Brushing Scams with Venkat Margapuri

Scams come in many forms but receiving a freebie from a scammer
doesn’t make sense. If something shows up at your door that you
didn’t order, should you be worried? Brushing scams are becoming
more common and while they may seem harmless at first they can be
a gateway to fraud, identity theft and financial loss.


Today we’re diving into how these scams work, why they exist and
the real dangers behind them. Our guest is Dr. Venkat Margapuri,
an assistant professor of computer science at Villanova
University. His research focuses on AI applications in
agriculture and healthcare but he’s also spent time studying
online fraud and digital security. He’s here to help us
understand what’s really going on when scammers send you
something for free and most importantly what you should do about
it.
Show Notes:

[00:44] Venkat is an assistant professor in the department of
computer science at Villanova University. A lot of his research
is focused on artificial intelligence, image processing, and
security.

[01:53] Brushing scams are where you receive products that
you haven't ordered. It's a fraudulent e-commerce scheme. They
try to get reviews or add additional sales for their product.

[04:48] Venkat explains why it's not a good idea to scan
those QR codes in products. You don't want to put your
credentials into the website.

[05:41] This is where brushing leads to phishing scams by
getting people to enter information into a fake website.

[06:20] The major risk of receiving these packages is
identity theft.

[09:30] Scam charges on Amazon can be used to verify stolen
credit card credentials and overconfidence often leads to being
scammed.

[10:52] We discuss where these scammers find people's
addresses.

[13:05] A lot of scammers are really smart people who got
into the wrong business. Key qualities include narcissism and
psychopathy.

[17:05] When you receive these packages just dispose of them.
Don't scan the QR codes.

[21:25] A scam where they send emails with the link to free
Apple Gift Cards. Be careful about what you post on social media.

[22:43] Assume unsolicited contact is a scam.

[23:50] Don't share personal information. Look out for things
that are out of the norm.

[27:04] Venkat talks about advance fee scams.

[28:14] Being careful about geographic perceptions. 

[31:18] Be cautious if you are being rushed. 

[32:18] Whenever you suspect something isn't right, err on
the side of caution and don't do it.



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Venkat Margapuri - Villanova University