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

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 industryWhy this episode mattersScams 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/

What makes someone vulnerable to a scam?Many people assume scams only happen to people who are uninformed, careless, or less tech-savvy. But what if the real attack surface isn't technology at all?What if it's trust?In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Tracy Hall—author, advocate, and survivor of one of Australia's most notorious romance fraud cases. After losing her life savings to a professional con artist who spent eighteen months building trust and creating a false identity, Tracy transformed her experience into a mission to educate, advocate, and drive change.Together, they explore how manipulation works, why intelligence alone doesn't protect us from scams, the dangers of victim-blaming, and what organizations, governments, and individuals can do to build scam resilience in an increasingly digital world.This conversation goes beyond romance fraud. It's about the psychology of trust, the human side of scams, and why resilience, not fear, is one of our most powerful defenses.In This Episode How professional scammers build trust over time Why scams are fundamentally about manipulation, not technology The "long con" and how criminals create believable worlds Why intelligent, successful people can become scam victims The role of vulnerability, life transitions, and emotional context Tracy's journey from victim to advocate The impact of victim-blaming on reporting and recovery The importance of lived experience in shaping scam prevention strategies How organizations can improve scam awareness and education Why trust has become the new attack surfaceAbout Tracy HallTracy Hall is an author, speaker, scam awareness advocate, and survivor of one of Australia's most high-profile romance fraud cases. Following the publication of her book, The Last Victim, Tracy has become a leading voice in scam awareness, victim advocacy, and consumer education, working with organizations, governments, and communities around the world to improve understanding of scams and fraud.Key Takeaway: Scams don't target intelligence. They target trust.And in a world where trust has become the attack surface, awareness alone isn't enough—we need scam resilience.Resources Learn more about Tracy Hall and The Last Victim: https://a.co/d/08gE6hm4 Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyhall1975/About the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Charles E. Wallace Jr., author of The Caregiver's Game: The Caregiver's Game: Unraveling Financial Deceit in the Shadows of Dementia. Charles turned into a fraud investigator after his mother fell victim to financial elder abuse. Together, they pull back the curtain on the subtle, malicious ecosystem of caregiver grooming, which drained hundreds of thousands of dollars right under the noses of family members and financial fiduciaries.Charles discusses the "paradox of modern banking", how digital transaction networks fail to capture age-based vulnerabilities or notice when an elderly person's life savings are systematically bled dry through discount retail stores and unauthorized credit accounts. From the devastating isolation tactics used to separate his mother from her family to discovering a trail of prior victims left by the very predator hired to protect her, Charles explains why the financial industry must shift away from administrative silos and move toward behavioral, real-time transaction monitoring.We also explore the gaps in standard Adult Protective Services investigations and why Charles believes banks need to give families better collaborative dashboard tools to monitor and protect generational wealth before it’s too late.A link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Caregivers-Game-Unraveling-Financial-Dementia/dp/B0G322349CAbout the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet sits down with fraud researcher and professor David Maimon to unpack some of the most alarming scam trends emerging today,  from abandoned identity fraud and synthetic identities to AI-powered romance and investment scams.They discuss how criminals are targeting former immigrants, children, and deceased individuals whose identities are no longer actively monitored, and how those identities are being sold and exploited for loans, bank accounts, and fraud rings.The conversation also dives into a disturbing evolution in romance and investment scams: criminals are no longer just stealing victims’ savings, they are strategically targeting people with strong credit profiles and home equity to maximize returns through HELOC fraud and investment manipulation.Finally, Ayelet and David explore how AI is beginning to automate scam operations at scale, including experiments with conversational AI agents capable of running fully automated “pig butchering” investment scams.Key Topics Covered Abandoned identities and identity reuse fraud Synthetic identity marketplaces on Telegram Romance scams evolving into large-scale financial exploitation HELOC targeting and victim profiling AI-powered scam conversations and agentic AI DeepSeek guardrail concerns The future of fraud prevention and scam mitigationAbout the GuestDavid Maimon is a cybercrime researcher focused on fraud ecosystems, financial crime, identity fraud, and online scam operations. His work explores how criminals operate across Telegram, darknet forums, and emerging AI systems to scale fraud operations. David is a Professor at Georgia State University and Head of Fraud Insights at SentiLinkListen now and stay ahead of the latest scam tactics shaping the future of fraud.https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-maimon-29343632/About the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Jamie Simmons to explore how scams have evolved from traditional fraud into a global, AI-driven threat rooted in human psychology.From his early days as a park ranger to leading fraud prevention at Capital One, Jamie shares why fighting scams today requires a shift toward prevention before manipulation happens and not just stopping payments after the fact.