About this episode
Most of us think of scams as random or isolated or something that just happens to unlucky people. But what if the truth is far more organized, far more disturbing? Behind many of today's scams is a global web of criminal enterprises, structured like corporations and fueled by technology, data, and billions of stolen dollars. In this episode, we sit down with Ken Westbrook. Ken spent over three decades in the CIA before retiring, only to return to the fight after his own mother was targeted and lost most of her life savings to a tech support scam. That moment changed everything. He founded Stop Scams Alliance, a nonprofit on a mission to stop scams before they ever reach our devices. His approach? Building bridges between tech companies, banks, telecom, government, and consumer advocates to cut these criminal operations off at the source. Ken brings a rare blend of intel experience and personal urgency to this issue. He breaks down what's really going on behind the scenes, why the U.S. is falling behind in this fight, and how other countries are pushing back effectively. If you think this can't happen to you or someone you love, think again. This conversation is a wake-up call. Show Notes: [00:58] Ken is the founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing scams in the United States. [01:21] They are focused on the left of the boom or before the scam happens. [01:43] Ken served for 33 years in the CIA. [02:28] We learn how Ken's mother was scammed on Valentine's Day of 2023. He started looking into these scams, and he was horrified. [03:19] As a nation, we need to do better to defend ourselves. Ken came out of retirement to do just that. [03:32] His board of directors has a lot of government officials who decided to join the fight. We are literally under attack by foreign organized crime, and we're not doing enough to protect ourselves. [04:03] 21 million Americans are scammed each year. [04:45] The number of scam and fraud victims are increasing. [05:15] It's become a business, and the scammers are getting better at what they do. [06:36] How Chinese criminal gangs shifted from casinos to scamming operations. People join voluntarily or are sometimes kidnapped. [07:24] It's also expanding around the world. [10:12] The British government actually has a scam czar. So does Australia. They have a strategy and a fraud policy. [12:08] You think you're talking to the IRS or your b
