18-Dec-2025 Starbucks Scam, European Call Center Bust, England Sticks to Paper Exams, AI Safety Challenge

Kick off your day with some digital drama on Hacked dAily, the FIRST AI-Driven Cybersecurity Podcast presented by Cytadel Cyber. Today, we're surfing the scam waves with a heads up on the faux "Starbucks Free Yeti Tumbler" offer that's leaving wallets lighter than a caffeine-lover’s heart during PSL season. Beware: this too-good-to-be-true sip is more likely to serve you a cold, hard cup of scam than a latte. Across the pond, in a plot twist worthy of a detective novel, a $12 million call center fraud ring has rung its last bell, courtesy of European investigators. This crime drama unfolded faster than you can say "Sorry, you're breaking up!"—and now those fraudsters will be dialing into life behind bars. In England, academia seems to be cosplaying Downton Abbey, clutching onto pen and paper exams with a grip tighter than a butler's hold on a tray. Who needs high-tech solutions when you can reenact the good ol' days of quill and ink? Meanwhile, in Japan, Yokosuka Gakuin is playing defense against the Rhysida ransomware group; here’s hoping their IT pros have more tricks than a high school magic club. And finally, strap in for a tale of AI mischief with the “Lies-in-the-Loop" attack. Even bots aren't immune to spinning a good yarn—just a cheeky reminder that truth in the digital world is a fickle friend. This episode is sponsored by Cytadel Cyber. Specialist in Ransomware Readiness Assessments, Threat Intel-Led Red Teaming, AI DeepFakes, AI Voice Cloning and AI Vishing Simulations. Cyatdel helps you test your cyber resilience against the threats of today, keeping your data secure. Checkout cytadel.co.uk for more information.