Fraudology Podcast with Karisse Hendrick

In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick welcomes back Erin West, prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock, for an urgent update on the global "scamdemic" of pig butchering. Erin shares firsthand accounts from her recent investigative trip to Cambodia, providing a chilling look at the industrialized nature of transnational organized crime and the massive scale of the scam compounds operating in the region.The conversation explores the recent waves of accountability, including the historic U.S. indictment of Cambodian/Chinese kingpin Chen Ji and the subsequent $15 billion forfeiture—a move that has sent ripples of fear through the industry. Erin details the "Super Bowl effect" she witnessed in Sihanoukville, where compounds appeared shuttered for show while operations continued behind locked metal doors and shuttered windows.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:The GDP of Fraud: How the scam industry now accounts for an estimated 40% to 60% of Cambodia’s GDP, making total eradication a complex economic and humanitarian challenge.Industrialized Deception: Why these compounds resemble corporate training rooms—complete with cubbies for personal phones and strict "fine" schedules for victims—proving this is a highly systemized global industry.The Liability Lever: A look at how platforms like Meta successfully block scam ads in Australia where they face financial liability, while failing to do so in regions where "teeth" in the law are missing.Building the Coalition: How Erin’s crypto-coalition has grown to 2,400 members, bridging the gap between local law enforcement and federal agencies to ensure victims are no longer turned away.Additionally, Erin dives into the heartbreaking reality of the "generation's worth of wealth" being stolen from Western countries to fund "mint-colored Rolls Royces" and garish displays of luxury in Phnom Penh. We conclude with a call to action for fraud professionals to "Train the Trainer," using Operation Shamrock’s resources to educate their own communities and break the echo chamber.

In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick provides a comprehensive debrief following the Merchant Risk Council (MRC) Vegas conference. Karisse shares her highlights and lowlights from one of the industry's biggest events, cutting through the conference hype to provide practical insights for fraud and payments professionals.The conversation explores the evolving mechanics of Agentic AI in commerce, detailing how tools like Sardine are now identifying AI agents by monitoring "invisible" behaviors, such as fields being filled without mouse movement. Karisse provides an inside look at why OpenAI recently shelved its "instant checkout" feature, moving away from being a merchant of record to avoid the liability of chargebacks and complex transaction enablement.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:The VAMP Threshold "Cliff": How Visa is drastically reducing high-risk merchant ratios from 220 basis points to 150 basis points this April, potentially catching many enterprise merchants off guard.The Complexity of Agentic Chargebacks: Real-world examples of "authorized" AI purchases where merchants are losing disputes because card brands like Visa do not yet have established "compelling evidence" protocols for AI agents.The Human Element vs. AI: Why senior fraud leadership cannot be replaced by LLMs, as the critical "domain expertise" required to manage sophisticated fraud is not found in open-source data.Additionally, Karisse dives into the latest FTC fraud statistics, revealing a staggering 430% increase in fraud since 2020. We break down the $375 million jury verdict against Meta in New Mexico, a historic win for child safety that challenges the long-standing "Section 230" liability shield. Finally, we examine a Reuters study uncovering how Meta's ability to block scam ads depends almost entirely on the financial liability they face in specific countries.

A post-conference debrief on the real-world impact of agentic AI in commerce. Demos show detection techniques like mouse-less field fills and debate whether agentic checkouts are overhyped. Coverage of payment protocol shifts, VAMP threshold changes, and faster dispute timelines that could surprise merchants. Real chargeback cases reveal evidence gaps when AI authorizes purchases.

In this episode of Fraudology, host Karisse Hendrick is joined by Frank McKenna, Chief Fraud Strategist at PointPredictive and the mind behind Frank on Fraud. Frank shares his latest deep dive into Starkiller, a sophisticated new phishing-as-a-service (PaaS) platform that emerged following the takedown of Tycoon 2FA.The conversation explores the terrifying mechanics of Attacker-in-the-Middle (AITM) attacks, where fraudsters use "headless browsers" to mirror legitimate login sessions in real-time. Frank provides an inside look at how this tool allows criminals to capture not just credentials, but also two-factor authentication (2FA) codes and session cookies, enabling them to maintain access even after a user logs out.We also explore the "hot topics" dominating the fraud landscape today:ATO Without a Login Event: How marketplaces are seeing "good" users perform legitimate actions, only to have their payout information changed moments later within the same session.The Democratization of Fraud: The professionalization of phishing kits on Telegram, which offer Netflix-style subscriptions and user-friendly dashboards for as little as $300 to $500 a month.Detection Challenges: Why traditional device intelligence and cybersecurity tools struggle to flag these attacks because the victim is interacting with the real merchant website, not a clone.