🔑 Key Takeaways Scams are not just fraud—they’re social engineering at scale Impact spans all age groups and all financial products The real opportunity is moving “left of boom”—before money moves Stopping scams requires collaboration across banks, telecom, and tech Data sharing is essential—but still limited by policy Treating people as victims (not mistakes) is critical to progress💡 Standout Insight: “We’re not going to win by just stopping payments. That’s too late.”About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder of RangersAI and host of Scam Rangers, where she brings together leaders across industries to tackle the human side of scams—combining fraud expertise, psychology, and real-world prevention strategies.🔗 Resources Global Anti-Scam Alliance https://gasa.org/ National Elder Fraud Coordination Center - https://www.fightelderfraud.org/About the HostAyelet 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/

Scams don’t start with transactions. They start with trust.In this episode of ScamRangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Amy Nofziger, Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support at the AARP Fraud Watch Network, to explore the human side of scams, and what’s changed over the past two decades.Amy and her team receive ~450 calls a day from victims and concerned individuals. And what they’re seeing is clear:The losses are bigger. The manipulation is deeper. And the emotional impact is often devastating.This conversation dives into: Why scams are fundamentally human problems, not just fraud problems How criminals exploit trust, emotion, and purpose The rise of long-term relationship scams and financial grooming What victims actually need and why trauma-informed support matters How awareness, reporting, and collaboration are finally starting to shift the tideThese are the most relevant and valuable links for this episode: AARP Fraud Watch Network (main resource): https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ Fraud Watch Network Helpline (call support): https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/helpline/ AARP BankSafe (for financial institutions):https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/banksafe/🎙️ About the GuestAmy Nofziger leads fraud victim support at AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, where she has spent over two decades helping individuals navigate the aftermath of scams. She oversees a national helpline, volunteers, and programs focused on education, prevention, and recovery.📣 Call to ActionIf you’re in a financial institution, fintech, or fraud prevention role, this episode will change how you think about scams.👉 Share this episode with your team👉 Start thinking earlier in the scam journey👉 And help shift the industry toward preventionAbout the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Rebecca Rose from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General to unpack the reality of scams today, and why they are far more than just a financial problem.Scams have evolved into highly coordinated, psychologically-driven attacks designed to manipulate people in moments of fear, urgency, and trust. Rebecca shares how government imposter scams work, why they continue to grow, and the patterns behind them, including the now well-known “4 P’s”: person, problem or prize, pressure, and payment.We also explore the growing sophistication of scams, from long, multi-stage attacks designed to drain victims over time, to impersonation across social media and digital channels. Most importantly, we discuss the emotional and psychological toll scams leave behind, and why prevention, education, and awareness are more critical than ever.This conversation highlights the mission behind Slam the Scam, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness and empower individuals to recognize scams before it’s too late.Because by the time someone reaches the point of payment… the damage has often already begun.🔗 Show Notes & Links Social Security Administration Scam Resource Page https://www.ssa.gov/scams (Learn how to recognize and report scams, and protect your identity) Report a Scam to SSA OIG https://oig.ssa.gov/report (Report suspected Social Security-related scams) Slam the Scam Day (SSA OIG Initiative) https://oig.ssa.gov/scam (National awareness campaign to combat scams) FTC Scam Reporting & Data https://reportfraud.ftc.gov (Report scams and explore trends) Identity Theft & Scam Resources https://www.identitytheft.gov AARP Fraud Watch Network https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud (Hotline and education resources mentioned in the episode)Rebecca Rose: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebexrose/About the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet speaks with Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs and former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor, about the rise of crypto investment scams and the global infrastructure behind them.They break down why these scams are growing so quickly, how financial grooming works in the crypto era, and what makes these schemes so effective at scale. Ari shares insights into blockchain intelligence, how investigators trace illicit funds, and why recovery remains so difficult once money moves.The conversation expands to the broader ecosystem—organized criminal networks, human trafficking, and the increasing role of AI in supercharging scams. They also explore what governments, law enforcement, and the private sector are doing to respond—and where gaps still exist.Key Topics Why crypto investment scams are accelerating globally