How Hacks Happen

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How Hacks Happen

Many Worlds Productions

83 episodes

22 hours ago

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 o...

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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 o...

Show more...

Episodes (20/83)

How Hacks Happen

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 o...

22 hours ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

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 ...

2 weeks ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

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 YouT...

3 weeks ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

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...

1 month ago

25 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Personal Pest Control: Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and it's time to clean house! Let's get rid of all those dust bunnies (weak passwords) and vacuum under the sofa cushions (no multi-factor authentication) and even do a check under the bed for that half-eaten Pop Tart (vulnerable emails). Hear about a few instances where poor cybersecurity led to unfortunate consequences, so you can avoid the same fate. Resources $61K, gone just like that for Oro Valley couple.Dream Kitchen Renovation Ruined by a Scam...

2 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

AI Gone Rogue: Delusional Chats Lead to Heartbreak

AI is great for researching topics and digging up information. But what happens when people start to humanize their chatbots, and think they're talking to God? Or that they are God? Let's look at what makes AI come up with delusional theories, and why it tells people they're right even then they're wrong. Resources People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual FantasiesTowards Understanding Sycophancy in Language ModelsI, Robot by Isaac Asimov Send us a text Support the show Joi...

3 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Quick Tip: Protecting Your Money With Face ID

There's a new scam going around, where a thief gets you to unlock your phone under the guise of needing to make a call, then runs off with the phone and sends themselves all your money through your apps. Learn how to protect yourself and your money with a simple smartphone trick for iPhone and Android. Send us a text Support the show Join our Patreon to listen ad-free!

3 months ago

4 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Bug Bounties: Getting Paid to Hack

The finale of HBO's Silicon Valley series pointed up a subtle parallel to the real-world challenges in vulnerability reporting—rather than risk going to jail, Pied Piper chose to burn the company to the ground. For decades, white hat and gray hat hackers had no place to report cybersecurity flaws without fear of legal hassles. Nowadays we have Bug Bounty programs, where hackers get paid to find and disclose security flaws, and even get some cash for their work. Resources Internet Scanner Find...

3 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Red Team: The Best Job in Cybersecurity (Until You Get Arrested)

What is Red Teaming, and what does it have to do with cybersecurity? In this episode, we look at how Red Teamers are hired to attack company security using all manner of tactics, from tossing malware-infested USB sticks into parking lots to posing as an HVAC technician. We also take a look at one of the most notorious Red Team exercises in history, when two Coalfire employees were arrested and fought a long legal battle, just for doing their jobs. Resources Inside the Courthouse Break-I...

3 months ago

28 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Random Number Generators Pt 3: Under the Hood

What goes on under the hood of random number generators (RNGs)? Here we look at one of the best sources of randomness—static from electronic chips—and discuss terminology like entropy and bias, the role of the Birthday Paradox in RNGs, and the fake bias of the Excel RAND function. We'll even do a simple exercise you can try with your friends to see who picks the most "random" number of all. Resources: How Slot Machines WorkRAND FunctionBritons most likely to pick 7 as "random" number ...

4 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Random Number Generators Pt 2: Unsecure Devices

Ever heard of the Internet of Things, or IoT? This episode explores the use of random numbers in our everyday devices, and how they’re often not as secure as our PCs. We also look at how Apple gets it right, and what we can do to keep our devices secure in this connected world. Resources Securing the IoT Ecosystem: Challenges & SolutionsData security of IoT devices with limited resources: challenges and potential solutionsWhat Is IoT Security? Challenges and RequirementsApple Platform Sec...

4 months ago

24 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Random Number Generators Pt 1: Cheating at Video Games

This episode explores the mysterious world of random number generators (RNGs) in video games. Looking at popular games like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Diablo II, we describe how players hack these random numbers in the same ways hackers hack encryption keys. This episode lays the groundwork for Part 2, a discussion of RNGs in encryption. Resources: How Many People Play Minecraft 2025 (Active Players)Pre-determined RNG? (Reddit post)Diablo II Seeded Category - Rule / General Discussion10 P...

4 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Welcome to Season 5!

New season, new theme music—and even more hacks and scams to explore. Thanks for coming on these adventures with me. Let's do some more! Send us a text Support the show Join our Patreon to listen ad-free!

4 months ago

How Hacks Happen

Payday Loans: A Very American Scam

Need cash quick? Why not try a payday loan? While it might look like a better option than a credit card on its surface, the truth is that payday loans can be rather ugly and expensive, and can trap you in a cycle of debt if you don't know how it works. Find out how some states and countries keep a lid on exploding fees for short-term loans, and why a credit card is a far better option. Resources: The Victims of Payday LendingPayday Loan Information for Consumers: Legal Status of Payday ...

4 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Summer 2025 Tour of Scams: Job Scams, Sextortion, and Threats

Scammers are still at it, happy to ruin our lives in search of a quick buck. Let's look at job scams that attempt to steal personal information, sextortion scams preying on teenage boys, and a really nasty threatening email I personally received. Know your scams, so you can keep yourself safe. Resources: These teenage boys were blackmailed online – and it cost them their lives'You might as well end it now': Terrorized by sextortion plot, a 17-year-old takes his lifeHow To Identify Fake Job Po...

5 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Hacks Ain't What They Used to Be

Hacks used to be impressive, utilizing bits and pieces of technology that made us sit up and pay attention. Nowadays, every scam, breach, or sketchy text message gets labelled a "hack" when it's really just basic use of existing technology, or an outright scam. Let's take a closer look at how the meaning of “hack” has changed, from the complex brilliance of NotPetya in 2017, to today's flood of scams powered by stolen data and AI fakery. It’s the end of the Age of the Great Hack, and the rise...

5 months ago

25 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Who owns your trash? It's probably not you.

In this episode of How Hacks Happen, we delve into the complexities surrounding trash possession and legalities. Besides the legal distinctions between lost, mislaid, and abandoned property, there are the risks posed by scammers who rifle through trash for personal information so they can steal your identity or call you up and pretend to be your bank. No trash is safe in this world we live in, so shred, burn, and sanitize your trash before throwing it out. Resources: Dumpster Diving for Docum...

6 months ago

23 minutes

How Hacks Happen

The Amanda Knox Case: How To Get Arrested for Being Weird

Can you tell if someone is guilty just by looking at them? Let's delve into the infamous case of Amanda Knox, the American exchange student who was wrongfully accused of murdering her roommate in 2007. We'll talk bad cell phone forensics, media sensationalism, and cultural biases, and how they can lead to dire consequences for those who are judged not by evidence, but by how they act differently than society expects them to. Resources Amanda Knox websiteSentence of the Court of Assizes of Per...

7 months ago

26 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Send Me a Text! I'd love to hear from you.

Send me a text! No matter who you are or where you are in the world, I'd love to hear from you. This is a call for feedback on what you like about How Hacks Happen, what you don't like, or if you just want to say Hi. Click the "Send us a text" link below, and you'll be sending a text message directly to me, Michele Bousquet. I can't wait to read what you have to say. If I get enough messages, I'll even do an episode just with your feedback. Resources Just my bad self for this oneThe "Send us ...

7 months ago

3 minutes

How Hacks Happen

Coinbase Hack and Impending Crypto Doom

In May 2025, Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, got hacked. Or did they? It was more like a near-miss. But while we might wipe our brows in relief over this latest mishap, it doesn't bode well for the future of cryptocurrency, which is currently unregulated, uninsured, and just waiting for the next big catastrophe to leave investors crying in their collective beers over their lost millions. Join us for a tour of some of most disastrous crypto hacks of yesterye...

7 months ago

26 minutes