Easy Prey

A convincing lie no longer needs to look suspicious. It can appear in a familiar social media feed, come from someone who seems real, or arrive as a video that looks almost impossible to fake. By the time doubt sets in, the post may already have been shared thousands of times.
Few people understand that online environment better than today's guest. Nina Jankowicz has spent more than a decade studying what she calls the bad things that happen on the internet. She is an internationally recognized expert on disinformation and online harassment. She was also named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in AI.
Nina explains how disinformation spreads and why emotional content travels so quickly. She talks about online harassment, doxxing, romance scams, and AI-generated impersonation. The conversation also covers ways to check questionable information and protect your personal data. Just as important, Nina shares how to step away from trolls before they take over your time and attention.
Show Notes:
[01:00] Nina Jankowicz describes her work studying disinformation, online harassment, and AI-generated harm.
[03:50] The important difference between misinformation and deliberate disinformation.
[05:09] Why an emotional reaction may be a sign that someone is trying to manipulate you.
[07:09] How social media platforms monetize attention and reward harmful engagement.
[10:05] Using lateral reading and multiple sources to evaluate questionable online content.
[12:27] Why slowing down matters when an image or video may have been generated by AI.
[14:04] How algorithmic feeds have made information consumption increasingly passive.
[17:01] When an aggressive disagreement crosses the line into harassment.
[19:34] Threats, doxxing, and the limits of platforms and law enforcement.
[22:18] Nina's one-reply rule and how blocking trolls removes the attention they want.
[24:07] Why laws and law enforcement training have not kept pace with cyberstalking.
[26:06] Preserving screenshots, documenting abuse, and asking employers for support.
[29:23] Password managers, two-factor authentication, and the personal details hidden in photos.
[32:34] Removing information from data brokers and making online safety more manageable.
[34:40] A romance scam involving stolen images and real-time AI impersonation.
[37:35] Why older adults need digital literacy training as much as children do.
[39:44] Addressing disinformation without suppressing speech or telling people what to believe.
[42:12] How social media incentives favor profitable engagement over trustworthy information.
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Nina Jankowicz
Nina Jankowicz - LinkedIn
How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict
How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back

It is easy to say you would never fall for a scam when you are looking at the situation from the outside. In the moment, though, things can feel much less obvious. A request may sound reasonable, the person may seem trustworthy, and saying no can feel awkward enough that you go along with something you would normally question.
Today's guest studies exactly why that happens. Vanessa Bohns is the Bronstein Family Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University's ILR School. Her work focuses on social influence, compliance, and the pressure people feel to cooperate, even when they are uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do.
Vanessa shares several experiments that show just how strong that pressure can be. People agreed to write in library books and even handed over their unlocked phones. She explains why it can be tougher to refuse someone in person or over the phone. The conversation also covers a few simple ways to slow things down before making a decision.
Show Notes:
[01:00] Vanessa Bohns explains how she began studying influence and why people are more likely to say yes than expected.
[04:01] Small favors reveal how much people underestimate the power of a simple request.
[06:53] The library book experiment shows how awkwardness can outweigh clear ethical concerns.
[09:58] Why people are wired to cooperate and avoid the social discomfort of saying no.
[15:37] How scammers use a few believable details to make an unlikely story feel true.
[18:32] Why a small cue of authority can be more convincing than an elaborate explanation.
[22:29] Creating distance from a request gives you time to think and verify what is happening.
[25:31] Advance warning helps people make a more thoughtful decision instead of reacting automatically.
[29:46] Participants hand over their unlocked phones even when private search histories are at stake.
[33:16] Incentives and the fear of losing access can push people to break their own rules.
[34:24] Social pressure can be powerful even when there is no financial reward.
[37:49] A phishing email uses authority, urgency, and reciprocity to fool an influence expert.
[41:02] Firm personal rules can make it easier to resist pressure from salespeople and scammers.
[44:20] Asking for a request in writing reduces pressure and gives you time to process it.
[46:20] Why knowledge does not make anyone immune and scam victims deserve more grace.
[48:20] Helping a family member avoid another scam without blaming them for what already happened.
[49:20] Vanessa's final takeaway on slowing things down and preparing for the possibility that anyone can be fooled.
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Vanessa Bohns - ILR School - Cornell University
Vanessa Bohns 
Vanessa Bohns - LinkedIn
Vanessa Bohns - Instagram
Books by Vanessa Bohns

