Scam Rangers

Scam Rangers - A podcast about the human side of fraud and the people who are on a mission to protect us. We will hear from activists, researchers, prosecutors, human trafficking experts and other advocates, telling the story of scams and scam victims from their perspectives. Most importantly - we can learn what we can do about it. If you are enjoying this show, subscribe, and follow me on LinkedIn for more information and news about online scams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

Scam Rangers is a leisure podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Scam Rangers, a leisure show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #19

  Confronting the Yahoo Boys: A Blueprint for Fighting Back, A conversation with Erin West and Paul Raffile

  Aug 19, 202647 minS2

  What happens when investigators follow a scam all the way to the people behind it? In this episode of Scam Rangers , host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Erin West , founder of Operation Shamrock and former prosecutor, and cybercrime researcher Paul Raffile to hear the incredible story of their investigation into financial sextortion. Erin and Paul created a decoy social media profile posing as a teenage boy and quickly became targets of a sextortion scam. They followed the digital trail, built a blueprint of the network, and traveled to Nigeria to find the people behind it. There, they interviewed scammers, worked with local partners and law enforcement, explored the role of juju rituals in some scam operations, and ultimately confronted the suspected scammer they had tracked. “We came here to find you. We’re two investigators.” What they discovered raises bigger questions about how we fight scams. Detection and prevention matter , but what about deterrence and consequences? When the scammers themselves were asked what could stop more people from committing these crimes, their answer was striking: more arrests. In this episode Inside a real-world financial sextortion investigation Following the trail from social media to Nigeria Building a blueprint of the criminal network What scammers revealed about how they operate The role of juju rituals in some scam operations Confronting the suspected scammer Why deterrence and enforcement matter What law enforcement and industry need to do differently About the guests Erin West is the founder of Operation Shamrock and a former Deputy District Attorney who spent 26 years prosecuting crime, including eight years investigating high-tech and cryptocurrency-enabled crime. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinnordbywest/ Paul Raffile is a cybercrime researcher specializing in transnational organized crime and financial sextortion, with a background in government intelligence, corporate intelligence and digital investigations. https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffile/ About the host Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI , the company behind ScamRanger. With more than 15 years in fraud prevention and cybersecurity, she is an Ambassador for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and host of Scam Rangers , exploring how we can better protect people and fight scams. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/

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  Episode #18

  You Can't Fight What You Don't Measure, A conversation with Ken Westbrook, Founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance

  Aug 5, 202636 minS2

  What if one of the biggest reasons we’re struggling to fight scams is that we don’t fully understand the scale of the problem? In this episode of Scam Rangers , Ayelet Biger-Levin welcomes back Ken Westbrook, founder of Stop Scams Alliance and former CIA analyst, to discuss why scams should be treated as a national security threat, and why doing that starts with better data. Ken shares the story behind Stop Scams Alliance’s collaboration with Gallup and what the new research reveals about scam victimization in America. The findings paint a troubling picture: roughly one in four Americans report having been scammed, nearly three-quarters of victims say the experience negatively affected their mental health or well-being, and 98% of U.S. adults believe scams pose a threat. The conversation goes beyond the numbers to explore what needs to happen next: the role financial institutions can play in scam intelligence and reporting, how technology and AI can strengthen defenses, the need for greater public-private collaboration, and what it would actually mean to treat scams as a national security priority. In this episode: Why traditional reporting doesn’t capture the true scale of scams What the Gallup research reveals about victims and the impact of scams Why financial institutions could play a larger role in scam intelligence How AI is changing both scam attacks and defenses Why stronger collaboration across government and industry is critical Why we need consistent measurement to know whether we’re actually making progress Link to the Gallup survey: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/711827/scams-in-america.aspx About Ken Westbrook Ken Westbrook is the founder of Stop Scams Alliance, a nonprofit bringing together stakeholders across the scam ecosystem to improve how the U.S. prevents and responds to scams. Before founding the organization, Ken spent 33 years at the CIA as an analyst — experience that now shapes his approach to understanding and combating scams as an organized, evolving threat. Stop scams Alliance: https://www.stopscamsalliance.org/ About the Host Ayelet Biger-Levin is the founder and CEO of RangersAI and host of the Scam Rangers podcast. A fraud and cybersecurity expert with more than 20 years of experience, she has held leadership roles at companies including IBM, RSA Security and BioCatch. Through Scam Rangers , Ayelet brings together experts from financial services, technology, behavioral science, law enforcement and policy to explore how scams work, why people fall victim, and what we can do to build greater scam resilience. www.rangersai.com Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

