Something doesn’t feel right.
Something doesn’t feel right.
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SCAM HUNTERS is presented by Thoropass.
Does your infosec compliance process sometimes feel like a mystery? You need Thoropass—the all in one infosec compliance delivery platform with seamless audits, airtight security, and peace of mind. No more shady spreadsheets. No more risky shortcuts. Thoropass helps you lock in compliance and slash audit times, ensuring that you keep your business safe from all the digital villains out there.
Don't be a victim of non-compliance. Thoropass is for any size company, big or small. Don't let the thought of non-compliance give you a bad day. Visit Thoropass.com to learn more.
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SCAM HUNTERS is a Caspian Studios Production.
Starring Greg Kinnear as Ezra Volatagio and Erin Moriarty as Heidi Waldroup
With Taylor Brim as Barb the Waitress
Created by Ian Faison
Directed by Laura Murphy
Written by Ian Faison
Executive Produced by Greg Kinnear, Erin Moriarty, Ian Faison and Laura Murphy
Co-Executive Producer: Dane Eckerle
Supervising Producer: Jon Libbey
Produced by Erin Stenhouse and Taylor Brim
Supervising Creative Producer: Landon Pontius
In-Studio Producer: Mark Wolf Roberts
Dialogue Editing, Sound Design and Mixing by Scott Goodrich
Design by Tyler Litwin
Production Support by Bradley Glanzrock and Jon Libbey
Co-Produced by Bradley Glanzrock
Video Editing by Scott Levine
Marketing Support from Dino Pasalic, Kyle Rusca, and Colin Stamps
Operational Support by Ben Maida, Elliot Ledley and Colin Stamps
Script Consultants are Aaron Dun, Kumud Kalia and Chris Gerben
Special thanks to Kumud Kalia, Mark Settle, Paul Chapman, Sam Lancaster and Kaylee Edmondson
Audio Support from Studio Awesome
Thank you to the team at Thoropass.
Theme Song for SCAM HUNTERS is SCAM BOY by Guapdad 4000
Additional Support From Caspian Studios. Thank you to:
Jess Avellino
Nick Canepa
Meredith Gooderham
Bill Kornfeld
Alexa Minter
Melanie Scroggins
Zoe Zuidema
Heidi: [00:00:00] This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail. If this is a tip, please email Heidi@MiamiUnderground.net. Thank you.
Ezra: Hey Heidi, it's 7. Hope you aren't nursing a hangover. Ready to get started. I think I got an idea for a honeypot. Give me a call back.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Hey Heidi, it's 7:30. You're probably sleeping in, but yeah, just just call me when you get up.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Hey, just calling again. Everything okay? Your phone died or something. It's noon. Uh, I hope you didn't interview Manny again, you know, without me. But seriously, I hope you didn't. You know, he could be dangerous. Um, I'll keep thinking of honeypots.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Hey, what's, [00:01:00] what's going on? It's 3:07, uh, in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, and you haven't, you know, you're not calling back. Maybe you dropped your phone in the toilet or gonna buy another one or something, but geez Louise, call me.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Heidi, it's 11pm. I've been calling, texting you, emailed you. No response. I'm worried, uh, and just hope you didn't go visit Manny alone, you know? So, if I don't hear from you by morning, I'm gonna call your bosses. I, uh, I hope you're okay, and nothing serious, and I really hope you didn't talk to Manny again. I don't think you would've, but you wouldn't have, right? There's one thing that I, uh, Could do but it's it's kind of an invasion of your privacy, and I'm just I'll wait on that….But no, I got I got to talk to you. So hmm, you know talk tomorrow, I think.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Heidi. Good morning. It's been over 24 [00:02:00] hours. I haven't heard from you. I'm pretty worried I'm calling your office now. Call me. Okay?
Voicemail: Hello, you have reached Miami Underground. If you have a tip or story, please email Tips@MiamiUnderground.net.
