The CyberGuy Report

[Ep. 32] Jury Duty scam stole $10,000 from Arizona woman

What happens when you miss jury duty? Like most normal people, Gale had no idea. She had just finished up work on her 70th birthday when she discovered a voicemail from an unknown number.  The caller claimed to be an enforcement officer, informing her that if she didn’t pay the hefty $10,000 fine immediately, she was going to be in even bigger trouble.  Within hours, thousands of dollars were gone. But this story does not end there. Thanks to a new law in Arizona, Gale was able to recover her money and turn a devastating situation into a powerful lesson for others. In this episode we explore:  • How scammers can easily impersonate law enforcement • The psychological tactics used to pressure victims into acting quickly • Why cryptocurrency ATMs are a common tool in modern scams • The warning signs that indicate you’re being scammed • What to do immediately if you suspect a scam • How new legislation can help recover stolen funds • Steps you can take to protect yourself and your family Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to ⁠https://cyberguy.com/podcast/⁠ [https://cyberguy.com/podcast/] to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail.

[Ep. 31] How facial recognition put an innocent grandmother behind bars

A 50-year-old grandmother in Tennessee was babysitting when US Marshals showed up at her door with guns drawn. The charge: bank fraud in Fargo, North Dakota, more than a thousand miles away, in a state she had never set foot in. The only evidence? A facial recognition match from Clearview AI, run against photos pulled from social media. Angela Lipps spent more than five months in jail before her defense attorney, Jay Greenwood, finally got somebody to listen. This is what happens when AI gets treated like proof instead of a clue. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - How a single facial recognition match landed an innocent grandmother in jail for over five months - Why the photos you've posted on social media may already be in a Clearview AI database - What detectives should have done before issuing an arrest warrant - How attorney Jay Greenwood proved Angela was a thousand miles away from the crime - What to say (and not say) if police ever come to your door for something you didn't do - How to remove your photos from facial recognition databases before this happens to you - Why this case is a warning for anyone who has ever shared a picture online - The simple piece of evidence that finally got Angela's case dismissed Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to https://cyberguy.com/podcast/ [https://cyberguy.com/podcast/] to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail.

[Ep. 30] SIM card swap scam: How hackers drain your bank account in minutes

Patricia lost service on her cell phone. The next morning, she was out thousands of dollars. In this episode, we break down a real-life example of how quick and vicious SIM-card swapping scandals can really be.  We walk through: * What SIM swap scams are and how they work * Warning signs to look out for * Why banks and carriers sometimes fail to stop fraud quickly * The timeline of how the money was stolen  * What to do immediately if you think you’re being hacked  * Practical steps to protect your accounts This episode is a must-listen for anyone who uses their phone for banking, social media, or authentication codes. Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to ⁠https://cyberguy.com/podcast/⁠ [https://cyberguy.com/podcast/] to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail.

[Ep. 29] Fake phone numbers on Google are scamming people right now

Rosette needed to file a travel insurance claim, so she did what anyone would do, she Googled the phone number. Someone picked up immediately, sounded completely professional, and asked for her credit card and date of birth. It wasn't until the pricing felt off and a confirmation email didn't match the official website that she realized she'd been talking to a scammer the entire time. This is called a search result scam, and it's one of the fastest-growing fraud tactics happening right now, and it's hiding at the very top of your Google results.Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to getbeyondconnected.com [http://getbeyondconnected.com/] to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail.

[Ep. 28] Florida man loses $200K in PayPal Scam, then helps police catch scammer

An 85-year-old man receives what looks like a harmless PayPal refund email… and within days, he out $200,000. He was ashamed and lost. But instead of staying silent, he worked with the police to set up a sting operation, seeking at least partial justice for his misfortunes. In this episode, we break down one of the most sophisticated refund scams we’ve seen, how it unfolded step-by-step, and the red flags everyone should know about.  In this episode we discuss: * How a fake PayPal refund email started the scam * The mirrored bank website that made everything look real * How crypto ATMs are often used by scammers  * The moment he realized he was being scammed  * How scammers isolate victims and create urgency * The police sting operation to catch the scammer  * The multi-million dollar scams this trial cracked open * Partial justice – the arrest and 18-year prison sentence * Why victims rarely recover their money * Common scam variations involving warrants and gold * Warning signs everyone should watch for * The red flags and top tips the policeman (whatever his title is) suggests people do in these types of scams (“"Do the research yourself and figure out what that real phone number is"”) This story is shocking and unfortunately, not at all rare. Just like Brian, at CyberGuy we feel a duty to share these stories far and wide. If we can help even one person recognize the warning signs and cut off a scam at the pass, we’ve done our job.  Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to www.getbeyondconnected.com to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail.