- 51 minutes 32 secondsBuy, buy, bye.
This week, N2K CyberWire hosts Maria Varmazis and Joe Carrigan are joined by Kieran Human while Dave Bittner is out. Together, they discuss the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits making headlines. We start with some follow up on Daejon Love’s story, but we’ll save that for next week. Plus, Joe has a chicken update. Maria explores reporting that TikTok relaxed its advertising enforcement rules, coinciding with a sharp increase in scams involving fake ads for deeply discounted products that never arrive. Joe looks at Wisconsin’s efforts to curb cryptocurrency ATM scams through transaction limits, identity verification, and mandatory refunds, with early reports suggesting the restrictions are making a difference. Kieran Human covers a data breach disclosed by Revolut that exposed customers’ financial information and passport details. Our Catch of the Day comes from Rachel, who received a suspicious invitation email from a hacked contact that asked her to download and install software.
Resources and links to stories:
- FBI searches phones, iCloud accounts of accused fake NFL player; romance scam may have gone on for 10 years
- TikTok Quietly Gutted Its Advertising Rules. Scams Have Exploded Ever Since.
- How much is Wisconsin's crypto ATM law limiting scams?
- Revolut discloses data breach exposing financial info, passports
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
15 October 2026, 5:00 am - 6 minutes 28 secondsiCloud keychain (noun) [Word Notes]
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
A cloud based sensitive information management system that allows users access across multiple devices.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/icloud-keychain
Audio reference link: Ellen’s Tips For iOS, 2022. How To Master iCloud Keychain to Keep Your Passwords Safe and Secure [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3E29iUvgE
13 October 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 40 secondsNo such thing as a free parking spot.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Maria on ACATS fraud, including a reminder that protecting your accounts starts with the basics: strong passwords and multifactor authentication. Joe also has a follow-up inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and an experiment with AI. Joe covers a New York parking scam involving fake QR codes placed on parking kiosks, then takes a strange detour into Pennsylvania’s spotted lanternfly quarantine and an alleged scheme involving fake lanternfly permits. Dave looks at a fake iPhone Duo preorder scam that uses an Apple-style site and a supposed $500 voucher to deliver a DarkSword exploit to vulnerable iPhones. Maria explores new Consumer Reports research showing that 91% of Americans have encountered a digital scam or cyberattack attempt, while confidence in the privacy of personal data continues to fall. Our Catch of the Day comes from Reddit, where a spam caller appears to be on the hunt for someone named Juan.
Resources and links to stories:
- Man charged in alleged parking QR code scam in Manhattan
- Quarantine and Permit Program FAQs
- Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine and Permitting
- Man sued for allegedly selling fake spotted lanternfly permits to Pennsylvania businesses
- Fake iPhone Duo preorder scam triggers DarkSword attack
- New Study by Consumer Reports reveals 9 in 10 Americans targeted by a cyberattack or digital scam attempt
- Spam calls looking for Juan??
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
8 October 2026, 5:00 am - 7 minutes 49 secondsspam (noun) [Word Notes]
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
Unsolicited, unwanted, and sometimes malicious electronic messages indiscriminately transmitted to a large number of people.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/spam
Audio reference link: zumpzump, 2007. Monty Python - Spam [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE.
6 October 2026, 7:00 am - 46 minutes 35 secondsLoose lips sink AI ships. [OMITB]
Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is Selena Larson, Proofpoint intelligence analyst and host of their podcast DISCARDED. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by her co-hosts N2K Networks Dave Bittner and Keith Mularski, former FBI cybercrime investigator and now Chief Global Ambassador at Qintel.
Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. This week, our hosts discuss how AI is changing cybersecurity awareness, from the risks of feeding sensitive corporate data into AI tools to the growing use of agentic AI and the importance of understanding where data goes. They explore how AI is affecting threat actors, phishing, exploit development, executive protection, and even the ways people share personal information, images, and family data with AI systems. Finally, they discuss the role of human behavior in security, arguing that organizations need layered safeguards and better awareness rather than placing the full burden of cybersecurity on individual users.