A drink can be out of your sight for only a moment, but that may be all it takes for someone to tamper with it. Spiking can happen in bars, restaurants, festivals, and even among people who already know and trust each other. It also goes far beyond alcohol. Drinks, food, vapes, cigarettes, and other substances can be altered without someone's knowledge, leaving them vulnerable before they fully understand what is happening.
Dawn Dines has spent more than 20 years working to change how people understand and respond to spiking. She is the founder and CEO of Stamp Out Spiking, a UK charity focused on education, prevention, training, and better safeguarding practices. Her work has helped bring spiking into the public conversation and pushed for stronger laws, better training, and more support for people who have experienced it.
Dawn talks about the experiences that led her into this work and what she has learned from victims over the years. She explains some of the signs that a person may have been spiked, why it can be so difficult to know exactly what happened, and what friends or staff can do when someone suddenly seems far more intoxicated than they should be. She also shares practical ways people can look out for each other while still going out and enjoying themselves.
Show Notes:
[00:44] Dawn Dines shares how her 20-year campaign against spiking helped push for changes to UK law.
[02:18] Spiking can involve drinks, food, vapes, cigarettes, and even needles, not just alcoholic beverages.
[04:27] Dawn recalls two frightening experiences while traveling that showed her how easily someone could be drugged without their knowledge.
[07:32] She explains why she continued campaigning despite years of resistance and how public pressure helped bring greater attention to the issue.
[10:41] Spiking affects both men and women, and Dawn describes how widespread the problem has become around the world.
[13:37] Victims may struggle to understand what happened, especially when friends or family assume they simply drank too much.
[16:35] Dawn explains how quickly symptoms can develop and why getting to a trusted person immediately can make a difference.
[19:54] Education can help hospitality workers, security teams, and the public recognize when someone's behavior changes suddenly.
[23:06] Victim blaming, embarrassment, and memory loss are among the reasons many incidents are never reported.
[26:58] Bars and restaurants can reduce risk through staff training, drink covers, safety information, and clear procedures for helping customers.
[28:41] Dawn discusses the growing awareness of spiking and why cooperation across countries, venues, and law enforcement matters.
[31:48] Witnesses, security footage, recovered substances, and quick reporting can all help investigators build a case.
[34:18] Dawn encourages people to stay vigilant and look out for one another without allowing the threat of spiking to stop them from enjoying their lives.
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Dawn Dines - LinkedIn
Stamp Out Spiking

What sounds like the plot of a crime thriller was Sharon Armstrong's real life. An online romance drew her into an elaborate web of lies involving overseas contracts, invented emergencies, and several people playing carefully planned roles. By the time she arrived at an airport in Argentina with five kilograms of cocaine hidden inside her suitcase, she still believed she was carrying business documents for the man she loved.
Sharon was arrested and spent more than two years in an Argentinian prison before returning home without a conviction. During that time, she had to confront the truth of what had happened and find a way to forgive herself. She later wrote about the experience in her book, *Organized Deception*. Today, she is an author and international scam awareness advocate who works to educate the public, support survivors, and challenge the shame that often keeps victims silent.
In this episode, we talk about how the criminals built trust so quickly, why warnings from loved ones can be difficult to hear, and how organized scam networks use kindness and personal values against the people they target. Sharon also explains why she no longer says she "fell for" a romance scam. She was deliberately targeted by sophisticated criminals, and she believes the attention belongs on those who planned the deception rather than on the person they harmed.
Show Notes:
[01:12] Sharon begins the story of moving to Australia and unexpectedly being signed up for an online dating site.
[03:36] A convincing introduction quickly develops into an intense romance with someone claiming to be an engineer.
[04:52] The first request for money tests the trust that had already been built through a carefully fabricated story.
[06:18] The scammers introduce new characters and create a plan for Sharon to travel to London through Argentina.
[09:07] Family concerns grow as the relationship begins to take priority over the people who had always mattered most to her.
[11:34] A suitcase supposedly carrying business documents arrives after Sharon has spent a confusing week alone in Argentina.
[13:21] Airport officials discover five kilograms of cocaine hidden beneath the lining of the suitcase.
[15:46] Sharon describes surviving the first days minute by minute before spending two and a half years in prison.
[18:09] Criminals study a target's values, kindness, history, and online presence to create a story that feels deeply personal.
[20:58] A dramatization of Sharon's story shows how organized manipulation can gradually change someone's behavior and relationships.
[23:16] Her experience as a probation officer did not protect her from grooming that closely resembled techniques she already understood.
[25:07] More than 7,000 messages over five months reveal the intensity of the communication and how difficult it was to recognize from inside the relationship.
[28:13] Healing begins when Sharon decides to forgive herself rather than continue carrying shame for what the criminals did.
[30:04] Denial can become a safe place when accepting the truth feels more painful than continuing to believe the story.
[32:08] Public humiliation adds another layer of trauma after details of Sharon's arrest are released to the media.
[34:27] Each day in prison begins with a choice to move toward happiness rather than allow the experience to make her bitter.
[37:52] Writing, speaking publicly, and sharing her story become important parts of rebuilding her life.
[40:09] Sharon rejects the phrase "fell for a scam" and explains why victims should be described as people deliberately targeted by organized criminals.
[42:18] The title Organised Deception shifts attention toward the people who intentionally planned and carried out the crime.
[43:17] Victim blaming can make people feel safer because it allows them to believe the same thing could never happen to them.
[46:02] Sharon believes being arrested may have saved her life and kept her from being trafficked through an even more dangerous country.
[48:34] Families increasingly reach out for help as they recognize the seriousness of romance scams and look for ways to support someone they love.
[50:01] Sharon shares how listeners can connect with her through Stand Up 2 Scams and learn more about Organised Deception.
[51:37] A reminder that scam victims are not alone and that the shame belongs with the ruthless criminals who targeted them.
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Sharon Armstrong
Organised Deception 
Stand Up 2 Scams - Facebook

