They Told His Mom They'd Kidnapped Her Daughter (Patrick Coughlin)
Episode 64: When Patrick Coughlin's mother got a call telling her that her daughter had been kidnapped and would be killed unless she paid up, it wasn't real — but it was terrifyingly convincing. In t...
29 Jul 49min
We Went to Nigeria to Hunt Sextortion Scammers (Paul Raffile)
Episode 63: Erin West and researcher Paul Raffile spent six days on the ground investigating the criminal network behind sextortion. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses psychological manipulation,...
22 Jul 56min
From Blueprint to Action: Turning a Scam Prevention Strategy Into Policy (Kate Griffin)
Episode 62: Host Erin West sits down with Kate Griffin of the Aspen Institute's Financial Security Program to unpack how she brought together 80 organizations — from banks to tech companies to nonprof...
15 Jul 46min
From Casino Scam Compounds to Digital Arrests: A 30-Year Fraud Fighter's Warning (Frank McKenna)
Episode 61: Erin West connects with Frank McKenna, a 30-year fraud-consulting veteran and founder of Point Predictive, who has built four separate industry data consortiums — including efforts that no...
8 Jul 49min
"I Thought LinkedIn Was Safe": How a Utah Woman Lost $850,000 in a Scam
Episode 60: Anola Johnson thought LinkedIn was the one platform safe from scammers — professional, vetted, serious. A connection request two days after a work trip to Paris changed that. Over the foll...
1 Jul 52min
The Boat Into Myanmar: Mariana van Zeller Inside the Scam Compounds Nobody Sees
Episode 59: Her heart stopped when Mariana van Zeller climbed into a boat to cross into Myanmar. In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with the National Geographic journalist behind Trafficke...
24 Jun 56min
Investment Scam Exposed: A Victim’s Journey of Fraud and Frustration
Episode 58: Despite his careful research and skepticism, scammers defrauded Syd of $50,000. Next came the challenge of dealing with law enforcement. Erin West sits down with a former securities indust...
17 Jun 34min
