S804: The Ransomware Negotiator
PRETEND
09/14/21
•38m
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Ransomware. Does that term ring a bell?
Even if you've never heard those words before, trust me, most of us have experienced Ransomware one way or another.
If you live on the East Coast, you remember waiting long hours at the gas pump this past May. That's because a hacking group known as DarkSide hacked the Colonial Pipeline. The hackers demanded a ransom for 75 bitcoins which is equivalent to $4.4 million.
How did the hackers break into the oil company's system? Easy. Some employees used the same password they used on another account that was previously hacked.
And guess what? Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom and the hackers. $4.4. million dollars—gone, just like that.
The Justice Department was able to eventually recover half of the money, $2.2 million.
When we hear about news like this, we mostly ignore it. Until we run out of gas and everyone panics. But once we were able to fill up our tanks again, we all moved on and put it behind us.
We often ignore stories like these because, on the surface, it sounds like hackers are attacking large corporations with tons of cash. They've got the money.
But what if I tell you that the real victims here are not just the companies, but really it's you and me. What do you think happens if the company that got hacked decides not to pay the ransom?
If the company doesn't cave to the hacker's demands, the hacker will dump the company's data and make it publicly available on the dark web. By the way, the company's data is comprised of your social security number, date of birth, driver's license, and health insurance information... everything an identity thief needs to financially destroy you.
In today's episode, we'll talk to a guy whose job is to negotiate with these hackers. We're also going to talk about how you can protect your most valuable information.
Today's guests are:
Kurtis Minder - CEO and co-founder at GroupSense
Eva Velasquez - President and CEO, of the Identity Theft Resource Center
Freeze your credit to protect yourself from Ransomware
Equifax
Online: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
Experian
Online: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
TransUnion
Online: https://service.transunion.com/dss/orderStep1_form.page
Use a password manager
Want to be my co-host?
I want to send a sincere thank you to Rachel Sincere for supporting PRETEND on Patreon. Rachel, you're amazing. Also, as a reminder, I've added a new tier on Patreon. Not only will you get a PRETEND t-shirt and stickers. But these new supporters will get the chance to co-host a Patreon and YouTube episode with me. Like Michael V, who played in the Air Guitar World Championship. People pretending to play guitar! It's apparently a big thing. I'll let you know when that episode is out. So if you want to co-host with me, visit PRETEND on Patreon.com.
Cam Cokas
Finally, I want to end the show by sharing an indie artist I've been listening to lately. His name is Cam Cokas, and the track is called Don't Quit or Try. Please check out Cam Cokas on Spotify or wherever you get your jams.
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Previous Episode
S803: The Sovereign Man
August 31, 2021
•36m
Sean David Morton was arrested in 2016 after being charged with more than 50 counts related to filing phony tax documents and bogus government bonds. He was also accused of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. These are similar tactics used by sovereign citizens—but Sean David Mortin doesn't like that label.
You see, Sean David Morton's name is synonymous with the sovereign citizen movement. The New York Times wrote a whole piece about him titled, "How Sovereign Citizens Helped Swindle $1 billion from the government they disavow." So, when it comes to Sovereign Citizens, I thought Sean Mortin was the guy. But now he's telling me that sovereign citizens are idiots. Interesting.
If you're unfamiliar with this sub-culture, you should check out my episode on Sovereign Citizens. To listen to my interview with Sean David Morton, check out the episode The Sovereign Man where ever you listen to podcasts.
Patreon Bonus with Sean David Morton
To listen to more of my interview with Sean Morton, check out the FREE bonus episode on Patreon.
Story idea?
If you have a story to share, email Javier at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org.
For more episodes like this, visit pretendradio.org.
To get early releases and bonus episodes, go to pretendradio.org/donate
Today's episode was written and edited by Javier Leiva
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Next Episode
S805: The King of Lies
September 28, 2021
•35m
Lee King spilled the beans on his family's secret—leading to his father’s arrest.
Hannah’s boyfriend, Lee King, is hiding a big secret; and it’s not just about his multiple fiances. It turns out his father, “Fast” Eddie Maher is an international fugitive.
Fast Eddie, an international fugitive, was on the run for 20 years until his son gave him up.
Today’s episode was brought to us by a long-time PRETEND listener, Kim Evans.
Kim knew her daughter’s new boyfriend was no good. So, she did everything in her power to expose him. It turns out, he was hiding a secret that would eventually lead to the arrest of his father, Eddie Maher.
What’s your PRETEND story?
If you have a story to tell, do what Kim Evans did and send me an email at info [at] pretendradio [dot] org. You never know; your story could make it on the show.
The Christmas Lie
Also, I’m working on a Christmas episode. Do you remember when you learned about the big lie? You know, the one about the big guy who magically squeezes down the chimney at night and leaves gifts for children all over the world? You know which lie I’m talking about. If you have a fun Christmas story, send it my way.
Thank you for your support
Also, I want to thank Alex, Beth Cail and Corey Trevorson for supporting the show. I really couldn’t do this show without you.
Want to help keep PRETEND going? Buy me a coffee or throw a few dollars in the hat, head on over to patreon.com/pretendradio.
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