ORLANDO, Fla. – As podcasts gain popularity, many individuals are receiving enticing invitations to appear as guests on well-known shows.
These offers, however, may be elaborate schemes designed to compromise personal accounts and financial security.
Invitations from figures like Fearne Cotton, Rachel Hollis and Tony Robbins have been landing in inboxes with promises of exposure and payment, sometimes offering up to $2,000 for just 45 minutes of participation.
But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Makaila Nichols, a bestselling author and motivational speaker, was drawn in by such an invitation.
Nichols, who frequently speaks on podcasts and runs a nonprofit for children, recalls receiving an email that seemed legitimate.
“I know how to use the internet,” Nichols shared. “I’m pretty smart, I get the spammy emails … and here I am, and they got me.”
The scheme typically unfolds with a seemingly routine “tech check” before the show, where crooks gain access to personal accounts.
Nichols recounts her shock at finding that multiple unknown users had infiltrated her business settings, taking control of her Facebook account.
“I rushed over to my computer, and I saw that there were, like, eight accounts in my business admin settings,” she said.
News 6 connected Nichols with cybersecurity expert Chris Hadnagy, known as “The Human Hacker,” who explained the scheme’s next phase.
“They’re going to try to get into your accounts, look for private photos and then they’re going to extort you,” Hadnagy warned.
In Nichols’ case, the scammers didn’t find compromising photos but instead began posting offensive images to her page, as if she were posting them.
The breach went beyond social media: the hackers accessed Nichols’ American Express card linked to her Facebook account, using it to make purchases on Amazon.
“I changed all my passwords, I changed all my stuff, and it’s like, I’m still scared,” Nichols admitted.
As these scams grow more sophisticated, experts urge extreme caution with unsolicited invitations.
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