6 October 2026, 7:00 am - 43 minutes 25 secondsApp-arently it's legit.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Crowchild Bob, who questions Joe’s math from the Xinbi story—and Joe has an explanation for that billion-dollar mix-up. Dave covers a new twist on business email compromise, where scammers use AI-assisted messages, fake invoices, and fabricated email conversations to convince finance teams to make large payments. Maria explores fake desktop apps impersonating legitimate HR and payroll services, using trusted platforms and legitimate software to gain remote access to victims’ computers. Joe shares a scam story from Jay on LinkedIn. And our Catch of the Day comes from Twitter on a fake email.
Resources and links to stories:
- Protecting organizations from AI-assisted executive impersonation and invoice fraud
- The Brand Was Real. The Desktop App Wasn’t.
- How scams unfold
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
1 October 2026, 5:00 am - 7 minutes 28 secondsCISA (noun) [Word Notes]
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
A US Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with supporting cyber and physical security for US critical infrastructure.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency
Audio reference link: CISA, 2021. CISA Director Jen Easterly’s Keynote at Black Hat USA 2021 [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bu-L-m4K4.
29 September 2026, 7:00 am - 50 minutes 28 seconds404: scam not found.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from Robert, who wonders why he’s never received a scam call in nearly 20 years of having the same Swedish phone number. Maria covers ACATS fraud, a little-known scam that can move stocks and retirement assets into fraudulent brokerage accounts without the victim realizing it. Dave shares his experience of nearly falling for a social engineering scam disguised as a podcast interview, where the scammers used convincing prep and a fake meeting link to try to get him to install malware. Joe shares the story of a Maryland woman who was nearly fooled by scammers posing as Wells Fargo and San Francisco police, using detailed personal information and threats of arrest to make the scam feel real. Our Catch of the Day comes from Reddit, where one person takes matters into their own hands after a scammer targets their daughter.
Resources and links to stories:
- Several Big Brokerages Leave Customer Accounts Open to Theft, Senators Say
- Fidelity Money Transfer Lockdown: Block Fraudulent ACAT Transfer Brokerage Scams
- Protect Your Brokerage Accounts From ACATS Transfer Fraud
- Maryland woman says Wells Fargo, San Francisco police scam nearly fooled her with fake fraud case
- Person almost scammed my daughter so I decided to get in one fun and found their location
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
24 September 2026, 5:00 am - 7 minutes 8 secondsdumpster diving (noun) [Word Notes]
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
The act of searching through an organization's trash for discarded sensitive material.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/dumpster-diving
Audio reference link: “Better Call Saul jimmy digs in the Sandpiper trash scene,” uploaded by Robert Bowersock, 18 September 2022.
22 September 2026, 7:00 am - 57 minutes 18 secondsScamazon prime.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow-up from Gordy, who has questions about a fairground contest collecting personal information, plus an update on Joe’s backpack. Joe covers the takedown of Xinbi Guarantee, an illicit marketplace allegedly providing services to scam centers, including money laundering, fake investment sites, and other tools for fraud. Maria looks at QR-code scams and a growing wave of rental scams on TikTok, where fake listings use stolen property photos, below-market prices, and upfront fees to target prospective renters. Dave explores a report on how hundreds of ads promoting AI “nudify” tools and other abusive content were able to reach users through Meta’s advertising system. Our Catch of the Day comes from Tim, who received a suspicious board-position offer that appears to have scraped details directly from his LinkedIn profile—and somehow offered him a seat on the board of his own company.
Resources and links to stories:
- U.S. Disrupts Xinbi Guarantee Scam Marketplace, Freezes $52.8 Million in Crypto
- See a QR code parked somewhere? Don’t scan it…yet!
- 68% of TikTok rental listings carry scam warning signs
- Meta Failed to Catch Hundreds of AI Child Abuse Ads. Some Included Images of Real Kids
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].
17 September 2026, 5:00 am - 6 minutes 19 secondsSEO poisoning (noun) [Word Notes]
Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes.
The manipulation of search engine optimization, SEO, to promote malicious sites in search engine results.
CyberWire Glossary link: https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/search-engine-optimization-poisoning
Audio reference link: Brown, B.E., 2021. The Ending Of The Waldo Moment Explained [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsWja44-EMg.
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