Big questions get big answers. Season finale.
Big questions get big answers.
Season finale.
Stay up-to-date on future episodes at scamhunters.io
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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
Ezra: [00:00:00] 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 open, Barb. We're old friends. We got a lot to catch up on, don't we, Heidi?
Heidi: Actually, I'll be leaving.
Ezra: Oh, that's fine. Police are waiting for you.
Heidi: The police are not outside.
Ezra: Oh, I didn't say they were outside. What are you saying? You're wanted for questioning.
Heidi: Me? For what?
Ezra: Oh, many, many, many things.
Heidi: I doubt that.
Ezra: The only thing keeping you out of handcuffs is me.
Heidi: Yeah, I doubt that too. Listen, I don't know you. I don't know anything about police, or questioning, or honeypots, and gold, and [00:01:00] dragons. I'm just gonna leave you here, alone.
Ezra: You don't have the right code for the private key.
Heidi: Excuse me?
Ezra: I sent you a fake.
Heidi: Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about.
Ezra: I figured it out, what you wanted from me. But I want to know why. I'll even buy you a drink, for old time's sake.
Heidi: Sounds like you are asking for time and information. Which is it?
Ezra: Information.
Heidi: I don't have what you're looking for. Let me walk you through my day. I wake up at 5:45, I shit, shave, and shower. I eat Cheerios, the regular kind, then I walk the dog. I play 18, then pack lunches at the food bank, go home, and read. So right now my days are pretty full. And I don't have time for phone calls, and I don't have time for you.
Ezra: You done?
Heidi: Not in the [00:02:00] slightest, but you know what? I'll hear you out. And I'll take the free drink. I'll have a Radler and he'll have the same. Start talking. You have as long as it takes me to drink this beer.
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 InfoSec compliance process sometimes feel like a mystery? Well, then you need Thoropass, the all-in-one InfoSec [00:03:00] 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 noncompliance. 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.
Ezra: So you were dead sober the other night.
Heidi: You know what, I'll also have the burger. He's buying.
Ezra: Pretty convincing. Fake drunk voice, hard to do.
Heidi: Well, this beer is real. And now that I cracked it, the timer is ticking.
Ezra: You went through great lengths to set this up, multiple years, to get to me. Why?
Heidi: I don't know [00:04:00] you.
Ezra: Cut the shit, Heidi.
Heidi: My name isn't Heidi. Who do you think you're talking to? And this radler is delightful. Have you had one of these before?
Ezra: I'm sensing this is fun for you.
Heidi: Oh, very much so. Also, I know there's no police, so you can drop that part. We can be honest with each other.
Ezra: You want to talk about honesty right now? You catfish me. I was actually worried about you. At least tell me why.
Heidi: Okay, I'll play along with your delusional little ruse for a second. Let's just say I was this Heidi person. She wouldn't really want to share her deepest, darkest secrets with you, would she?
Ezra: I don't want secrets. I just want to know why you did it.
Heidi: How about this? Why don't you tell me what you think happened, and I'll listen and drink this beautiful combination of grapefruit and beer a little bit slower. Ooh, my burger. Thanks, Barb.
Ezra: Okay. Fine. [00:05:00] You started this scam a few years ago. You saw that my company lost $20 million very publicly and I was put out to pasture and somehow you figured out that I had a specific piece of information about the guy who took the $20 million.
But since I'm a CISO, and you had no chance to hack me, you had to build up a big backstory to get my attention. You created a media company called Miami Underground. You created a journalist named Heidi Waldroup. You created LinkedIn bios for all the employees. You published hundreds and hundreds of articles on the blog to look legit over the past two years.
When I met you, I did my due diligence, but I just didn't dig hard enough. Stupid, I guess. Just… Distracted. Again. Of course, you studied me, right? Knew that my wife had passed. You knew I had a daughter about your age. And to your credit, you played it right. You did. I fell for it. Enjoying the victory lap? [00:06:00]
Heidi: I'm enjoying the burger. I think they fry the patties, but keep going.
