Stolen Podcast

Sextortion Is Killing Kids: Inside the Financial Sextortion Scam Targeting Teen Boys with Paul Raffile (Ep 33)

In this episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with sextortion expert Paul Raffile to expose the fastest-growing and most lethal online scam targeting teen boys. They break down how financially motivated sextortion works, who’s behind it, why cases are exploding, and what parents, platforms, and law enforcement must do now to stop it. This is a conversation every parent needs to hear.

How a Fake Amazon Call Turned Into a Full-Blown Government Impersonation Scam (Ep 32)

Jane thought she was talking to Amazon, her bank, the FTC, and the Social Security Administration. She wasn’t.Over the course of several days, scammers used authority, isolation, and fear to walk her—step by step—into withdrawing and shipping her own money in what felt like a legitimate government process.
In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West breaks down a highly sophisticated phone scam that nearly wiped Jane out—and explains why this can happen to smart, cautious people. You’ll hear exactly how the scam worked, why it felt real at every turn, and how one bank manager asking a single question stopped it before it went even further.
This episode exposes the psychology behind modern financial fraud, the danger of shame and silence, and why survivor stories are one of the most powerful tools we have to stop the scamdemic.

Meta, Scam Ads, and the First Scam-Driven Border Conflict: Jake Sims Breaks It Down (Ep 31)

In this explosive episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with Jake Sims—Harvard fellow and global expert on transnational organized crime—to unpack two massive developments: the damning Reuters leak about Meta’s scam ad revenue, and the escalating military clash on the Thai-Cambodian border tied directly to scam compounds. Jake reveals what happened inside his high-pressure GASA “fireside chat” with Meta, why trust in big platforms is collapsing, and how scam centers are shaping geopolitics in real time. This is the episode you listen to if you want the truth behind the headlines.

The House Is On Fire: Erin West’s 2026 Blueprint to End the Scamdemic (Ep. 30)

Erin West delivers the keynote she planned give at the American summit of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance—an unfiltered, no-fluff breakdown of the global scam crisis, Southeast Asia’s compounds, Big Tech’s profits, and why 2026 must be the year we divide and conquer. This episode exposes the truth, calls out the enablers, and lays out what must happen to finally fight the scamdemic.

Human Trafficking Survivor Small Q Exposes Pig Butchering Scam Compounds in Myanmar (Ep. 29)

Join Erin West in Entebbe, Uganda, for an extraordinary conversation with Small Q, a survivor of two of Southeast Asia's most notorious scam compounds. In this eye-opening episode, Small Q reveals the brutal reality inside pig butchering operations, where human trafficking victims are forced to execute cryptocurrency romance scams against Americans and people worldwide.
Discover the shocking tactics scammers use: fake offices, planted models for video verification, and sophisticated social engineering techniques designed to build trust before stealing life savings. Small Q shares his harrowing experience of 20-hour workdays, electric taser punishments, and complete movement control inside compounds like KK Park in Myanmar.
This conversation includes a major revelation as Small Q identifies being held in two separate notorious compounds, providing crucial insights into how these criminal operations have evolved since 2020. Learn how recruiters in Uganda and across Africa lure victims with promises of legitimate data entry jobs paying $1,200 monthly—only to traffic them into forced scam labor.
Small Q discusses his path to freedom, his music of hope and resilience, and his mission to raise awareness about human trafficking and crypto scams. This episode is essential listening for fraud prevention professionals, law enforcement, potential job seekers in Africa, and anyone concerned about the intersection of human trafficking and financial crime.

The Hidden Crisis: Matt Friedman Breaks Down Modern Slavery and the Rise of Scam Compounds (Ep 28)

In this powerful episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with global anti-trafficking expert Matt Friedman—CEO of the Mekong Club and one of the most experienced voices in the fight against modern slavery. Matt pulls back the curtain on the brutal realities of human trafficking, forced criminality inside scam compounds, and why the world is still failing the millions of people trapped in these systems.
Together, Erin and Matt dig into:
How trafficking “evolved” into forced criminality in Southeast Asian scam compounds
The staggering scale of modern slavery—and why we're rescuing only 0.2% of victims
The violence, torture, and psychological devastation inside these scam centers
Why banks, businesses, and everyday people have a bigger role to play than they realize
What it actually takes to wake up the world to this crisis
The hope, the frustration, and the path forward
If you've ever wondered how scams, trafficking, and global criminal networks intersect—or what you personally can do to help—this conversation is raw, urgent, and impossible to ignore.
Subscribe to Stolen for straight truth, survivor-centered storytelling, and bold conversations about the scamdemic and the people fighting back.

LinkedIn Job Scams Explained: Jay Jones Reveals How Fake Recruiters Steal From Desperate Job Seekers (Ep 27)

When Jay Jones was laid off and posted his "Open to Work" banner on LinkedIn, he was immediately targeted by scammers. In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West sits down with The Profiler to expose the sophisticated job scam industry preying on vulnerable job seekers. Jay reveals how fake recruiters, resume writers, and hiring managers use ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scare tactics to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and commit identity theft.
Learn how scammers are infiltrating LinkedIn with fake company pages, fake jobs on real company profiles, and romance scams targeting executives. Jay shares red flags to watch for, including phrases like "beat the ATS," upfront payment requests, and confidential job postings. Whether you're a new graduate, recently laid off, or actively job hunting, this episode provides critical insights to protect yourself from job scams that cost victims thousands of dollars and pose a national security threat to the United States.

Ari Redbord on the Biggest U.S. Move Yet Against Transnational Organized Crime (Ep 26)

In this episode, Erin West sits down with Ari Redbord of TRM Labs to unpack one of the biggest moves yet against global scam networks — the $15 billion forfeiture and indictment of Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi and the Prince Group. They break down what the U.S. government did, how sanctions, forfeiture, and FinCEN actions work together, and why this is a turning point in the global fight against pig butchering scams and transnational organized crime.

Matt Rife Impersonation Scam: The Romance Fraud Cost Me Everything - Cristy's Story (Ep 25)

Cristy shares her heartbreaking story of falling victim to an elaborate celebrity impersonation scam. After making her Instagram profile public for one week to support her niece, she was contacted by someone claiming to be comedian Matt Rife. What began as a seemingly authentic connection—complete with voice messages, flowers, and deep conversations about mindfulness—evolved into a sophisticated romance and cryptocurrency investment fraud that cost her everything.
In this emotional episode of Stolen with host Erin West, Cristy reveals how scammers used love bombing, multiple fake personas (including a PR person and financial planner), and psychological manipulation to isolate her and gain her trust. She discusses the warning signs she missed, the devastating financial and emotional impact, and her journey toward recovery and self-forgiveness.
If you or someone you know has been targeted by celebrity impersonation scams, romance fraud, or cryptocurrency investment schemes, this episode offers crucial insights into how these operations work and why even intelligent, cautious people can fall victim.

Jake Sims Takes us Inside the Indictment That Exposed Cambodia’s Scam State (ep 24)

When the U.S. unsealed its indictment against Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, it didn’t just take down one man—it exposed a global scam empire built on trafficking, corruption, and stolen crypto. Erin West sits down with expert Jake Sims to unpack the historic $15 billion seizure, what it means for Cambodia’s ruling elite, and why this moment could redefine the global fight against organized cybercrime.