What the Hack? Episode 215: They Targeted His Mom, He Went Full CIA
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Sep 2, 2025 Ken Westbrook, CEO of Stop Scams Alliance and former CIA analyst, shares his harrowing experience of how a scam drained his mother's life savings. He reveals the alarming sophistication of scamming tactics, including smishing and scareware, and their ties to transnational crime. Westbrook emphasizes the urgent need for financial literacy among youth and coordinated government action to combat these threats. He calls for awareness to protect vulnerable individuals and suggests strategies for safeguarding personal data.
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How Scareware Devastated A Family
- Ken Westbrook's 83-year-old mother was lured by scareware and a fake Microsoft popup into calling criminals.
- She followed instructions to buy gift cards and send photos, which began draining her life savings.
Escalation From Gift Cards To Cashier's Checks
- The criminals escalated demands from gift cards to cashier's checks and coached her to lie to bank tellers.
- Over three weeks she lost most of her life savings despite a bank employee eventually intervening.
Scams Affect Tens Of Millions Annually
- Gallup found 8% of Americans reported being scammed in the prior year, roughly 21 million people.
- That equals about 57,000 victims per day, showing scams reach massive scale.