Ezra: And the fake scam. It was complex. God, I tested you in so many ways and you always passed. Got your email. Your address, my FaceTime. Every turn, you didn't push back. Every turn, you let me in. And that, yeah, pulled me in deeper. It's really, it's impressive.
Heidi: This Heidi sounds like quite the mastermind.
Ezra: Yeah, so she thinks.
Heidi: Hey, just random question. You ever set up an IKEA bed? A friend got one recently.
Ezra: I don't think there's a worse person on the planet than you right now.
Heidi: Oh, we both know there are far worse people than me. Or you.
Ezra: In the back of my mind, there was always something off. Something missing. The [00:07:00] scam, it always felt too easy, like somebody was leading us down a path, and then we got to Manny. Thought we had it, but then that was a real shot to get whoever was above Manny, right? The real mastermind? I was you. All along it was you.
Heidi: That's your big theory?
Ezra: No, it's not a theory. I wanted to believe that you were really a journalist named Heidi who was about to crack a huge case. But the other night, I just couldn't ignore a little part of me that never goes away. That paranoid, you know, tin foil Ezra I told you about. Scared of everything and everyone. So I set up a, I don't know what you'd call it, I guess a trap. Not to spy on you, but just as an insurance policy.
Heidi: Hmm. What kind of a trap?
Ezra: Oh, when I told you about the Children's Cancer Institute hack, and the private key, and then sent you the photo of the knife, you were, you were distracted and downloaded the photo without probably [00:08:00] thinking. Probably too excited about the whole thing. Thought you just made $20 million bucks. Understandable.
It wasn't just a picture, though. You downloaded a little Ezra V. Homemade Virus. Something I keep pre-made for just this type of occasion. You sent the photo from your old phone to your new one. Your new unpublished phone. That's how I found you. And I'm going to turn you into the feds. Unless you tell me why you did this.
Heidi: Ah, downloading the photo. Virus attached. It's a good one. Well played.
Ezra: I was really just gonna use the virus as a lesson, you know. Never keep your guard down, always check the files before downloading. Little did I know you were a horrible, horrible person. You had to know I wouldn't send you the real private key photo, right? I would never do that. That was photoshopped, Heidi.
Heidi: I thought you and Heidi were friends.
Ezra: Oh, we were. We were really [00:09:00] good friends. Then you disappeared. And I was worried about you. And I flew to Miami.
Heidi: But we aren't in Miami.
Ezra: Wasn't that a surprise? Fortunately, my little homemade virus gave me your exact location, so I rented a car and drove three hours to Key West. Fine, you here? Hmm.
Heidi: You must drive fast, and I think you have the wrong person.
Ezra: Mmm. I tracked you down, Heidi. And I want answers. You set this all up? Why? Or, I turn you into the feds.
Heidi: You have quite the imagination, you know that? Okay, I'll play along with your story. This Heidi person, what are you accusing her of? It sounds like she just had a number of phone calls with you. Talked to some strangers, and didn't actually break any laws. No extortion, no identity theft, no defamation, no fraud. She never asked for money. She [00:10:00] never asked for anything, really. I'm no lawyer, but that doesn't sound like much of a case.
Ezra: Well, considering you have some intimate knowledge of the Children's Cancer Institute hack, I think you know more than you're letting on. And the feds, phew, they're gonna be very curious what you've been up to.
Heidi: You mention the feds again and you'll be drinking alone.
Ezra: I stopped drinking.
Heidi: You were flying and you stopped drinking. You sound like a changed man. You should thank this Heidi person.
Ezra: Tell me what you know. What was your inside information?
Heidi: I think you're grasping at straws, but good luck with this.
Ezra: Fine. All right, I'll go back home, but you just wasted your one shot and whoever you work for is gonna be pretty pissed that you didn't get the private key. And who is that exactly? Who do you work for?
Heidi: I work for myself.
Ezra: Right, right, right. And people work for you because you are the mastermind [00:11:00] behind the thrift shop scam. Manny works for you?
