Overview
The victim expects to be a guest on a podcast or video stream.
How It Works
This scam targets people who are podcasters, content creators, influencers, or small business owners.
Impersonating another, larger podcast or influencer, the scammer offers the victim the (often paid) opportunity to appear on their show.
In the course of setting up the show using some streaming or video conferencing platform (Zoom, Facebook) the scammer uses various tricks to take control of the victim's machine, to steal the victim's social media accounts, or to get the victim to install malicious software.
The purpose of stealing the victim's social media accounts is for the scammers to be able to promote another scam, malicious software, or bogus products to the victim's high number of followers.
Related Articles
Watch out for Podcast Scams: What to Know and How to Stay Safe, Podcast Guests
Beware of this Sneaky Podcast Invitation, Dina Litovsky
Related Scams
6.4 Platform Violation Scam: Both scams are used for social media account theft.
Related Crime Schemes
A particular instance of this scam may embed one or more of these related schemes.
Data Loss or Theft: Any scheme that results in victim losing data/scammer stealing data. Data in this context can mean login credentials, credit card details, or other personal or corporate information.
Victim Targeting Context
The scammer may use one or more of the following techniques to reach the victim.
Targeted Conversational Approach: The scammer approaches the victim through targeted, topical online conversation.
Social Engineering: Psychological Manipulations
The scammer may use one or more of these psychological techniques to accomplish the scam.
Authority: The scammer employs an abuse of a position of authority to convince the victim to go along with the scam.
Easy Money: The scammer promises easy money or makes appeals designed to leverage victim's greed.
Flattery: The scammer uses praise or flattery to increase the likelihood that the victim will go along with the scam.
Reciprocity: The scammer does a favor for the victim in order to make the victim feel like they owe the scammer a favor in return.
Social Engineering: Impersonation Techniques
The scammer may impersonate one or more of the following groups as part of the scam.
Business or NonProfit: The scammer impersonates a business or nonprofit.
Catfishing: The scammer creates a fictitious online profile or persona.
Celebrity: The perpetrator impersonates a celebrity.