Do
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Ever wonder why facial recognition is so accurate? Well, one reason is the shocking amount of personal data it needs (think: all the world’s snapshots), and that’s why Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark is taking aim at the industry behind that technology. We also review Charity’s top scams to watch for this year, and other topics near and dear…
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Episode 131: Marjorie Bloom Reveals a $661,000 Tech Support Scam
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Retired attorney Marjorie Bloom was minding her own business online when a tech support scam redirected her straight to cybercrime hell. Hear how she lost more than $600,000 in this harrowing tale of a scam turducken. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your podcasts. If you like it, consider rating us on your favorite pod…
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Episode 130: David Maimon Introduces Us to a Fresh New Hell
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Criminologist David Maimon is in the business of finding out what we should be scared of. Just when you thought analog bill paying was safe, we learned that check scams are on the rise. And you guessed it: Because artificial intelligence and digital tools are making them way too easy. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get yo…
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Episode 129: Adam Rings in the New Year by Sharing Some “Scaring is Caring”
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From a pig butchering scam that cost $450,000 to a real estate scam that almost cost a whole lot more, 2023 kept us guessing. With stories sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, and always informative, we’re celebrating the New Year with a look back at some of our favorite moments from the past twelve months. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is availabl…
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Episode 128: Daniel Simons Reveals Why We’ll All Be Fooled Again
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When it comes to scams, we usually focus on the How rather than the Why. This week, we spoke to psychologist Dan Simons, co-author of Nobody’s Fool to find out why we’re all much easier marks than we like to think. “What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your podcasts. If you like it, consider rating us on your favorite podcas…
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Many romance scams are smash-and-grab operations, but some scammers play the long game. Author, actress, life coach and cabaret singer Donna Hayes met her dream man online, but after a seemingly perfect courtship and almost $200K in cash changing hands, she discovered the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 126: Adam Almost Loses 4 Million Dollars
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Ten years after Hurricane Sandy destroyed his beach house on the Jersey Shore, Adam was finally ready to sell the vacant lot. The only problem: It was already on the market. In this whodunnit, we go hunting for the bad guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Loud Tree Media
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Episode 125: Liza and Harry Take Hits for You in This Holiday Twofer
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Shark Week doesn’t have anything on the Christmas scam season. Whether you’re buying something or selling something, there’s a scammer waiting to rob you blind. But there are ways to stay safe. File this week’s episode under: “You can’t say we didn’t warn you.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 124: Marija Manojlovic Isn’t Kidding Around About Child Safety Online
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How dangerous is the internet for children? According to Marija Manojlovic, it’s even worse than we imagined. This week we chart the dangerous freeways and dark alleys of the internet, the hazards they pose specifically to children and what you can do to protect them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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Episode 123: Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw’s Meta Scam Gets Travis a New Cat
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With a million followers and several books on kitten care, Hannah Shaw is no stranger to interview requests and the technical issues to which they often give rise. But when a podcaster helped her navigate a “problem” in her Meta settings, Kitten Lady was hacked. Hear how her eye for deceit and nimble action saved the day. Learn more about your ad c…
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Episode 122: Major Garrett Reveals the Ties that Bond Spies and Hackers
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On this week’s episode a veteran journalist helps us explore our usual beat from a new point of view. CBS Washington Correspondent Major Garrett is the host of “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen” and an absolutely stellar guide as we parse the similarities and differences between spies and hackers. Learn more about your ad choice…
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Episode 121: Jen Caltrider Makes Us Want to Walk to the Book Store
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Want to keep your car out of your sex life? Jen Caltrider created Mozilla’s “*Privacy Not Included” to help consumers make informed choices about popular products and services we all use—like pervert car companies and data-grabbing toys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Loud Tree Media
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Episode 120: Emily Flitter Introduces Us to the High-Net-Worth Piñata
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We talked to New York Times reporter Emily Flitter about criminals who use deepfakes to rob high-net-worth individuals. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot easier than you might think! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Loud Tree Media
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Episode 119: Angelo Carusone Isn’t Sure the Media is Ready to Rumble
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More interested in news than partisan views? Sadly, there’s no app for that. The post-Musk media apocalypse has arrived, and it’s super misinformation-friendly. Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone joins us to discuss how legit media can add some friction to the fictions that go viral when the world is on fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit …
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Episode 118: Kashmir Hill’s Book on Facial Recognition Will Terrify You
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Facial recognition is powered by a special sauce that few people really understand, but one thing is clear: It renders privacy a thing of the past. In her new book Your Face Belongs to Us, New York Times journalist Kashmir Hill explores the ramifications of the human face in cyberspace, and what it means for the future findability of humanity. Lear…
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Episode 117: Theresa Payton Kept the White House Safe (So Listen)
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Ever wonder why Too-Big-To-Fail banks get hacked along with a host of other high-visibility targets get compromised, but the White House has never been breached? We did too, which is why we invited Former White House CIO and current founder and CEO of Fortalice Theresa Payton to tell us how to be safer online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi…
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Episode 116: Kathy Waters Is Every Catphisher’s Worst Nightmare
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Kathy Waters is the person you always wondered about: She created one of those days; specifically, World Romance Scam Prevention Day. (Try saying that three times fast.) But seriously, we have covered a lot of love-based bogosity and yet can’t wrap our heads around how it works. Now we know, and you can too if you listen to this week’s episode. Lea…
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Episode 115: Al Franken Holds a Mock Senate Hearing on Privacy with Siri and Alexa
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No deep fake here. This week, Al Franken does his own impersonations of Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, Sherrod Brown and Susan Collins in this mock Senate Hearing featuring Siri (played by the actual voice-over talent Susan Bennett) and Al’s fellow SNL alum Laraine Newman playing the part of Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices…
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Episode 114: John DeMay Lost His Son to a Sextortion Scam
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John DeMay’s son was a normal teenager, which is exactly what a sextortion ring based in Nigeria was counting on when they targeted him. This week’s episode features a conversation about the fatal outcome of a sextortion scam and an important takeaway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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