Heidi: I don't know, Manny.
Ezra: Well, he knows you. See, I spent the last 24 hours hunting down Manny again. And, damn, if he didn't give you up fast.
Heidi: You know, you can't just make up stuff and see what sticks. Did you watch a TED Talk on interrogation?
Ezra: You are Manny's boss. His handler, you have intimate knowledge of the thrift shop scam. Every turn, you knew exactly what to do. It's because you built the entire scam just for me. So I'd be distracted, and you could dig for information to get the knife, to get half of the private key, to get $20 million you lost. And now, you're never gonna get it. And the feds are gonna lock you up forever.
Heidi: You are so emotional right now. Oops. That's my alarm. I have a boat to catch in ten minutes. I'll stop the games if you stop with the [00:12:00] posturing. I didn't steal the $20 million.
Ezra: You did! You did it. You're behind all of this.
Heidi: No, I didn't, and no I'm not. Okay, you're wasting your time with this whole threat of the feds, and you know it. Plus, your scary voice is terrible.
Heidi: No more games.
Ezra: Bullshit. Bullshit. You set up the thrift shop scam to lure me in.
Heidi: No, I just brought the scam to your attention to lure you in. Big difference. I'm not running it.
Ezra: You knew exactly what was happening. You knew all the players. Are they, are they working for you?
Heidi: No, I told you I wasn't running it. I have been studying that scamming ring for a long time and I figured you would need a real scam to get you out of retirement. That you would smell a fake. So I thought we could hunt the scammers together. Real scammers.
Ezra: I don't believe you. What, what, what is fake? The victims? Cecilia? Aster? Are they real?
Heidi: Victims are real. They got scammed. I met with a few of them. [00:13:00] Cecilia was awesome. That was all true.
Ezra: What about Trevor? The notary? The nurse? The priest? All fake?
Heidi: All real people. Unwitting accomplices playing a small part in the bigger scam. It's actually a neat little operation. Stealing credit cards from the elderly before they pass. As long as the scope doesn't get too big, he won't get caught. But knowing him, he'll get caught.
Ezra: He? You mean Manny? You, you actually know Manny?
Heidi: Manny is not the mastermind. Manny is a guy.
Ezra: A guy?
Heidi: Yeah.
Ezra: And his boss? The mastermind? You know him?
Heidi: Not telling you that.
Ezra: Are these your friends? Do you defraud the elderly together? Steal from cancer hospitals?
Heidi: No, no, these aren't my friends. And like I said, I didn't do the hack at the Children's Cancer Institute, okay? But, I know who [00:14:00] did.
Ezra: I don't believe you.
Heidi: And he's a real piece of shit.
Ezra: That sounds accurate.
Heidi: And I don't want him to have the money.
Ezra: How do you know him?
Heidi: I, um, I went to school with him.
Ezra: What? Where?
Heidi: I'm not telling you that either.
Ezra: Why did you do all this?
Heidi: To get half of the private key for the $20 million. Come on, dude, we're past that.
Ezra: You used me.
Heidi: Well, you weren't doing much anyway. I got you out of the house.
Ezra: There is no way I would ever trust you again.
Heidi: It's like you say that, but I don't really want you to trust me. I don't trust you. I just want to get the $20 million back, and you have half of the private key. So, I kind of need you. Boat is here in five minutes.
Ezra: Why would I give it to you?
Heidi: Because I know where the thumb drive is.
Ezra: How?
Ezra: Why would I give it to you?
Heidi: Not telling you that.[00:15:00]
Ezra: Now I'm definitely going to the Feds.
Heidi: Dude, I will take this to the grave before I say anything to them. And again, there is no proof that I have any connection to any of this. Trust me. My security is like Fort Knox.
Ezra: So I'm going to let you take it. $20 million, which is supposed to be for a hospital in Kenya.
Heidi: I don't want the money. I got my own money. I want to make sure he never gets it. You can return it and be the hero.
Ezra: No, no way. I don't believe you.
