My interest in scams didn’t start in the field. It started with how we tell scam stories: the Anna Delvey profile, the viral fraud documentaries, the true-crime treatment that turns deception into spectacle. Those media studies led me to build an archive of fraud media narratives, which eventually led to conversations with researchers and case workers at organizations like GASO. What I keep coming back to is how much gets lost when scams are told as personality-driven dramas, criminals, victims, rescuers, rather than as a system held up by platforms, financial infrastructure, and ordinary incentives. That’s the territory I’m still exploring: the gap between the scam stories we’re told and the systems that make them possible.
Every Monday, I publish the Library of Cons, a Substack that delivers the latest news on con artists, cyber alerts, scammers, security-compromising software bugs, and some cleverly placed irrelevant content to show you how to build digital resilience against scams. Read every issue below.
External publications highlighted in grey.
On The Emotional Cost of Financial Fraud
July 13, 2026
GiveAnHour.org
Companion article to LOC #36, externally published on Give an Hour blog.
Library of Cons #36: Give an Hour and SilverShield offer new resources and support after the scam
Week of July 13, 2026
When someone asks “How much did you lose?” the cost is more than financial. Nearly three in four scam victims (73%) have experienced a negative effect on their mental health.
Library of Cons #35: Americans lost an estimated $68 Billion to scams in 2025
Week of July 6, 2026
Less than one-quarter of that made it to the FTC. Stop Scams Alliance-Gallup study finds why so many people never report at all. Join the discussion and share on LinkedIn.
Library of Cons #34: Global Anti-Scam Alliance’s State of Scams USA 2026 report now available as scams surge across the country
Week of June 29, 2026
High exposure to scams plus high confidence and low reporting is a combination that’s working in scammers’ favor. How can we get ahead? View the new research from GASA (Global Anti-Scam Alliance). Share on LinkedIn.
Library of Cons #33: There’s no stopping AI-generated Deepfakes. So what can we do?
Week of June 23, 2026
The New York Times reports digital forensics can’t keep up with deepfake technology. How can we fight deepfake scams while strengthening rather than getting in the way of our connections? LOC interviews Jonathan Bateman, founder of Real Recognizes Real (realxreal.ai), an app that creates a new type of MFA based on shared memories.
Library of Cons #32: How does a scammer plan an event?
Week of June 15, 2026
In the middle of summer sporting events like the World Cup, we look at digital wallet fraud and the timeline of risk infrastructure before, during, and after an event through new research by Feedzai.
Library of Cons #31: Words on Iran
Week of June 8, 2026
In memory of Persepolis author Marjane Satrapi, we review poetry and literature from the Iranian diaspora.
Library of Cons #30: How do you help a scam victim?
Week of June 1, 2026
Taking a pause from identifying and stopping fraud to invite you to a free webinar co-presented by Give An Hour and SilverShield on how to strengthen our response to scams.
Guide on How To Stay Safer on Telegram
May 27, 2026
GlobalAntiScam.org
Library of Cons #29: Who’s going down with the ship?
Week of May 22, 2026
These are the latest on antiscam bills that are currently passing through Congress. Then, for a somewhat fun update on the Prince Group expose, let’s look at photos of Chen Zhi’s seized superyacht.
Library of Cons #28: Results of the Technical Hiring Survey now available!
Week of May 18, 2026
Identity verification is technical hiring’s biggest challenge from all sides. I interview 20 people (recruiters and job seekers) in the Technical Hiring Survey on both sides of the hiring process to find the ghosts.
Library of Cons #27: RightsCon cancelled due to foreign interference
Week of May 4, 2026
The world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age was cancelled abruptly. We got the scoop.
Library of Cons #23: From Scam Documentation to Publishing House
Week of March 3, 2026
New book (edited by yours truly) on Amazon Kindle delivers a frontline account of the enforcement gap in Southeast Asia’s scam economy.
Reviewer’s note in:
Behind the Headlines: A Frontline Account of Southeast Asia’s Billion Dollar Scam Industry
Amazon Kindle
Library of Cons #20: Anti-Doxing Guide
Week of Feb 9, 2026
To prevent identity theft and help create a safer internet for all, refer to these anti-doxing guidelines and best practices.
Library of Cons #17: What does a Picasso painting and a $30 Million yacht have in common?
Week of Jan 12, 2026
Let’s follow the story of the 37-year-old founder of Prince Group who is wanted by the US government for operating forced labor compounds and fraudulently raising $15 billion in cryptocurrency.
