Why Everyone’s A Target

Some scams are so convincing, they’re almost impossible to spot.
With phishing emails that look like they’re from your bank, deep
fake videos that mimic real people, and AI-generated messages
that feel personal, it’s getting harder to know what’s real and
what’s a trap.


In this episode, I sit down with Gabrielle Hempel, a security
operations specialist at Exabeam and a current law student at
Purdue University. Gabrielle brings a sharp perspective shaped by
years in cybersecurity, a master’s in cybersecurity and global
affairs from NYU, and hands-on experience navigating everything
from vulnerability management to executive risk consulting. She
even wrote her graduate thesis on critical infrastructure
security.


We talk about the new era of digital deception, why younger
people are actually falling for scams more often, and how
criminals are using AI and current events to build trust and
bypass defenses. Gabrielle shares practical advice, personal
stories, and a fresh way to think about digital safety that could
help you spot the next scam before it costs you.
Show Notes:

[01:09] Gabrielle has held quite a few jobs in cybersecurity.
She's currently the Security Operations Strategist at
Exabeam. 

[01:40] She's involved with anything to do with the internal
security operation.

[02:04] She majored in psychology and neuroscience. Working
in Pharma and with medical devices led her to the path of
cybersecurity.

[04:34] We learn about an incident that she was involved in.
Her parents were attempting to file their taxes with TurboTax,
but they were flagged as already filing. This led to a lot of
shenanigans with the IRS.

[06:29] Most everyone has been a victim to some type of fraud
or scam.

[07:20] Our information is out there. It's more about staying
vigilant and keeping an eye on things.

[08:05] A lot of the current scams are blending with the
cybercrime ecosystem.

[09:17] AI has made it easier for people to craft more
convincing phishing emails.

[12:51] Are modern phishing emails getting through the spam
filters more often?

[15:48] How it's not retirees being the people most
frequently caught in scams.

[16:42] Why 20 to 29 year-olds frequently fall for scams. It
could be because of their comfort with technology.

[21:12] Better education surrounding threats might be a good
idea for young people.

[22:47] As scammers get more information about us, targeting
will be easier.

[24:32] Big trends are voice cloning and deep fakes.

[27:51] Scams around shipping fees and tariffs are
skyrocketing.

[29:15] Advice includes adopting zero trust with
communication.

[33:10] If you're not expecting it. It's potentially suspect.

[34:45] Best practices include doing your due diligence, and
if you feel like something may not be legitimate go around and
check.



Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to
our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 
Links and Resources:

Podcast Web Page

Facebook Page

whatismyipaddress.com

Easy Prey on Instagram

Easy Prey on Twitter

Easy Prey on LinkedIn

Easy Prey on YouTube

Easy Prey on Pinterest

Gabrielle Hempel - LinkedIn

Exabeam

@gabsmashh on X