Ezra: Hi, this is Ezra Volatagio. I'm friends with Heidi Waldroup and I can't get in touch with her. Please give me a call back. Thank you.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: I tried calling the number for your work five times, but nobody answered, Heidi. Okay, I filled out the contact, uh, us form, and I emailed the website. He just, I hope you're okay and everything. Something, something feels weird here. I'm, uh, I'm close to doing that thing, which is going to invade your privacy, but, uh, not, not yet. Okay, just, please call me.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: All right, I reached out to [00:03:00] everybody at your company on LinkedIn. Nobody has responded. I don't know how you kids run companies these days, but how about a freaking response?
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Okay, I just ordered DoorDash to your door. I said it was a present for my daughter and the driver knocked on your door. They said nobody answered. There wasn't any broken glass or anything. I don't know what's going on. I'm not calling the cops, not yet, but I'm just… Nobody's responded from your company and I've called and emailed 20-25 times.You know what? I think I'm gonna do the thing. Call me.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: Hello? Okay, I'm standing on your, uh, front door here. Your, your apartment's empty except for the, uh, IKEA furniture. I talked to the landlord. He said that you pay cash month to month. He never sees you here. I'm just, I'm going to your [00:04:00] work.
Heidi: This is Heidi Waldroup's voicemail.
Ezra: I'm outside the headquarters of Miami Underground. This is an empty office. There's nothing here. Nobody's responded from your company. Your company doesn't have an office. What the hell?
Ezra: What the hell is going on?
(Flashback) Ezra: Honeypot is like a decoy, but it's a trap.
(Flashback) Heidi: I am onto this story that's big. Like, really big and personal.
(Flashback) Ezra: But a reporter snooping around asking questions about hackers raises a few red flags, even for me.
(Flashback) Heidi: Honestly, it won't take more than five.
(Flashback) Ezra: Don't start a sentence with honestly. Just implies that everything else you're saying is a lie.
(Flashback) Heidi: If we don't do something, it won't stop. Who's the next victim? Hmm? A [00:05:00] neighbor? Your stupid golf buddies? Your daughter? Your wife?
(Flashback) Ezra: Then why me? Not the only cybersecurity expert around.
(Flashback) Heidi: Because I know you're the best. And I know your story.
(Flashback) Ezra: In a honeypot, the honey is something enticing to the attacker that they can't resist.
(Flashback) Heidi: I'm talking about redemption for the $20 million that you lost.
(Flashback) Ezra: Find out where he's vulnerable.
(Flashback) Heidi: And if he isn't?
(Flashback) Ezra: He is.
(Flashback) Heidi: You deserve a second chance.
(Flashback) Ezra: It's an elegant way and it's simplicity because nobody will ever come looking.
(Flashback) Heidi: The plan is I have a plan and you can witness it as it unfolds. That'll make it more exciting for you.
(Flashback) Ezra: Wow. You will definitely be the bait.
(Flashback) Heidi: I found this whole scam before I met you, Master Jedi.
(Flashback) Ezra: Yes! You are getting good at this, girl. You have good instincts, like a chameleon. You know, something about this just seems—it's weird. It seems too easy, like we're going somewhere someone wants us to go. I can, I can feel it.
(Flashback) Heidi: It has not felt easy to me, but—
(Flashback) Ezra: Like [00:06:00] somebody put this scam here for both of us to solve.
(Flashback) Heidi: Yep, but not everything is always as it seems.
(Flashback) Ezra: Okay, I trust you.
(Flashback) Heidi: You do?
(Flashback) Ezra: Well we’ve gotten this far? This guy spent years infiltrating a global non profit to steal 20 million. He's not storing a password on his notes app.
(Flashback) Heidi: So this knife could be a key to $20 million dollars?
(Flashback) Ezra: And I'm holding it right now.
(Flashback) Heidi: Oh Jesus, just send me a picture of the knife so I can see what it is. You know what a small Rambo knife looks like?
(Flashback) Ezra: I'll send a link to the photo. Criminal mastermind might be reading your blog. Mastermind, fella.
(Flashback) Heidi: Mastermind?
(Flashback) Ezra: This guy's our mastermind? He could be the whole mastermind.
(Flashback) Heidi: If he was the mastermind, he wouldn't risk that, right?
(Flashback) Ezra: Criminal mastermind. Someone they can use and exploit. And throw them away [00:07:00] when they're done with them. And then they disappear. Never find them again.
(Flashback) Heidi: Well, I couldn't have done it without you.