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  Episode #17

  The Trust Layer: Why Banks Must Partner with Customers to Stop Scams

  Jul 22, 202646 minS2

  For years, the banking industry focused on one goal: reduce friction. Every extra interaction with a customer was viewed as something to avoid. But scams have changed the rules. When criminals manipulate customers into authorizing payments themselves, transaction monitoring alone can't tell the whole story. The missing piece is context—and the only person who has it is the customer. In this episode, Ayelet sits down with Kate Pundik , Fraud Risk Management Program Manager at Valley Bank, and Juliana Bogotinoska , FVP and BSA Officer at Bankwell, to discuss why proactive customer engagement is becoming one of the most powerful tools in modern fraud prevention. Together, they explore how banks are rethinking trust, why customer outreach is no longer viewed as unnecessary friction, and how partnering with customers can improve fraud detection, strengthen relationships, and prevent losses before money moves. In this episode, you'll learn: Why scams require a completely different fraud prevention strategy than traditional account takeover. Why the customer often has the one piece of information banks cannot see: intent. How customer outreach helps prevent account takeover, check fraud, scams, and money mule activity. Why reaching out to customers is becoming a better customer service experience—not simply another security control. How financial institutions are building trusted communication channels with customers. Why fraud, AML, risk, technology, marketing, and customer-facing teams must work together to protect customers. How AI is changing both scam tactics and the way banks must respond. Why the future of fraud prevention is built on partnership, trust, and communication. Key takeaway The future of fraud prevention isn't simply about detecting suspicious transactions. It's about building trusted relationships with customers, giving them the confidence to make safer decisions, and creating a partnership where banks and customers work together to stop fraud before money moves. About the Host Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm. Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and the Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention. Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about the work being done to build scam resilience. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

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  Episode #16

  Why You Can't Break a Scam With Factos Alone, A conversation with Ayleen Charlotte, Founder S.A.F.E.

  Jul 8, 202644 minS2

  Most of us believe that if someone is being scammed, all they need is proof. Show them the evidence. Point out the red flags. Explain the facts. But what if that's not enough? In this episode of Scam Rangers, I sit down with Ayleen Charlotte, survivor of the Tinder Swindler and founder of SAFE (Scam Awareness & Fraud Education), to explore what really happens when someone isunder the influence of a scammer and why breaking that manipulation requires much more than facts. Ayleen shares her personal journey from victim to advocate, including the emotional aftermath of discovering that the relationship she believed in never existed. We discuss how scams reshape the way people think, why victims often defend the scammer, and what banks, investigators, frontline teams, and even family members need to understand if they truly want to help. This conversation goes beyond one remarkable story. It challenges many of the assumptions we've made about scam prevention and highlights why understanding human psychology is just as important as understanding fraud. What You'll Learn Why scam victims can't always be convinced with facts alone. How manipulation changes the way people think, process information, and make decisions. The different stages of the "scam spell" and why interventions must adapt to each stage. Why fraudsters intentionally position banks and loved ones as the enemy. What organizations can do to become more victim-centered and trauma-informed. How Ayleen transformed her lived experience into SAFE, a training platform helping financial institutions, law enforcement, and organizations better support scam victims. Featured Guest Ayleen Charlotte is an international speaker, fraud awareness advocate, and founder of SAFE (Scam Awareness & Fraud Education). Following her experience as one of the victims featured in The Tinder Swindler , she dedicated her career to helping organizations better understand the psychology of manipulation and improve how they support scam victims through victim-centered, trauma-informed education. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayleen-charlotte-09a338256/ About the Host Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm. Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and the Stop Scams Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance a more human-centered approach to scam prevention. Follow Ayelet on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn more about the work being done to build scam resilience. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/

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  Episode #15

  People Act on Who They Trust, Not What They Know - Amanda Shute on Customer Trust, AI Manipulation, and the Future of Fraud Prevention

  Jun 26, 202637 minS2

  What does the future of fraud prevention look like from the perspective of someone who has spent two decades helping scam victims? In this episode of The Scam Rangers Podcast, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Amanda Shute, Senior Risk Manager, External Fraud Oversight, whose career began on the front lines as a bank teller helping customers after devastating scams. That experience shaped her belief that fraud prevention isn't just about stopping transactions. It's about helping people navigate trust. Together they explore how AI is changing the scam landscape, why traditional awareness campaigns often fail in emotionally charged moments, and what financial institutions can do to build customer resilience before a payment is ever made. From relationship-building and victim advocacy to synthetic trust and real-time intervention, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the human side of fraud prevention, and why trust may become the industry's most important security control. In this episode you'll learn: How Amanda's career on the teller line shaped her approach to fraud prevention Why scam victims lose more than money. They lose trust The role financial institutions can play in rebuilding customer confidence What "synthetic trust" means in the age of AI-generated scams The new warning signs of AI-driven social media fraud Why awareness alone isn't enough once emotions take over How banks can evolve from fraud recovery to customer resilience Why collaboration across institutions is becoming essential What the new FinCEN 314(b) clarification means for information sharing Why every fraud professional should continuously learn from peers across the industry Why this episode matters Scams are no longer simply attacks on accounts—they're attacks on trust. As AI enables criminals to create increasingly convincing stories and identities, financial institutions face a new challenge: helping customers make better trust decisions before manipulation succeeds. Amanda offers a practical roadmap for how fraud leaders can rethink prevention—not just through stronger controls, but by building trusted relationships, creating meaningful interventions, and putting the customer experience at the center of their strategy. You can learn more about her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandashute/ About the Host - Ayelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm. Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/ RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/

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