A counterfeit handbag may leave someone disappointed. A counterfeit medication, airbag, or child's car seat can do far more damage. Fake products now reach into nearly every part of daily life, and many of them arrive through online stores that look completely legitimate.

Kari Kammel saw the danger firsthand when a pharmacist overseas offered her several versions of the same medication. Some were authentic, while others were openly described as counterfeit. That experience stayed with her. She now directs the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University, where she works with consumers, brands, researchers, and law enforcement.

Kari talks about how counterfeit goods enter the marketplace and why they have become so difficult to recognize. She explains what shoppers should examine before placing an order and what to check when the package arrives. The conversation also looks at the health risks behind fake products, the criminal activity they may fund, and the real reason an unbelievable deal can be so cheap.

• [01:04] Kari Kammel explains how the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection works to keep fake products away from consumers.
• [02:28] An encounter with counterfeit medication leads Kari into the field of brand protection.
• [03:34] Why even counterfeit experts sometimes purchase fake products by mistake.
• [06:11] The worldwide scale of counterfeiting and how online sales accelerated its growth.
• [08:30] Small direct-to-consumer packages make counterfeit shipments harder for customs officials to detect.
• [10:46] Why the word "dupe" can refer to either a legitimate alternative or an illegal counterfeit.
• [13:22] Counterfeit goods extend far beyond luxury items into car parts, electronics, toys, and medical products.
• [16:08] The health risks of fake clothing, cancer medications, and injectable weight-loss drugs.
• [18:12] Why people become less cautious and more impulsive while shopping online.
• [19:38] Only the brand can confirm authenticity, but consumers can still look for warning signs.
• [20:29] Checking the seller, business address, website, and contact information before placing an order.
• [23:30] Suspicious photographs, fake reviews, unusual prices, and shortages that attract counterfeit sellers.
• [25:41] What packaging, shipping origin, and product differences can reveal after an order arrives.
• [27:25] How unauthorized "third shift" manufacturing produces goods outside a brand's quality controls.
• [28:36] Following the money from counterfeit sales to organized crime and other illegal activity.
• [31:58] How counterfeiters divide shipments and change tactics to avoid customs inspections.
• [35:00] The countries involved in manufacturing, transporting, and purchasing counterfeit goods.
• [38:15] How brands search for fake products and try to remove them from online marketplaces.
• [39:15] The whack-a-mole problem created by counterfeit listings and AI-generated advertisements.
• [41:00] Child labor, human trafficking, unsafe factories, and the hidden costs behind cheaper products.

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

• 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
• Kari Kammel - A-CAPP Team - Michigan State University
• Kari Kammel - LinkedIn

A convincing lie no longer needs to look suspicious. It can appear in a familiar social media feed, come from someone who seems real, or arrive as a video that looks almost impossible to fake. By the time doubt sets in, the post may already have been shared thousands of times.

Few people understand that online environment better than today's guest. Nina Jankowicz has spent more than a decade studying what she calls the bad things that happen on the internet. She is an internationally recognized expert on disinformation and online harassment. She was also named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in AI.

Nina explains how disinformation spreads and why emotional content travels so quickly. She talks about online harassment, doxxing, romance scams, and AI-generated impersonation. The conversation also covers ways to check questionable information and protect your personal data. Just as important, Nina shares how to step away from trolls before they take over your time and attention.

• [01:00] Nina Jankowicz describes her work studying disinformation, online harassment, and AI-generated harm.
• [03:50] The important difference between misinformation and deliberate disinformation.
• [05:09] Why an emotional reaction may be a sign that someone is trying to manipulate you.
• [07:09] How social media platforms monetize attention and reward harmful engagement.
• [10:05] Using lateral reading and multiple sources to evaluate questionable online content.
• [12:27] Why slowing down matters when an image or video may have been generated by AI.
• [14:04] How algorithmic feeds have made information consumption increasingly passive.
• [17:01] When an aggressive disagreement crosses the line into harassment.
• [19:34] Threats, doxxing, and the limits of platforms and law enforcement.
• [22:18] Nina's one-reply rule and how blocking trolls removes the attention they want.
• [24:07] Why laws and law enforcement training have not kept pace with cyberstalking.
• [26:06] Preserving screenshots, documenting abuse, and asking employers for support.
• [29:23] Password managers, two-factor authentication, and the personal details hidden in photos.
• [32:34] Removing information from data brokers and making online safety more manageable.
• [34:40] A romance scam involving stolen images and real-time AI impersonation.
• [37:35] Why older adults need digital literacy training as much as children do.
• [39:44] Addressing disinformation without suppressing speech or telling people what to believe.
• [42:12] How social media incentives favor profitable engagement over trustworthy information.

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

• 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
• Nina Jankowicz
• Nina Jankowicz - LinkedIn
• How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict
• How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back

It is easy to say you would never fall for a scam when you are looking at the situation from the outside. In the moment, though, things can feel much less obvious. A request may sound reasonable, the person may seem trustworthy, and saying no can feel awkward enough that you go along with something you would normally question.

Today's guest studies exactly why that happens. Vanessa Bohns is the Bronstein Family Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University's ILR School. Her work focuses on social influence, compliance, and the pressure people feel to cooperate, even when they are uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do.

Vanessa shares several experiments that show just how strong that pressure can be. People agreed to write in library books and even handed over their unlocked phones. She explains why it can be tougher to refuse someone in person or over the phone. The conversation also covers a few simple ways to slow things down before making a decision.

• [01:00] Vanessa Bohns explains how she began studying influence and why people are more likely to say yes than expected.
• [04:01] Small favors reveal how much people underestimate the power of a simple request.
• [06:53] The library book experiment shows how awkwardness can outweigh clear ethical concerns.
• [09:58] Why people are wired to cooperate and avoid the social discomfort of saying no.
• [15:37] How scammers use a few believable details to make an unlikely story feel true.
• [18:32] Why a small cue of authority can be more convincing than an elaborate explanation.
• [22:29] Creating distance from a request gives you time to think and verify what is happening.
• [25:31] Advance warning helps people make a more thoughtful decision instead of reacting automatically.
• [29:46] Participants hand over their unlocked phones even when private search histories are at stake.
• [33:16] Incentives and the fear of losing access can push people to break their own rules.
• [34:24] Social pressure can be powerful even when there is no financial reward.
• [37:49] A phishing email uses authority, urgency, and reciprocity to fool an influence expert.
• [41:02] Firm personal rules can make it easier to resist pressure from salespeople and scammers.
• [44:20] Asking for a request in writing reduces pressure and gives you time to process it.
• [46:20] Why knowledge does not make anyone immune and scam victims deserve more grace.
• [48:20] Helping a family member avoid another scam without blaming them for what already happened.
• [49:20] Vanessa's final takeaway on slowing things down and preparing for the possibility that anyone can be fooled.

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

• 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
• Vanessa Bohns - ILR School - Cornell University
• Vanessa Bohns
• Vanessa Bohns - LinkedIn
• Vanessa Bohns - Instagram
• Books by Vanessa Bohns