Easy Prey12 Jan 2022

Call Center Scams with Ben Taylor

Very few people fall for the Nigerian prince scam these days because it has been so well exposed. However, devious criminals keep looking for new ways to package their deception so it goes undetected. Today's guest is Ben Taylor. Ben is the creator of the popular YouTube channel Pleasant Green. His videos exposing various internet scams have been watched tens of millions of times. His goal is to help get scammers out of their current role not only by exposing the scam but by helping some of them find ways of providing for their families without cheating people.

Show Notes:

[0:50] - Welcome to the show, Ben! He shares what he does through YouTube and his work to educate people.
[1:50] - Scam baiting is when you seek out scammers to waste their time.
[3:32] - Romance scams are extremely common right now.
[4:40] - Tech support and Amazon refund scams are also common.
[6:12] - The elderly are often targets, but people can also fall victim to a scam when they're distracted.
[7:42] - A lot of time scammers will ask you to verify your name or address. You should ask them to verify it.
[9:01] - Scammers typically use a script and if you get them off their game, they will move on.
[10:11] - There are countless call centers across the world.
[11:09] - Ben has interacted with scammers. Some realize they're doing something hurtful, but some justify it or think they deserve it more.
[13:18] - Through his YouTube channel, Ben explains that if scammers are so clever and smart to scam people, they can use the internet for good work.
[14:54] - Ben also looks into product purchasing scams.
[15:56] - Facebook doesn't crack down on product accuracy of ads.
[18:02] - When shopping online, especially from sites that are not as popular or credible, use PayPal as they have some security built in.
[20:00] - Reviews are important to look at closely.
[22:06] - Ben shares some interactions he's had with scammers and how he has asked them for help.
[23:24] - On YouTube, Ben has hired some scammers he's spoken with to help them realize that there are more honest ways to make money.
[26:03] - Using the story of Joel who he helped develop a photography skill, Ben helps people flip the script and help their community.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

Links and Resources:

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(329)

Job Recruiter Scams

Job hunting is hard enough without having to stop and ask whether the recruiter in your inbox is even real. My guest today, Jay Jones, ran into that problem firsthand after being laid off in December ...

24 Juni 35min

Bail Bonds Scams

Getting a call that someone you love has been arrested is scary enough. Getting that call from someone who sounds official, knows just enough to seem credible, and says you have to send money right aw...

17 Juni 36min

Confessions of a Fraudster

Technology keeps changing, but many of the most effective scams still come down to something very human: trust. My guest today is Tony Sales, co-founder of We Fight Fincrime and Underworld TV. Tony ha...

10 Juni 54min

Personal Safety

Scams and safety threats don't always announce themselves. Sometimes they start quietly, with a moment of distraction, a strange feeling you ignore, or a situation that shifts just enough to test whet...

3 Juni 43min

Data For Sale

Everyday conveniences ask for tiny pieces of information all the time like a phone number at checkout, a zip code at the register, an email address for a receipt, or a loyalty account for a small disc...

27 Maj 43min

Exploiting Psychology

Scams are often explained as a failure of judgment, but the truth is far more human. People are not fooled because they are foolish. They are manipulated at the exact moment emotion overrides logic, w...

20 Maj 45min

Investment Traps

Investment losses can be confusing because they do not always tell the whole story. Sometimes money is lost because the market has changed. Other times, an investor was sold something they did not und...

13 Maj 47min

Elder Exploitation

Aging parents often rely on the people closest to them for help, but what happens when that help becomes a way to take control? For Charles Wallace, the warning signs started small. His mother's fridg...

6 Maj 39min