Narration: You are listening to SCAM HUNTERS, starring Greg Kinnear and Erin Moriarty. Created by Ian Faison. Directed by Laura Murphy. Presented by Thoropass. A Caspian Studios Production. Hey, does your [00:08:00] InfoSec compliance process sometimes feel like a mystery? Well then you need Thoropass, the all-in-one InfoSec compliance delivery platform with seamless audits, airtight security, and peace of mind. No more shady spreadsheets, no more risky shortcuts. Thoropass helps you lock in compliance and slash audit times, ensuring that you keep your business safe from all the digital villains that are out there. Don't be a victim of non compliance. And Thoropass is for any size company, big or small. Don't let the thought of noncompliance give you a bad day. Visit Thoropass.com to learn more.
Heidi: Hello?
Ezra: Hello, Heidi.
Heidi: I think you have the wrong number.
Ezra: Nice try. I know this is your real number.
Heidi: Not sure what you're talking about. Do I know you?
Ezra: Oh, I know [00:09:00] you know me way better than I realized. But I don't think I know you very well, Heidi. The real you. I trusted you.
Heidi: How could you trust me if you don't know me?
Ezra: That is a question I will think about for a long time. So where are you right now? Doesn't sound like Miami.
Heidi: I'm having a drink. Enjoying my afternoon until a stranger called me.
Ezra: I tried to visit a friend in Miami. That was a long flight.
Heidi: I'm proud of you. Some people are afraid of flying.
Ezra: You. When did you decide that you were going to scam me?
Heidi: You know, I'm not familiar with what you're referring to.
Ezra: Guessing the scam took at least three years. Your name is fake, Heidi Waldroup's not a real person, your job is fake, which means you aren't a journalist, your bosses are fake, which [00:10:00] means you built a fake company, Miami Underground is fake, which means you built an entire media property. Is anything about you real?
Heidi: Miami Underground? Is that the people who had the DJ Khaled video?
Ezra: Quit playing games with me. I want to know, why? Why?
Heidi: What's your name again?
Ezra: I've been piecing this all together. Can't be for my money. My personal security's tighter than Fort Knox.
Heidi: Everyone has a vulnerability.
Ezra: And you found mine. Is that it?
Heidi: This has been a weird and uneventful conversation, but I gotta go.
Ezra: No, no, no. Not yet. It's time we had a chat. Why don't you order another drink?
Heidi: Yeah, no thanks. I don't have time. And I don't talk to strangers. How did you get this number anyway? It is unpublished.
Ezra: I'm gonna give you one final lesson, Heidi. The thing about honeypots is that they're irresistible to a thief. Once they see the honey, they become [00:11:00] fixated on it. It's like a golden path appears, a path laid just for them. That only they knew about. A path to find a hidden treasure. But treasure attracts dragons. And they don't always see the dragons flying way up high. They become complacent, unaware of their surroundings. One wrong step, one keystroke, one wrong click, and they're no longer the hunter. They're the hunted. Hi, Heidi. Funny seeing you here.
Heidi: Do I know you? Hey, Barb, I'll take the check. Thanks.
Barb the Waitress: Sure thing.
Ezra: Actually, keep the tab open, Barb. We're old friends. We got a lot to catch up on, don't we, Heidi?
Narration: Thank you for listening to SCAM HUNTERS. Starring Greg Kinnear and Erin Moriarty. SCAM HUNTERS is created by Ian Faison. Directed [00:12:00] by Laura Murphy. Executive produced by Greg Kinnear, Erin Moriarty, Ian Faison, and Laura Murphy. A Caspian Studios production. SCAM HUNTERS is presented by Thoropass. Hey, does your InfoSec compliance process sometimes feel like a mystery? Well, then you need Thoropass, the all-in-one InfoSec compliance delivery platform, with seamless audits, airtight security, and peace of mind. No more shady spreadsheets, no more risky shortcuts. Thoropass helps you lock in compliance and slash audit times, ensuring that you keep your business safe from all the digital villains that are out there. Don't be a victim of non compliance, and Thoropass is for any size company. Big or small, don't let the thought of non compliance give you a bad day. Visit Thoropass.com to learn more.