Keith Briscoe, VP of Education and Advocacy at the Merchant Risk Council, brings payments and fraud-intel experience. He discusses MRC’s global advocacy work and recent wins with Visa’s VAMP. They explore agentic commerce and liability questions, the rise of the CPFPP certification, and new conference formats like lightning talks.

Matt Vega, Chief Fraud Strategist at Sardine and veteran fraud investigator in fintech and crypto. He explains how AI can build pixel-perfect phishing sites in minutes and steal 2FA codes. They cover polymorphic AI agents that adapt to defenses and tactics like dust trailing. The conversation highlights detection tools like hidden watermarks, beacon tech, and why basic card-to-name and behavioral checks still matter.

A frontline briefing on two clever e-commerce fraud trends that are baffling investigators. One tactic uses long-standing accounts to add a different victim’s payment method. Another involves malware piggybacking on real customer sessions to buy high-value gift cards. The conversation closes with a warning about autonomous shopping bots that mimic humans and the growing challenge of telling agents from people.

Fraudology is presented by Sardine. Request a 1:1 product demo at sardine.ai In this solo "vacation" episode, Karisse Hendrick checks in from the island of Maui to catch up on the latest in the fraud world before the chaos of conference season begins. First, Karisse explores a hilarious yet alarming trend in artificial intelligence: AI Hallucinations. Reading from a recent article by Frank McKenna, she highlights how Google’s AI summary tool is confidently inventing absurd fraud schemes—from the "Donkey Scam" involving miniature donkey rescues to the bizarre "Clown Smile Scam" in the dentistry industry. While the examples are funny, Karisse discusses the serious integrity risks that arise when AI refuses to say "I don't know" and instead presents fiction as fact to analysts, journalists, and students. Later in the episode, Karisse dives into a deeper, more personal topic: The difference between a Fraud Professional and a Fraud Fighter. She shares "core memory" stories—including taking a fraud emergency call from the middle of a family corn maze—to illustrate the relentless drive and "addiction to the hunt" that defines a true fraud fighter. In this episode, we discuss:The AI Information Gap: Why Google’s AI summaries are creating "fake" fraud types like hot dog fraud and snowman schemes. Content Integrity: Karisse’s concerns about AI models using creator content without proper citation or compensation. The Fraud Fighter Identity: How to recognize if you have fraud prevention in your DNA and why it matters when building a team. Upcoming Events: Details on the Merchant Advisory Group, the Merchant Risk Council (MRC) in Vegas, and the first annual Merchant Fraud Alliance Conference in Chicago this October. Fraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line. Connect with her on LinkedIn She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast weekly, on Tuesdays.

Fraudology is presented by Sardine. Request a 1:1 product demo at sardine.ai In this episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick welcomes back elite fraud fighter and Stratovera CEO Robert Capps to discuss the shifting power balance in the age of AI. Robert shares a fascinating "thought experiment" where he used Large Language Models (LLMs) to reverse engineer obfuscated JavaScript, proving that even non-technical attackers can now identify and dismantle complex front-end fraud tools in real-time.The conversation dives deep into the "Build vs. Buy" debate, with Robert cautioning organizations that the true cost of building internal tools isn't just the initial code—it's the ongoing "immune response" required to fight an AI-powered adversary that never sleeps. From the "radioactive decay" of legacy device ID to the necessity of designing "entropy" into system responses, this episode is a masterclass in modern fraud strategy.Fraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line. Connect with her on LinkedIn She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast weekly, on Tuesdays.

Fraudology is presented by Sardine. Request a 1:1 product demo at sardine.ai In this episode of Fraudology, host Karisse Hendrick is joined by Jay Jones, a copywriter turned globally recognized external threat and impersonation risk consultant known as "The Profiler". After being unexpectedly laid off in late 2023, Jay became a target for sophisticated scammers on LinkedIn, sparking a new mission to protect job seekers and corporations alike.Jay breaks down the "Scammer Pipeline," a three-tiered lifecycle ranging from quick resume harvesting to long-term identity theft and financial draining. They dive deep into the psychology of "Layoff PTSD" and how fraudsters exploit the "fight or flight" response of vulnerable job seekers. Jay also shares how he has helped take down over 46,000 fake jobs and exposed the alarming trend of hijacked high-authority profiles being used to bypass trust. Tune in to learn how both individuals and companies can defend themselves against the evolving landscape of recruitment fraud.Fraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line. Connect with her on LinkedIn She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast weekly, on Tuesdays.