Ep 215: They Targeted His Mom, He Went Full CIA

This week’s episode of “What the Hack?” explores the global rise of scams targeting older adults. Guest Ken Westbrook, a 33-year veteran of the CIA and founder of the Stop Scams Alliance, shares a personal story of a tech support scam that cost the bulk of his 83-year-old mother’s life savings. 

In the wake of this scam, Westbrook launched an executive-level investigation into the true scope of cybercrime worldwide, revealing that these “isolated events” are part of something much bigger—a national security crisis.

The New World War is Financial

According to Westbrook’s research, scams hit an estimated 21 million Americans annually with a staggering 57,000 people per day affected. These aren’t just small-time crimes. Transnational criminal syndicates operating from organized compounds in Southeast Asia are waging war on Americans. 

Westbrook related a story about a Chinese crime boss who was heard leading his workers in a chant: “Cripple the economies of the U.S. and Europe. This is World War III.” 

The sheer volume of attacks and the immense financial scale, pose a direct threat to the U.S. economy. 

Data from organizations like the FBI and FTC show that the losses, while often underreported, amount to billions of dollars annually. A recent study by the Common Sense Institute estimated that financial fraud in a single U.S. state, when both reported and unreported losses are considered, could result in billions of dollars in lost GDP and thousands of jobs. At a fundamental level, these losses could present a problem for governmental management of public resources and the maintenance of economic stability.

Also discussed in this episode: the ubiquitous “overdue toll” text message scam. While they seem like a minor annoyance, these SMishing attacks are part of a massive smishing scam linked to Chinese cybercriminals managing the more than 60,000 web domains used to send these texts.

Follow the money

The money pilfered in these attacks isn’t going into showy cars and watches, or at least not exclusively. According to Westbrook, the proceeds are also being used to fund serious global threats, including human trafficking and drug cartels producing fentanyl. In a recent episode we talked about the fact that as much as half of North Korea’s missile program is funded by cryptocurrency scams.

So why is this such an “American” problem? Westbrook believe the U.S. has become the “softest target” for these criminals because of lax government response. Unlike the UK and Australia, which have a centralized, national anti-cybercrime strategies (and have seen a decrease in fraud as a result), the U.S. response remains fragmented. He advocates for a systemic approach, including the appointment of a dedicated leader to coordinate efforts and 

What can you do? 

Turns out, there’s a lot you can do. By understanding the common red flags indicating cyber shenanigans—the sense of panic, the urgency, and unusual payment methods—we can protect ourselves. And then there are the proactive measures you can take, like using a data removal service like DeleteMe which may reduce your need to verify unexpected communications, click on fishy links or call numbers quick or else.

Westbrook has a vital wake-up call for us all: vigilance isn’t just about protecting your wallet; it’s about safeguarding your community and fighting back against a global threat by staying informed and sharing what you know about staying safe.