AI Spy

The Other End of the Wire

Most of us in fraud prevention have never spoken to someone who has been inside a scam compound. Ling Li has. A Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne with a decade in law enforcement experience and field roles across the ICRC, UNHCR, and the University of Liverpool's Modern Slavery Research Centre, Ling co-authored SCAM: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds — one of the most rigorous accounts of how these operations actually work. In this conversation, she traces the 30-year lineage of the industry from Taiwan to Fujian to militarized compounds across Cambodia and Myanmar, unpacks the victim-offender overlap that makes conventional law enforcement responses inadequate, and explains how AI has expanded the operational reach of these networks in three specific ways. She also raises an alarm that the current crackdown is generating a new crisis: thousands of survivors stranded without shelter or repatriation support, being recycled back into the same compounds. Fraud is a human problem. This episode is the evidence.In this episode: * How Ling discovered the scam compound world in Cambodia in 2022 while researching bride trafficking — and why almost no international organisations were responding to Chinese victims at that time * The 30-year arc from 1990s Taiwan phone fraud to Fujian scam towns to today's militarised, multi-continental operations — and why every crackdown relocates rather than eliminates the industry * The victim-offender overlap: four archetypes from pure criminal to fully coerced victim, why the majority fall in between, and what a proportionate law enforcement response looks like * How AI has changed the operations: real-time multilingual translation, face-swapping that defeats video verification, and automated phishing site regeneration that outruns detection * The post-crackdown crisis: thousands of survivors sleeping on streets across Southeast Asia, no food, no shelter, no repatriation — and being approached by traffickers offering the cycle again Links: * Ling Li on LinkedIn — LING LI | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ling-li-459637155/] * SCAM: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds, Verso Books — Amazon.com: Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds: 9781804296905: Franceschini, Ivan, Li, Ling, Bo, Mark: Books [https://www.amazon.com/Scam-Inside-Southeast-Cybercrime-Compounds/dp/1804296902]

Forensic Cyberpsychology: How AI is changing crime and human behavior

AI is changing more than workflows—it’s changing how we communicate, what we trust, and how criminals manipulate people. In this episode, I’m joined by James McDowell, Executive Director of the Cyber Crime Research Institute (CCRI) and an adjunct professor at American Military University, to unpack forensic cyber psychology: how human behavior shifts online, how “truth” gets distorted (deepfakes, social media personas), and why scam victimization is often about cognitive states and social engineering, not intelligence. We talk through the Eliza Effect (why people humanize chatbots), automation bias (over-trusting systems), and the duality of technology—how the same tools that increase efficiency can also amplify fraud and exploitation. We also dig into revictimization: how shame, underreporting, and social withdrawal can create a cycle that fraudsters intentionally “reload.” References: LinkedIn Profile - James McDowell, PhD | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-m-profile/] Amazon Link - Mind behind the screen - https://a.co/d/09Y9lYVc CRI - Cybercrime Research Institute [https://www.cybercrime.institute/]

Investigating Modern Fraud: A Law Enforcement Perspective

What does financial crime really look like from the law enforcement side? In this episode, Victoria Frosch Bowes joins us to share a frontline view of modern fraud investigations — from her time as a Detective Constable working complex fraud cases, to her current role in securities enforcement. We discuss how Victoria found her way into financial crime, what makes fraud cases uniquely challenging for law enforcement, and why collaboration between police, banks, and technology providers often breaks down in practice. The conversation covers: * Why financial crime investigations are more complex than many people realize * Lessons from real-world fraud cases, including SIM-swap enabled schemes * The practical challenges law enforcement faces when data, timing, or context is missing * What banks and technology vendors could do differently to support investigations * How AI, automation, and crypto are changing fraud — for criminals and investigators alike * Why fraud prevention can’t stop at detection alone This episode is a must-listen for anyone working in fraud, compliance, payments, or financial crime prevention — especially those building systems meant to support investigations downstream. Audio Credit: Music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠#Uppbeat⁠⁠⁠⁠ (free for Creators!) https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/w [https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/w]... License code: CWFYBYTSKHIO0WBU

The Psychology of Scams

In this episode, Anurag sits down with Whistine Chai to explore the human side of scams. Whistine brings more than 17 years of experience in clinical, forensic, and industrial-organizational psychology, along with extensive field work in Singapore focused on understanding victims and offenders. Her work blends behavioral science and practical investigation, giving her a unique lens on how scams actually unfold in real life. The conversation begins with her path into forensic and behavioral psychology and the early lessons she learned while working on scam cases in Singapore. She shares how rotations and field work shaped her perspective and why being on the ground provides insights that lab research often misses. They speak at length about the behavioral and psychological markers seen in scam victims. Some traits stay stable across time. Others appear only when someone is placed under stress, fatigue, or emotional pressure. Whistine breaks down these drivers in a simple and relatable way. The episode also examines how behavioral insights can be translated into analytics, fraud controls, and early intervention strategies. This is an area both she and Anurag are deeply invested in. The discussion covers what can be operationalized today and what still belongs in the research domain. Finally, Whistine talks about her book, the motivation behind it, and the process of bringing those ideas together for a wider audience. It is a thoughtful conversation that brings psychology, fraud operations, and human insight into one place. A great listen for anyone working in fraud prevention, investigations, cybersecurity, or behavioral science.

The Famous Fraud Guy

In this episode of AI SPY, Anurag sits down with the ever-busy Andrew Austin, a fraud prevention expert whose insights are shaped by years of experience tackling financial crime across institutions. The conversation kicks off with Andrew’s origin story—how he got into the fraud space and why curiosity is a career superpower. From there, they dive deep into: * Why AI is both an advantage and a challenge in the fight against fraud * How scammers are adapting faster than ever—sometimes faster than tech teams * Lessons learned from real-world investigations * How fraudsters think, and why threat modeling must evolve * Advice for fraud fighters building detection strategies * Why signal interpretation (not just signal collection) is the real game The episode wraps with a rapid fire round where Andrew shares what he’s reading, tools he’s obsessed with, and a few unfiltered opinions on buzzwords and the future of AI in compliance. Audio Credit: Music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠#Uppbeat⁠⁠⁠⁠ (free for Creators!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/w...⁠⁠⁠⁠ License code: CWFYBYTSKHIO0WBU