Brushing Scams with Venkat Margapuri

Scams come in many forms but receiving a freebie from a scammer doesn’t make sense. If something shows up at your door that you didn’t order, should you be worried? Brushing scams are becoming more common and while they may seem harmless at first they can be a gateway to fraud, identity theft and financial loss.

Today we’re diving into how these scams work, why they exist and the real dangers behind them. Our guest is Dr. Venkat Margapuri, an assistant professor of computer science at Villanova University. His research focuses on AI applications in agriculture and healthcare but he’s also spent time studying online fraud and digital security. He’s here to help us understand what’s really going on when scammers send you something for free and most importantly what you should do about it.

Show Notes:

• [00:44] Venkat is an assistant professor in the department of computer science at Villanova University. A lot of his research is focused on artificial intelligence, image processing, and security.
• [01:53] Brushing scams are where you receive products that you haven't ordered. It's a fraudulent e-commerce scheme. They try to get reviews or add additional sales for their product.
• [04:48] Venkat explains why it's not a good idea to scan those QR codes in products. You don't want to put your credentials into the website.
• [05:41] This is where brushing leads to phishing scams by getting people to enter information into a fake website.
• [06:20] The major risk of receiving these packages is identity theft.
• [09:30] Scam charges on Amazon can be used to verify stolen credit card credentials and overconfidence often leads to being scammed.
• [10:52] We discuss where these scammers find people's addresses.
• [13:05] A lot of scammers are really smart people who got into the wrong business. Key qualities include narcissism and psychopathy.
• [17:05] When you receive these packages just dispose of them. Don't scan the QR codes.
• [21:25] A scam where they send emails with the link to free Apple Gift Cards. Be careful about what you post on social media.
• [22:43] Assume unsolicited contact is a scam.
• [23:50] Don't share personal information. Look out for things that are out of the norm.
• [27:04] Venkat talks about advance fee scams.
• [28:14] Being careful about geographic perceptions. 
• [31:18] Be cautious if you are being rushed. 
• [32:18] Whenever you suspect something isn't right, err on the side of caution and don't do it.

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