Everybody is searching for ways to increase income. Unfortunately, MLMs often look like an easy way to start a business without taking on the cost of a traditional company. The pitch sounds simple. Buy the product, follow the plan, and put in the work. The numbers behind those promises often tell a different story.
Today's guest, Stacie Bosley, has spent years studying what really happens inside MLMs. She is a professor at Hamline University in Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in applied economics. Her research covers multi-level marketing, consumer protection, income claims, and pyramid scheme fraud. She has also served as an expert witness in cases involving the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We talk about what separates an MLM from a pyramid scheme or a Ponzi scheme. Stacie explains why these opportunities attract smart and motivated people. We'll learn about the role of recruitment including those hidden expenses and fake or misleading success stories. We also learn questions people should ask before investing their money and time in any business opportunity.
Show Notes:
[01:03] Stacey explains how her background in applied economics led to research on multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes, and income misrepresentation.
[03:22] Early experiences in rural Wisconsin and changes in retail and internet commerce sparked an interest in how people pursue business opportunities.
[05:07] Pyramid schemes rely on a pay-and-recruit structure that mathematically leaves most participants with losses.
[08:57] Adding a legitimate product does not change the underlying structure when profits still depend primarily on recruitment.
[10:33] Ponzi schemes generally use investment language, while pyramid schemes tie a participant's compensation directly to recruiting others.
[12:38] Products, demographics, religious communities, and other affinity groups can shape how MLM opportunities are marketed.
[16:17] Reward-responsive people may be attracted to the recognition, status, and sense of competence these opportunities promise.
[19:47] Anyone considering an MLM should define what they hope to gain and examine their realistic chances of reaching that goal.
[22:53] The appeal of a turnkey "business in a box" can cause people to skip the research they would normally do before starting a business.
[25:32] Earnings often look far worse after product purchases, training costs, conference fees, and other expenses are deducted.
[28:13] Companies making income claims have a responsibility to explain what participants typically earn and spend.
[31:02] Disclaimers such as "results not typical" do little to correct exaggerated success stories or earnings claims.
[34:08] MLM losses can affect finances, relationships, social connections, and a participant's sense of personal worth.
[37:12] Limited time, money, and energy can be diverted into opportunities that fail to improve a family's financial situation.
[40:03] A company may be operating as an MLM regardless of its chosen label if participants earn from the activity of recruited sellers.
[42:22] Important questions include the typical startup cost, ongoing expenses, earnings, profitability, and participant retention.
[44:23] Claims that unsuccessful participants simply quit or failed to work hard can be used to dismiss troubling outcome data.
[46:12] Encouraging sellers to recruit their own competitors conflicts with basic principles of supply and demand.
[48:03] A large number of local sellers may be presented as community support even though it can indicate market saturation.
[49:47] Resources such as Stacey's TED Talk, Truth in Advertising, and her published research can help people investigate these opportunities.
[50:59] A reminder to look beyond the sales pitch and ask what people actually earn after expenses.
Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 
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Stacie Bosley - Hamline University
Stacie Bosley - LinkedIn