Welcome to the Cybersecured Podcast, Hawaii’s #1 Cybersecurity Podcast. My name is Attila and I wanted to share something fascinating I came across recently.
There is a 160-year-old famous quote attributed to Charles Darwin that goes like this:
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change".
This is a great concept that’s more relevant now than ever, especially considering the unstable ground on which we find ourselves as it pertains internet at large, misinformation, cybercrime and AI.
The quote highlights how flexibility is crucial to coming out on top after a security incident.
In fact, I have a twist that I bet you didn’t see coming. Even though that quote is widely attributed to Charles Darwin, it has never been found in any of his works.
It’s actually a 1963 paraphrase published by Professor Leon C. Megginson during his tenure at the Louisiana State University’s business school. So…misinformation! So be skeptical of “facts” as they could be misleading.
And now, moving on! You’ll notice that this episode’s format is a little different than our previous ones. The following segment is from a video recording Matt and I did on a local Podcast called “Covering the Cost” about protecting your money from Cybercriminals. If you’re wondering what Matt and I actually look like, there is a link to the video of the Podcast on YouTube in the show notes for this episode. I hope you enjoy it! Stay safe out there!
https://www.youtube.com/live/EvpyRakTKio?si=3-zrievFB2LUMpUl
In the Hawaii News Now studio, I’m Analisa Bergos, your host. Joining us today for this inaugural podcast are our two guests from CYPAC. No teleprompters here, guys. Attila Ses is the president and owner, and Matthew Kent is our senior technician, joining us to tell us more. Today’s topic is cybercrime.
We’ve been talking about this through the holidays because that is the number one fear of consumers: online shopping and getting defrauded. Now that we’re into 2026, I wanted to bring these guys on to talk to us about trends they’re seeing in online crime. I know in previous years the FBI said $55 million has been lost by Hawaii users. So set the stage for us as we go into 2026. Let’s start with you.
Yeah, you bring up some good stats. Every year it gets worse. I think we can all agree on that. Those stats, $55 million from Hawaii only, were for 2024. For 2025, we estimate it’s going to be about 30 percent higher. So we’re looking around $75 to $80 million in losses. And that’s just a small drop in the bucket. This is a multi-billion-dollar U.S. business and a multi-trillion-dollar global business.
You’re probably wondering how this is growing so much and how it’s possible. We’re all smart people. We all have tech. The older generation now has newer devices and better protections out there. So how is this growing so quickly? It’s because we now have not just AI, but an entire ecosystem. This is an industry. Much the same way as you might go into a hospital and say, “My back hurts.” They know exactly what to do. A, B, C, D, E. They’ve got a checklist. Cybercrime has grown the same way.
Now there’s an entire ecosystem of people trained just to break into networks. There’s another group assigned just to sell access to those networks. Others create ransomware and malicious software. It’s growing every year.
You mentioned the holidays were a terrifying time for people because we saw a lot of scams coming in. Many of them revolved around false delivery notices. We get these texts saying, “We couldn’t deliver your Christmas package.” Panic sets in. We go to a website, enter our username and password, and suddenly the bad guys are inside our accounts. They use that access to repeat the scam, sending it to the next person in your contact list and doing it all over again.
Maybe it helps to illustrate this with stories, because people remember stories. Matt had a great one from just a couple weeks ago. A woman called in, and it really stood out.
She had spoken to you first. She said someone had called or texted her claiming her Apple account had been broken into. She called us completely stressed out and said, “Oh my gosh, I’m so stressed right now. I’ve got the hackers on hold.” At the time, she didn’t know they were hackers. She thought she was talking to Apple.
What made her suspicious was that at one point she was transferred to a supervisor. While waiting on hold, she heard a toilet flush.
Oh wow.
Yeah. That’s when she knew something was off. The accent was also thick, which added to her concern. That’s when she called us.
She was frantic when she reached out, and this is great advice for anyone listening. When you’re suspicious, stop and take a breath. I actually told her to stand up because she was sitting down. Stand up and do a full turn. Change your physical position and your perspective. Breathe and think through what’s happening.
Does someone on the phone asking you to go to a Bitcoin ATM really sound like Apple?
That’s a good point.
It used to be gift cards, but that tactic has worn itself out. People are more aware now. Warnings are everywhere. I once saw an older woman buying a stack of gift cards and warned her, only to learn she was buying legitimate gifts. She still thanked me because she knew scams like that existed. Now scammers are shifting to crypto ATMs, which many people did not even realize existed. You can find them in grocery stores and convenience stores.
We recently did a story on this and talked to convenience store owners who host these machines. The ATM operators pay for the space, so store owners see it as easy money. But they also notice that most users are older adults.
That’s exactly what’s happening. Younger people rarely use them. The unfortunate part is that crypto ATM companies make money off these transactions. Lawsuits have shown links between scammers and these exchanges, but because victims technically authorize the transaction, they are often held responsible. The ATM companies are not, and they profit significantly, which means there is little incentive to change.
Some lawmakers are starting to look into this to protect residents, but it highlights how quickly these scams evolve. A few years ago it was gift cards. Now it’s crypto. If crypto ATMs disappear, scammers will move on to something else.
This is why education matters. People need to recognize fear and urgency as red flags. That is how scammers operate.
It’s easy to look back and think victims should have known better, but these scams work because they exploit human psychology. Our instincts are ancient. Fear, authority, urgency, and trust are powerful motivators, and criminals study how to use them.
I’ve personally gone after scammers before. I’ve accessed their systems, reviewed their scripts, and seen how methodical they are. They target people when their guard is down, especially during the holidays.
Even people in cybersecurity are not immune. At one point, while driving for Uber, I received a call from someone claiming to be Uber support. They said there was an issue with my account. I believed them.
You were also driving at the time.
Exactly. I was distracted. I work in this field and still fell for it. It wasn’t until the next day, when I saw an alert that someone else had logged into my account, that alarm bells went off.
He didn’t need much information because he had already demonstrated access to internal details like my location. That made him seem legitimate. What finally raised concern was when he asked me to read back a code he sent me. That code was multi-factor authentication. Once you read that aloud, you unlock the door.
Fortunately, I was able to regain control of my account before money was stolen. Once the scammer realized I knew what was happening, he cursed at me and hung up.
And that’s common. Once they’re caught, the act ends.
If professionals can fall for this, what hope does everyone else have? The answer is awareness and communication. We send weekly alerts to educate the public about current threats. Being informed makes scams easier to recognize.
We also use podcasts and community outreach to remind people to be skeptical, especially now with AI. AI has eliminated poor grammar and obvious red flags. Scams now sound polished, convincing, and human.
There is no such thing as perfect security. The best defense is having someone you trust to talk to. When people panic, they make mistakes. Slowing down, stepping back, and asking for a second opinion can prevent devastating outcomes.
The most important advice is simple: when in doubt, reach out. Hang up and call back. Verify independently. Talk to someone you trust. It is okay to be skeptical. It is okay to be rude. You are allowed to hang up.
Cyber fitness is the new reality. Just like physical health, it requires awareness, habits, and support. That is how we protect ourselves going into 2026.