Discover shows related to Hacking Humans, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Crowchild Bob, who questions Joe’s math from the Xinbi story—and Joe has an explanation for that billion-dollar mix-up. Dave covers a new twist on business email compromise, where scammers use AI-assisted messages, fake invoices, and fabricated email conversations to convince finance teams to make large payments. Maria explores fake desktop apps impersonating legitimate HR and payroll services, using trusted platforms and legitimate software to gain remote access to victims’ computers. Joe shares a scam story from Jay on LinkedIn. And our Catch of the Day comes from Twitter on a fake email.
Resources and links to stories:
Protecting organizations from AI-assisted executive impersonation and invoice fraud
The Brand Was Real. The Desktop App Wasn’t.
How scams unfold
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
CISA (noun) [Word Notes]
Season 3 · Episode 153
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • Duration 07:28
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
A US Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with supporting cyber and physical security for US critical infrastructure.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency
Audio reference link: CISA, 2021. CISA Director Jen Easterly’s Keynote at Black Hat USA 2021 [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bu-L-m4K4.
404: scam not found.
Season 9 · Episode 404
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 50:28
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Robert, who wonders why he’s never received a scam call in nearly 20 years of having the same Swedish phone number. Maria covers ACATS fraud, a little-known scam that can move stocks and retirement assets into fraudulent brokerage accounts without the victim realizing it. Dave shares his experience of nearly falling for a social engineering scam disguised as a podcast interview, where the scammers used convincing prep and a fake meeting link to try to get him to install malware. Joe shares the story of a Maryland woman who was nearly fooled by scammers posing as Wells Fargo and San Francisco police, using detailed personal information and threats of arrest to make the scam feel real. Our Catch of the Day comes from Reddit, where one person takes matters into their own hands after a scammer targets their daughter.
Resources and links to stories:
Several Big Brokerages Leave Customer Accounts Open to Theft, Senators Say
Fidelity Money Transfer Lockdown: Block Fraudulent ACAT Transfer Brokerage Scams
Protect Your Brokerage Accounts From ACATS Transfer Fraud
Maryland woman says Wells Fargo, San Francisco police scam nearly fooled her with fake fraud case
Person almost scammed my daughter so I decided to get in one fun and found their location
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
dumpster diving (noun) [Word Notes]
Season 3 · Episode 152
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 07:08
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
The act of searching through an organization's trash for discarded sensitive material.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/dumpster-diving
Audio reference link: “Better Call Saul jimmy digs in the Sandpiper trash scene,” uploaded by Robert Bowersock, 18 September 2022.
Scamazon prime.
Season 9 · Episode 403
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 57:18
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow-up from Gordy, who has questions about a fairground contest collecting personal information, plus an update on Joe’s backpack. Joe covers the takedown of Xinbi Guarantee, an illicit marketplace allegedly providing services to scam centers, including money laundering, fake investment sites, and other tools for fraud. Maria looks at QR-code scams and a growing wave of rental scams on TikTok, where fake listings use stolen property photos, below-market prices, and upfront fees to target prospective renters. Dave explores a report on how hundreds of ads promoting AI “nudify” tools and other abusive content were able to reach users through Meta’s advertising system. Our Catch of the Day comes from Tim, who received a suspicious board-position offer that appears to have scraped details directly from his LinkedIn profile—and somehow offered him a seat on the board of his own company.
Resources and links to stories:
U.S. Disrupts Xinbi Guarantee Scam Marketplace, Freezes $52.8 Million in Crypto
See a QR code parked somewhere? Don’t scan it…yet!
68% of TikTok rental listings carry scam warning signs
Meta Failed to Catch Hundreds of AI Child Abuse Ads. Some Included Images of Real Kids
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
SEO poisoning (noun) [Word Notes]
Season 3 · Episode 151
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 06:19
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
The manipulation of search engine optimization, SEO, to promote malicious sites in search engine results.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/search-engine-optimization-poisoning
Audio reference link: Brown, B.E., 2021. The Ending Of The Waldo Moment Explained [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsWja44-EMg.
Love, lies, and a fake 49er.
Season 9 · Episode 402
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 53:07
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow-up on Joe’s chicken coop, which apparently looks amazing—and we may even get a little into the mechanics behind it. Dave looks at the growing scam crisis in the U.S., including how victims are often targeted a second time by recovery scammers after losing money in the first scam. Joe covers a massive identity-theft operation allegedly offering more than 153 million stolen driver’s license records for sale on the dark web, with investigators working to determine where the data came from. Maria explores a multimillion-dollar romance and investment scam in which a man allegedly posed as an NFL player, using fake identities, relationships, and phony investment accounts to defraud at least 26 women. Our Catch of the Day comes from a listener who clicked a suspicious Calendly link and lived to tell the tale.
Resources and links to stories:
Scams in the US are at a record high. Yet most victims get no help and some end up losing even more
Microsoft Plugs Nearly 1,000 Security Holes
Man Posing as San Francisco 49er Charged with Defrauding Over Two Dozen Women Out of More than $1.3 Million
"It's hard to feel bad when it's as easy as just Googling it": Jason Kelce left stunned after fake 49er Daejon Love's alleged $1.3M+ romance scam
Clicked on Phishing Link From “Calendly”
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
Hackers gonna hack back. [OMITB]
Season 1 · Episode 27
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 46:27
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is Selena Larson, Proofpoint intelligence analyst and host of their podcast DISCARDED. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by her co-hosts N2K Networks Dave Bittner and Keith Mularski, former FBI cybercrime investigator and now Chief Global Ambassador at Qintel.
Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. This week, Dave, Selena, and Keith explore the pros and cons of allowing select U.S. companies to conduct offensive cyber operations under strict government guardrails. They discuss what the proposed framework could mean for private-sector security researchers, how researchers have already been operating in this space for years, and where the line between defense and offense gets blurry. They also look at how adversaries such as China and Russia use proxy companies and other private-sector entities to conduct cyber operations—and consider whether giving trusted U.S. companies similar capabilities could strengthen cyber defenses or create new risks.
catfish (noun) [Word Notes]
Season 3 · Episode 150
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 07:03
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
The practice of crafting a fake online persona for malicious purposes.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/catfish
Audio reference link: netbunny, 2013. Catfish - The Movie - Ending Scene [Movie Scene]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR_NIN6zy0U
I just want to give you $25 million!
Season 9 · Episode 401
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 44:17
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow-up from Anne, who writes in to share how much she enjoys the show, how she used the “Shields Up” message with her coworkers, and—most importantly another chicken update! Maria covers a pair of MyChart scams that use fake medical results and bogus Medicare giveaways to steal credentials, personal information, and payment details. Joe looks at two scams—one targeting a business through a massive Amazon fraud scheme and another warning residents about fake invoices designed to steal their money. Dave explores the surprising value of simply replying to a wrong-number text, as scammers use responses to identify active phone numbers and find potential targets for increasingly sophisticated fraud campaigns. Our Catch of the Day promises a piece of a mysterious $25 million overpayment. All you have to do is reply with your phone number and your desired cut—what could possibly go wrong?
Resources and links to stories:
Health systems warn patients of MyChart phishing scam
Woman sentenced after nearly $10M Amazon scam funds luxury lifestyle
South Haven warns of invoice scam targeting residents
Your polite reply to that text is worth $2 on the dark web
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