This is not catphishing. It’s an assembly line: Alice Guo and the Organized Fraud Infrastructure
Jan 8, 2026
GlobalAntiScam.org
Breaking: Chen Zhi (陈志) Arrested in Cambodia and Extradited to China — Implications for Global Scam Networks
Jan 7, 2026
GlobalAntiScam.org
Library of Cons #15: Holidays are a time for connection
Week of Dec 29, 2025
Library of Cons asks advocates, builders and leaders in anti-scam services and technology for their favorite holiday movies. This issue features Identity Theft Resource Center, Malwarebytes, Give An Hour, and Guardianly AI. This is a fun issue – check it out!
Library of Cons #14: Let’s Get Your Money Back
Week of Dec 22, 2025
If you’ve been victimized by a scam and lost money, here is a roadmap guide on how to recover your funds.
Recover Your Funds: A Guide for Scam Victims Based in the US
Dec 22, 2026
GlobalAntiScam.org
Library of Cons #13: What’s the fastest way to build a safer digital environment?
What’s the fastest way to build a safer digital environment? We can start by making technology that simply recognizes peoples’ names, using new research coming out of the UK. In this feature, we interview the “I Am Not A Typo” collective. Plus, a London media channel offers an exclusive report on scam compounds, which is shared in our OSINT news round-up.
Library of Cons #12: We’re all people.
Week of Dec 8, 2025
There are people who scam, and there are people who fight the scams. I travel to Washington DC to join a legion of cross-sector industry leaders fighting scams and shares more in this editorial. Learn more about the Global Anti-Scam Alliance State of Scams 2025 Report, the US Government’s newly formed Scam Center Strike Force, and more.
Library of Cons #11: Coalition Building
Week of Dec 2, 2025
What does the Philippines and the United States have in common? I talk with Brian Hanley, Director of Global Anti-Scam Alliance in Asia-Pacific, and review the latest research in the APAC region from both GASA and the World Bank.
Library of Cons #10: Julia shares simple strategies to both prevent Thanksgiving family drama and save your parents from falling for scams
Week of Nov 24, 2025
The only newsletter you need to read this week of Thanksgiving. Learn more about common scams targeting people ages 60+, advocacy from the National Council on Aging, and creative strategies you can use to teach your family members the latest in scam prevention methods.
Library of Cons #9: Be present.
Week of Nov 17, 2025
Triple-check everything on your shopping list. Or be the present. I share tips on how to prevent scams while shopping for the holidays, how to verify charities for annual giving campaigns, and the latest research on global scams.
Library of Cons #8: Industrialized Scam Centers Found Operating Around the World
Week of Nov 10, 2025
From the Country of Georgia to the State of Georgia, Dr. Megan Squire, Threat Intelligence Researcher with F-Secure, talks with Editor Julia Lipscomb on the latest scam research.
Library of Cons #7: Financial fraud is the most common cause of identity theft
Week of Nov 3, 2025
Here are some ways to stay safer online and protect your loved ones as you begin shopping for the holidays. Because we all deserve joy this season!
Library of Cons #6: We’re building newer and better ways for you to protect your digital identity from theft & leaks
Week of Oct 27, 2025
Your scam librarian shares 3 apps that you can use to start protecting yourself now, starting with 3 apps available on your smart phone’s app store.
Library of Cons #5: History & Future of Phishing
Week of Oct 20, 2025
Julia shares how to protect yourself from phishing scams and confesses to cringing every time she reads an anti-phishing article with the same “bait-and-hook” style alegria art. Learn more about research from the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report and find support during the government shutdown.
Library of Cons #4: Resilience is a virtue
Week of Oct 13, 2025
Learn more about the latest in anti-scam news including recent transformation of the FBI & CISA, an outsourced provider leaking data, EA Games playing investors like Sims, how to win $2 million, and more.
Library of Cons #3: what data
Week of Oct 6, 2025
Cybersecurity Awareneness Month kicks off new research from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance with the State of Scams USA 2025 report. We share all the latest anti-scam news and support services even during the US government shutdown.
Library of Cons #2: We lose $16 Billion per year to internet crimes
Week of Sep 29, 2025
Phishing. Smishing. QR-code-ishing. Does it feel like scams are everywhere? Well, it’s cause they are. I uncover the latest research from the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, IBM’s The Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, and Deloitte’s Sixth Connected Consumer Study.
Library of Cons #1: On Anna Delvey
Week of Sep 23, 2025
In its inaugural issue after building an archive of Anna Delvey news articles, I pay homage to Anna, known as the “Soho Grifter” for allegedly defrauding investment banks and five-star hotels, with coverage of the infamous (alleged) con artist at New York Fashion Week – before diving into a new pursuit covering scams worldwide.