The media loves sensationalized romance scams, but we need to understand that anyone can be emotionally seduced and it's not just the lonely. No one is off limits to being targeted, no matter the age, status, or career. And the impact is far greater than just financial.

Today’s guest is Becky Holmes. Becky is the creator and voice behind the popular Twitter account Death to Spinach. Becky’s book Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You looks at all aspects of romance fraud, from the heartbreaking to the hilarious, the academic to the anecdotal, and discusses where we’ve gone wrong in dealing with those affected.

Show Notes:

• [1:08] - Becky runs a Twitter account where she spends a lot of time wasting the time of romance fraudsters.

• [2:38] - An unintended consequence of messing with fraudsters, Becky became a sounding board to victims of romance fraud.

• [4:56] - Once you engage with a fraudster, your name is put on a “sucker list.”

• [6:13] - Becky explains what romance fraud is.

• [7:22] - Victims of romance fraud are generally assumed to be lonely, middle-aged women, which is a stereotype.

• [8:27] - The media sensationalizes victim stories, but this could happen to anyone.

• [9:53] - There’s not a lot of services and support for victims of romance fraud.

• [11:40] - The damage extends farther than the financial loss.

• [13:43] - When it comes to scams, we focus so much on a victim “falling for it” which implies that they are somehow complicit.

• [16:31] - Becky describes an experience she had as a victim of fraud.

• [18:19] - Coercive control is at the center of all types of romance fraud.

• [19:56] - Becky explains confirmation bias and its prevalence in all types of scams.

• [21:25] - Romance fraud is really hard to deal with because it involves the heart.

• [22:43] - Becky shares how scammers usually start conversation and how they navigate getting you on a different app.

• [26:44] - In addition to social media and dating apps, fraudsters also send messages on online games.

• [28:07] - Another common technique is for scammers to pretend to be a celebrity.

• [31:24] - A very successful tactic is when fraudsters pretend to be a part of a charity.

• [34:18] - Becky explains the inspiration behind the title of her recent book.

• [35:56] - We should be looking out for our friends and family.

• [37:21] - If we see something happen, how can we help someone?
  

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We can easily stereotype those we believe are susceptible to a scam. But the scammers are keeping up with current events and are prepared to take advantage of our basic human emotions. The impact of these frauds is underreported due to the shame and embarrassment.

Today’s guest is Alan Castel. Alan is a Psychology professor at The University of California Los Angeles. He studies learning, memory, fraud, and aging. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. He recently published a book entitled Better With Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging.

Show Notes:

• [1:08] - Alan shares his background and what he focuses on as a psychologist.

• [3:33] - We are all susceptible to scams, regardless of the stereotypes.

• [5:50] - Scams focus on our human nature of trying to make sense of the world and our emotional brain. Scams prey on our basic emotions.

• [7:34] - Scams are tailor made to expose our vulnerabilities.

• [8:50] - Some scams are situational and can be completely believable.

• [10:05] - There are people who are much more vulnerable to scams, but it’s not based on stereotypes.

• [12:48] - Education and awareness can come from podcasts like this, but it also needs to come from people who have experienced a scam.

• [15:33] - Although scams don’t only target older adults, the elderly tend to be more susceptible to scams that target their need to help others.

• [18:19] - There are some phrases that aren’t always recognized as false because they sound scientific.

• [20:48] - There are websites and organizations that support scam victims, and it is highly recommended that you report anything that happens.

• [22:32] - Alan admits that he has fallen victim to a scam on a website, entering his credit card information to purchase something.

• [26:37] - Alan describes a reinforcement schedule, which is a psychological tactic to build relationships.

• [28:10] - Scams are clever and Alan sees their potential to use psychological principles to part people from their money.

• [32:30] - How does memory play a role in scam vulnerability?

• [35:05] - Alan describes the “foot in the door” technique.

• [37:02] - It comes down to curiosity as human nature.

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• Alan Castel at UCLA

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In this episode, we’re shining a light on a pervasive threat that often lurks in the shadows of corporate environments: insider fraud. We’ll explore the insidious nature of insider threats, the various forms they can take, and most importantly, how organizations can arm themselves with knowledge and strategies to mitigate these risks effectively.

Today’s guest is Claire Mailet. Claire is an award-winning financial crime prevention expert and has worked in the field for over ten years. In her spare time, Claire assists universities in the UK to support staff and students who stammer and she’s currently undertaking a part time Ph.D at the University of Portsmouth, looking at internal fraud in FinTechs.

Show Notes:

• [1:05] - Claire shares her background and what she does now in her career.

• [5:18] - The growth of counter-fraud in academia has increased in the last few years.

• [6:31] - Insider fraud is a type of fraud that isn’t really well known right now. It is under researched and underestimated.

• [7:59] - When people think about fraud, they think about the customer. They will very rarely think about people on the inside.

• [9:09] - What is insider fraud?

• [10:13] - An underestimated form of insider fraud is when employees who leave a company aren’t removed from internal systems and still have access.

• [12:50] - Organizations need to have vetting measures in place at the time of onboarding to ensure fraud is not committed on a CV.

• [15:18] - The more in depth you can go, the more safe and secure you are.

• [16:41] - Deterrents get lost when prevention is focused on.

• [18:35] - Cost is a real issue for many companies.

• [21:35] - Companies need to get on board with the idea of having things in place for protection.

• [23:40] - Current employees working from home can be a risk to data.

• [27:07] - It doesn’t matter how ethical and good someone is.

• [30:22] - In a lot of startups and small businesses, business owners will hire best friends or family members over someone who can best do the job.

• [33:50] - What could someone’s motivation be to commit insider fraud?

• [36:30] - There are a lot of different ways to commit insider fraud, such as falsified time sheets and information on a resume.

• [38:42] - For every possible way a person can commit fraud, there needs to be something in place. Owners need to think through these possibilities.

• [40:27] - The whole business needs to be involved in the education and prevention of fraud.

• [42:20] - It is common for employees to think that if “fraud” is not in their job title, they don’t have to worry about it.

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• Fraudible Podcast