Heidi: Well, then I guess we're at an impasse. You have half the key, and I have the map to the other half.
Ezra: You need to tell me where it is.
Heidi: I don't need to do shit. I want to help you. And there are dragons surrounding this treasure.
Ezra: Why would I help you do anything?
Heidi: Redemption. You weren't born to sit on the sidelines, Ezra. Get back in the game. Let's go steal back your 20 million.
Ezra: God, I should go to the feds. We both
Heidi: know that ain't happening.
Ezra: I need a [00:16:00] damn drink. Two more radlers.
Heidi: Thank you.
Ezra: These are both from me.
Heidi: I thought you stopped drinking.
Ezra: Yeah, that part was a lie. No more lies. Answer, answer me these questions, honestly.
Heidi: Fine, but no prying.
Ezra: Did you really follow DJ Kaliglia, or whatever the fuck his name is, around on a jet ski?
Heidi: Yeah, yeah I did. I almost drowned like three times in that video. Really did go viral. Brought a ton of traffic to the site. We get a hundred thousand visitors a month.
Ezra: Maybe you should stop scamming and focus on that.
Heidi: Oh, I am definitely going to keep running the blog. It brings in like $2,000 a month passive income.
Ezra: Were you really going to call my daughter?
Heidi: For sure. I'm not heartless. She needs some closure, and you gotta work on your communication skills.
Ezra: And you actually know where this thumb drive is?
Heidi: Directionally, yeah. Might need to dust off the Ezra V Pen Tester 5000 a few times.
Ezra: Do you actually know [00:17:00] cyber security?
Heidi: Not as much as you. Still need your help.
Ezra: Who is this guy? The real mastermind behind the Children's hack. He screw you over or something?
Heidi: That's prying.
Ezra: You lying about anything else?
Heidi: You'll just have to find out.
Ezra: Oh, my golf game's gonna take a serious hit.
Barb the Waitress: To Rabblers, it's the end of my shift. Mind if I close you out? You two paying together or separate?
Heidi and Ezra: Together.
Heidi: Cheers.
Ezra: I still don't trust you.
Heidi: I don't trust you either.
Ezra: Where's the boat headed?
Heidi: Toward the dragons.
Ezra: Cheers. Let's go steal that money back.
Narration: SCAM HUNTERS is presented by Thoropass. Hey, does your InfoSec [00:18:00] 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 noncompliance, 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. Thank you for listening to SCAM HUNTERS. Starring Greg Kinnear and Erin Moriarty. With Kumud Kahlia as Golfer Buddy. Jon Gabrus as Trevor. Annie Lederman as Patricia. Guapdad 4000 as Iman. Adam Lustick as Father De Silva. Dave Gerhardt as Jamie. Ross Pomerantz as Brad Zeiman. Karthik Rajashekar as Ernesto Jr. Obaid Durrani as Manny. Taylor Brim as Barb the Waitress. Erin Stenhouse as the Church Front Desk. And Alexa Minter as the Notary Front Desk. SCAM HUNTERS is created by Ian Faison, directed by Laura Murphy, executive produced by Greg Kinnear, Erin Moriarty, Ian Faison, and Laura Murphy. A Caspian Studios production. Co-executive producer is Dane Eckerle. Supervising producer is John Libby. Produced by Erin Stenhouse and Taylor Brim. Supervising creative producer is Landon Pontius. In-studio producer is 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 Glansrock. Production support by Bradley Glanzrock and Joh Libbey. Video editing by Scott Levine. Marketing support from Dino Pasalic, Kyle Rusca, and Colin [00:20:00] Stamps. Operational support by Ben Maida, Elliot Ledley, and Colin Stamps. Script consultants are Aaron Dun, Kumud Kahlia, and Chris Gerben. Special thanks to Kumud Kalia, Mark Settle, Paul Chapman, Sam Lancaster and Kaylee Edmondson. Audio support from Studio Awesome. And thank you to the team at Thoropass. The theme song for SCAM HUNTERS “Scamboy” by Guapdad 4000. Thank you for listening.