Brett Johnson, also known as Gollumfun, is a former cybercriminal whose past includes deep involvement in hacking and fraud. In this discussion, he reveals his tumultuous upbringing in eastern Kentucky, shaped by crime and chaos. Brett shares his transition from installing mod chips to engaging in high-stakes online scams, including the notorious Counterfeit Library. He delves into the mindset of cybercriminals, the thrill of illegal activities, and the emotional turmoil that can drive individuals to the dark side of the internet.
Brett Johnson's troubled upbringing and dysfunctional family influenced his criminal mindset.
Brett Johnson's involvement in cybercrime escalated from eBay fraud to credit card fraud and fake IDs.
The speaker, Brett Johnson, engaged in forgery, console modding, pirated satellite signals, and tax fraud to make money illegally.
Deep dives
Growing up in Kentucky with a tumultuous family
The podcast episode starts with Brett Johnson discussing his upbringing in Kentucky. He shares stories of his parents' dysfunctional relationship, his mother's criminal behavior, and his father's enabling behavior. Johnson recalls incidents of abuse, neglect, and violence in his household, highlighting how these experiences influenced and shaped his criminal mindset.
Finding solace in academia and drama
Despite his troubled family background, Johnson found solace in academics and drama in high school. He excelled in these areas and even received a scholarship offer from San Jose State University. However, due to his tumultuous relationship with his mother and her actions, he was unable to pursue the scholarship. Johnson's academic and artistic pursuits temporarily kept him away from criminal behavior, but he eventually succumbed to fraud and theft, including telemarketing and charity fraud.
Entering the world of cybercrime and credit card fraud
Brett Johnson's entry into cybercrime began with eBay fraud and the selling of pirated software. However, his criminal activities escalated when he discovered the world of credit card fraud on the now-defunct site called Counterfeit Library. Johnson describes the rise of Carter Planet, an underground marketplace for credit card fraud, and its transformation into a hub for stolen credit cards and counterfeit merchandise. He details the emergence of the CVV1 hack, which exploited banks' lack of security measures, enabling carders to withdraw large sums of cash from ATMs. Johnson also mentions his connection to Shadow Crew, a website primarily focused on fake IDs.
Forging Baseball Signatures
The podcast episode follows the speaker sharing their experience of trying to forge baseball signatures to sell on eBay. They initially struggled with forging the signatures on the round baseballs and then attempted to add authenticity by printing certificates. However, they were later confronted by law enforcement who accused them of selling the forged baseballs and printing the certificates themselves.
From Mod Chips to Counterfeit Degrees
After the baseball forgery incident, the speaker moved on to installing mod chips in PlayStation consoles for a fee. This eventually led to programming satellite cards and making money by pirating satellite DSS signals. They also engaged in filing fraudulent tax returns using data from the California state death index. The speaker describes making substantial amounts of money through these illegal activities.
Brett Johnson, AKA Gollumfun (twitter.com/GOllumfun) was involved with the websites Counterfeit Library and Shadow Crew. He tells his story of what happened there and some of the crimes he committed.
Sponsors
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