Tech Friday w/ Dave Hatter - Sponsored by Intrust IT - 5/8/2026

In this episode of Tech Friday, Dave Hatter returns to discuss the growing threat of social media scams and the hidden risks of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. He highlights a recent FTC report revealing over $2.1 billion in losses from social media fraud, emphasizing that this is likely a fraction of the true total due to underreporting. Hatter warns that most scammers are not tech experts but professional con artists leveraging personal data from platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Discord to manipulate victims through romance scams or fake investment schemes. He draws a parallel to televangelist fraud, noting how the scale of digital reach allows criminals to profit from just a tiny percentage of targets. The conversation then shifts to IoT devices, particularly smart headphones, which collect sensitive biometric data like heart rate, brainwave activity, and location—often without meaningful privacy protections. Hatter criticizes the lack of transparency, consent, and user control, urging listeners to question whether they truly need such devices and to read privacy policies carefully. He stresses the importance of strong, unique passwords, password managers, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), warning that compromised email accounts can lead to total identity theft. Despite MFA not being foolproof, it acts as a critical barrier that most attackers will bypass in favor of easier targets.