Financial grooming and the evolution of scam tactics How blockchain tracing works—and its limitations The scale of the global scam economy Organized crime, scam compounds, and human trafficking AI’s role in making scams more sophisticated Real-time disruption and public-private collaboration Challenges in fund recovery and victim restitutionhttps://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engagedAri Redbord is the Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence company working with law enforcement, regulators, and financial institutions to detect and prevent illicit activity in crypto. He previously served as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice and held roles at the U.S. Treasury focused on financial crime and national security.https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-redbord/Resources:Beacon Network (public-private collaboration initiative) - https://www.trmlabs.com/beacon-networkTRM Talks - https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/trm-talks/tracing-a-romance-scam-a-survivors-story-and-the-investigation-behind-itChairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud Schemes: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engagedAbout the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin speaks with Nils Mueller, Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and former USAID Foreign Service Officer.Nils shares his unique path into the world of scam prevention after spending more than two decades working in international development and governance. During his time in Southeast Asia, he witnessed the rapid rise of industrial-scale scam operations run from organized crime compounds that target victims around the world.Together, Ayelet and Nils discuss how these scam compounds emerged, the human trafficking behind many of these operations, and why online scams have become a national security issue for governments. They also explore how global cooperation between governments, civil society, and the private sector can help disrupt these networks and protect consumers.Topics Covered How scam compounds in Southeast Asia evolved from casino infrastructure into large-scale global fraud operations The human trafficking behind many scam operations and how workers are recruited into these compounds Why scams have become a national security and economic threat, costing billions each year The role of international collaboration, sanctions, and law enforcement in disrupting organized scam networks How the Global Anti-Scam Alliance is bringing together governments, companies, and advocates to coordinate the fight against scamsAbout the GuestNils Mueller is the Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and a former Foreign Service Officer with USAID. Over a 20-year career, he worked across Africa and Southeast Asia on governance, anti-corruption, and development initiatives.During his posting in Thailand, Nils became deeply involved in understanding and addressing the rise of scam compounds and the human trafficking networks connected to them.https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-m-mueller/About the HostAyelet 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/

In this episode of Scam Rangers, Ayelet Biger-Levin joins Kate Griffin, Director of Inclusive Finance at the Aspen Institute, to discuss the monumental work of the National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention. Over the past year, Griffin has led a diverse coalition of 80 institutions, ranging from financial giants like JPMorgan Chase and Capital One to tech leaders like Google, Meta, and Apple, to develop a unified strategy against the global scam epidemic.Griffin pulls back the curtain on the "ambitiously pragmatic" approach required to bring competitors and government agencies to the same table. She explores the delicate balance of inclusive finance, explaining how fraud prevention measures can inadvertently create barriers for low-income households. The conversation covers the task force's strategic decision to bypass the "blame game" of liability to focus on immediate prevention, the role of cross-sector information sharing, and the emergence of the Southeast Asian Scam Center Strike Force. This episode provides a high-level look at how policy, private sector action, and human values are converging to dismantle the business model of modern scammers.Key Takeaways: A New Era of Cross-Sector Collaboration The "Yes And" Moment: Griffin highlights that while progress in private sector investment and government policy is worth celebrating, the fight requires sustained, concerted action across the entire scam lifecycle. Neutral Facilitation: The Aspen Institute’s role as a neutral third party allowed for "hard conversations" between sectors like telcos and banks that often point fingers at one another. Bipartisan Momentum: Fraud has become a rare point of total bipartisan agreement in Washington; the scammers "do not ask who you voted for," leading to the creation of the Stop Scams Caucus in Congress. The Scam Lifecycle Framework: The task force’s recommendations are organized around the scam lifecycle, focusing on suppressing activity, disrupting infrastructure, and empowering victims through better response and support. Pragmatic Policy: The episode details how the task force's work influenced the U.S.’s first-ever national strategy for financial inclusion and continues to brief Capitol Hill on drafting future anti-scam legislation.For more information about the task force visit: https://fraudtaskforce.aspeninstitute.org/Read the national strategy document: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/671a80aa4a84f2359ce4d360/t/690e1fe9c5c80642162575a5/1762533353206/FraudTFReport_Digital_Final+%282%29.pdfFollow Kate Griffin on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedgriffin/About the HostAyelet 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/