171: Melody Fraud
Summary
Host Jack Rhysider interviews Andrew, a former black-hat marketer who manipulated social media algorithms to artificially inflate popularity. After pivoting to build a blockchain tool for music labels, Andrew discovered massive streaming fraud, including botnets and hijacked prison tablets. He now leads a company that detects and demonetizes fraudulent streams, protecting artists from financial loss by identifying impossible listening patterns and manipulated data feeds.
Topics discussed
Fake it till you make it and imposter syndrome
Sponsors: Delete Me and SpyCloud
Andrew's background in black hat marketing
Early social media manipulation and likejacking
Guerrilla marketing vs. fraud and podcast charts
Transition to blockchain and music industry auditing
Detecting streaming fraud and botnets
Prison tablet botnets and account takeovers
The scale of streaming fraud and data privacy
How streaming payouts enable money laundering
Terrorist financing via streaming services
Conclusion and final thoughts on fraud
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