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#347 Pierogi - Shawn Ryan and Scammer Payback Troll Scammers LIVE

The Shawn Ryan Show3h 49m

Pierogi from Scammer Payback discusses his mission to infiltrate and disrupt international scam call centers, revealing how scammers operate, steal hundreds of millions annually, and target vulnerable populations. The episode includes live demonstrations of accessing scammer computers, destroying their systems, and stopping active wire fraud in real-time.

Summary

Pierogi, founder of Scammer Payback, shares his journey from a cybersecurity career to becoming one of the largest scam-baiting platforms online, having helped stop over $20 million in scams this year alone. He explains how tech support scams originated in Delhi as legitimate businesses before pivoting to fraudulent operations using forced pop-ups and social engineering to target victims.

The scam ecosystem operates through multiple interconnected layers: data brokers sell personal information, scammers use spoofed phone numbers and mass emails with phishing PDFs, they gain remote access through Microsoft's built-in Quick Assist tool, and then systematically steal identities, create fake bank accounts and LLCs, and transfer victims' wealth through cryptocurrency and money laundering networks involving runners in the US who collect physical cash and gold.

Pierogi details the $65 million takedown involving 24-25 arrests, explaining how his team physically confronted money collectors, gathered intelligence, and collaborated with law enforcement. He discusses various scam types: the grandmother scam using voice spoofing and AI deepfakes, social security administration impersonation, pig butchering crypto scams that exploit people seeking financial opportunities, romance scams targeting lonely individuals, and Publishers Clearinghouse schemes from Jamaica.

The conversation reveals systemic vulnerabilities: Gmail's poor spam protection, data brokers freely selling personal information, passwords saved in browsers, and government's slow response compared to private investigative capabilities. Pierogi demonstrates live operations: remotely accessing scammer computers, listening to audio, viewing webcams, downloading evidence, and destroying systems with custom malware featuring gummy bears. A real-time example shows stopping a $25,000 wire transfer from a 78-year-old victim.

The latter half shifts to faith-based discussion. Pierogi shares his conversion to Christianity, practicing speaking in tongues, fasting, and laying hands on the sick for healing. He discusses the connection between faith, quantum physics, and biblical concepts, emphasizing that modern Christianity's 'just believe' message misses the hard work of actually living like Christ. He shares the Litany of Humility prayer and emphasizes stripping away pride, comparison, and worldly desires to align with Jesus as Lord, not just Savior.

About this episode

Pierogi is the creator and host of Scammer Payback, one of the largest scam-baiting platforms online. After leaving a career in cybersecurity, he began exposing scam operations by infiltrating their systems, disrupting fraudulent networks, and educating the public on how scammers manipulate victims. Through his videos and investigations, Pierogi and his team have helped stop millions of dollars in fraud while giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how modern scam operations work. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Privacy Isn't Paranoia. It's Protection. Download Glacier - https://theglacierapp.com If you have an iPhone, go to https://ladder.fit/SRS to take a quick quiz, get matched with your coach, and get a free 7-day trial (no credit card needed) plus $10 off your first month if you join. Live better longer with BUBS Naturals. Get 20% OFF on collagen, MCT creamers, and more with code SHAWN at https://bubsnaturals.com/srs Start your free trial at https://shopify.com/srs Go to https://helixsleep.com/SRS for 20% off site wide and enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! Head to https://factormeals.com/srs50off and use code srs50off to get 50% off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until 10/31/2026. See website for more details. Pierogi Links: Website - https://www.scammerpayback.org Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/scammerpayback TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@scammerpayback Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pierogisp Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scammerpayback X - https://www.twitter.com/scammerpayback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Key Insights

  • Pierogi went from 35 YouTube subscribers in 2019 to nearly 10 million, shifting from entertainment-focused prank calling to serious victims' protection work after meeting a woman who lost $36,000
  • Tech support scams originated in Delhi as legitimate businesses offering real tech support before pivoting to forcing pop-ups on unsuspecting users to create fraudulent calls
  • Scammers can spoof any phone number including banks and government agencies because caller ID is purely software-based, not tied to actual phone lines
  • A single organized scam network had 2,000 victims over 5-6 years stealing $65 million, with the primary perpetrator living in a $10-15 million LA house, suggesting actual criminal proceeds could be 5-10 times reported amounts
  • Scammers use America's own infrastructure against citizens: banking systems, FedEx/UPS, crypto, Amazon, Walmart, Microsoft, and target wealthy neighborhoods where they've purchased data on victim net worth and bank balances
  • Data brokers legally sell complete personal information packages including names, addresses, social security numbers, account balances, and checking account details for approximately $2,500 per block of victims
  • Call center workers are often trafficked individuals working under threat in Indian government buildings at 3 AM, sleeping on cots with rats, and earning minimal pay while bosses profit millions
  • Scammers use Microsoft's built-in Quick Assist tool to gain remote access without triggering antivirus, then install additional software that persists even after restarts, allowing permanent unauthorized access
  • Scammers remove passwords from saved browsers to access victim bank accounts, create email forwarding rules, open crypto accounts in victims' names, and create LLCs to launder money through the victims' identities
  • A single romance scam victim in France was convinced she was talking to Brad Pitt, left her husband, and transferred nearly $1 million using AI-generated hospital photos before discovering the deception
  • Gmail has consistently poor spam protection for years, allowing scammers to bypass filters by embedding malicious links in PDFs rather than directly in emails
  • Pierogi's team can track 100-150 scammers daily with real-time monitoring, listening to active scams, recording evidence, and stopping wire transfers by alerting law enforcement to victim locations
  • When presented with evidence, major corporations like Sig Sauer respond faster than government agencies—Sig Sauer's legal team demanded removal of their firearms from Roblox games within days after exposure
  • Pierogi practices speaking in tongues as a faith discipline where spiritual language bypasses the conscious mind to connect with God, building faith through action rather than understanding
  • He believes the modern church fails by not emphasizing that accepting Jesus as Savior without accepting him as Lord (meaning complete life transformation) produces 'lukewarm' believers who don't escape sin patterns

Topics

International scam call centers and operationsTechnical methods for infiltrating and disrupting scammer networksData brokers and personal information vulnerabilitySpecific scam types and tacticsMoney laundering and cash collection networksLaw enforcement coordination and challengesThe $65 million scam takedown caseLive demonstration of computer access and system destructionWire fraud prevention and victim assistanceGovernment response inadequacy to fraud crisisCyber hygiene and personal protection measuresChristian faith and spiritual warfareSpeaking in tongues and prayer practicesQuantum physics and biblical connectionPersonal authenticity vs. online persona

Transcript

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