How Hacks Happen

Many Worlds Productions

Hacks, scams, cyber crimes, and other shenanigans explored and explained. Presented by your friendly neighborhood cybersecurity gal Michele Bousquet.  

  1. −6 d

    Actors Behaving Badly

    The promise of Hollywood stardom leads some to fraud and scams. In this episode, we talk about three scammers from the land of the silver screen: Alison Gu, a convicted fraudster who tried to hire Chinese-speaking actors as witnesses for her case; Zach Horowitz (aka Zach Avery), an actor who conned his friends and major investors out of millions of dollars with fake contracts; and Mary Carole McDonnell, a TV producer who pretended to be an heiress to a huge fortune so she could borrow millions and disappear before the bill came due.  Resources: Alison Gu: Defendant hires 7 actors for her fraud trialZach Avery: Actor Pleads Guilty to $650 Million Ponzi Scheme, Faking Netflix and HBO DealsMary Carole McDonnell: The 73-year-old ‘fake heiress defrauding banks out of millions’Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    23 min

  2. 12 maj

    Spotify: Making Millions With Bots

    When musician Michael Smith couldn't find an audience for his music, he manufactured it. By unleashing thousands of bots to listen to thousands of fake AI-generated songs on Spotify and other platforms, Smith earned millions in royalties before getting caught. Resources: North Carolina Musician Charged with Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of JusticeNorth Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of JusticeIndictment: United States v. Michael Smith — U.S. Department of Justice PDFSpotify says it now has more than 100 million songsSpotify Q4 2025 Earnings ReportAlthough the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real — MusicRadarSpotify’s fake artists problem gets weirder with AI-generated albums — The VergeArtificial Streaming — Spotify for ArtistsHow Royalties Work on Spotify — Spotify Loud & ClearDeezer launches artist-centric payment systemBillie Eilish Was Discovered on Spotify and SoundCloud Before Global Fame — Rolling StoneSofi Tukker on Streaming Success and Spotify Discovery Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    27 min

  3. 28 apr.

    Voiceprint, Face ID, and Sneakers

    Voiceprint ID is the latest virtual gadget for banks and financial institutions. But how secure is it, really? Let's look at the pros and cons of voice recognition, facial ID, and the AI systems they work with, and look back at the 1992 film Sneakers to see how this 34-year-old movie predicted some of the problems with voiceprint security. Resources: BBC: Cloned customer voice beats bank security checksCNN: Police used AI facial recognition to arrest a Tennessee woman for crimes committed in a state she says she’s never visitedThird Innocent Black Man to Be Misidentified by Facial Recognition Software Sues Police Department and Prosecutor for False Arrest and Imprisonment Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    23 min

  4. 7 feb.

    Glitches in the Matrix

    Glitch or fraud? Let's explore "money glitches" popularized on social media, and the consequences faced by people who used them.  Resources: The Chase Money 'Glitch': How a Viral Fraud Scheme BackfiredWhat you need to know about "Klarna method" posts on social mediaRingleader sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud operation which saddled victims with crushing debt  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    23 min

  5. 2025-12-29

    2025: The Year of AI Scams

    AI is undoubtedly the technology of the year for hacks and scams. While scammers are busy using AI to make scams more convincing, scam baiters are fighting back with ingenious grandma-style AIs that keep scammers busy for hours on end. There have also been some spectacular busts of scam centers. What’s next, AI scammers chatting with AI scam baiters? Now, that would be entertaining. Resources Meet Daisy, the AI 'granny' chatbot that wastes the time of phone scammersSpaceX disables thousands of Starlink devices being used by Myanmar scam centersChina sentences 5 to death for building, running criminal gang fraud centers in Myanmar's lawless borderlandsMyanmar has declared a 'zero tolerance' policy for cyberscams, but the fraud goes onContent creators, banks use AI to waste scammers' timeKitboga on YouTube: I Built a Bot Army that Scams Scammers Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    23 min

  6. 2025-12-15

    The Barber Shop Scammers

    Ever get your hair cut and wonder, "Is my barber part of an international scammer ring?" In November 2025, the FBI arrested Victor Marion, the owner of Mecca Barber Shop in San Diego, and eighteen of his buddies for scamming elderly victims out of $40 million with the classic tech support and refund scams, and for laundering the funds through the shop. Come along and find out how the scams worked, and learn what's next for Marion and his friends. Resources: 22 charged in elder scam targeting over 500 seniors: FBI San DiegoFeds: Barbershop owner led California-based laundering cell in $40 million elder fraud schemeCase Number 25CR4061-TWR-01, reviewed via Pacer Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    24 min

  7. 2025-12-03

    It's Official: Facebook is Scammy

    If Facebook has seemed scammy for the past few years, it's not your imagination. A leaked internal document shows that Facebook, and its parent company Meta, are well aware that many of their ads and posts are scams, but they make too much money off of them to do anything about it. Get all the details on this scathing report from Reuters that has rocked the scambuster world. Resources Reuters report: Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents showMaggie McGaugh on YouTubePleasant Green on YouTube Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    23 min

  8. 2025-11-12

    Signing Your Life Away: Subscriber Agreements

    Do you tap "Accept" without reading subscriber agreements? Those long-winded documents can strip away your legal rights, and even hijack your face, your voice, and your life. Let's peek inside the dystopian world of Subscriber Agreements for streaming services and see what little goodies they hold for us. Netflix in Your Neighborhood Privacy PolicyNetflix Privacy PolicyDisney+ Subscriber AgreementDisney agrees to have Florida wrongful death lawsuit decided in courtWhat Do Consumers Understand About Predispute Arbitration Agreements? An Empirical InvestigationDisney wants to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit because of a Disney Plus agreement Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    25 min
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Om

Hacks, scams, cyber crimes, and other shenanigans explored and explained. Presented by your friendly neighborhood cybersecurity gal Michele Bousquet.  

Information

  • Skapad av
    Many Worlds Productions
  • Aktiva år
    2021 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    86
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © 2026 How Hacks Happen
  • Programmets webbplats
    How Hacks Happen