Fraudology Podcast with Karisse Hendrick

Targeted, Tricked, and Tracked: The Modern Anatomy of Fraud

Jul 22, 2025
A shocking data breach at McDonald's exposed 64 million records, highlighting the dire need for strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Recent statistics reveal a 20% rise in credit card fraud losses, signaling a darker threat landscape. Hear the eye-opening firsthand experience of a fraud researcher who tracked his stolen identity's exploitation over time. The episode also shares a heartbreaking story of an imposter scam that drained a woman's retirement savings, illustrating the manipulative tactics scammers use to build trust.
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INSIGHT

Default Passwords Cause Massive Breach

  • The McDonald's data breach was caused by using default, easily guessable admin passwords like '123456'.
  • Despite advanced cybersecurity tech, companies still fall victim to basic security failures like weak credentials.
INSIGHT

Credit Card Fraud Loss Surge

  • Gross fraud losses as a percentage of credit card sales rose over 20% in 15 months from the issuing bank side.
  • This increase spans both first-party and third-party fraud, impacting merchants and issuers alike.
ANECDOTE

Elaborate FBI Imposter Scam

  • Judith Boyvin was scammed over months by imposters posing as FBI agents, losing nearly $600,000.
  • The scammers built trust by exploiting her compassion and used sophisticated tactics mimicking real officials.
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