The United States has always been full of scammers, from snake oil salesmen promising miracle cures, to stockbrokers selling Ponzi schemes.  

But now, swindlers and thieves have a new tool in their toolbox: AI. 

The FBI says cybercrimes involving AI stole nearly a billion dollars from 22,000 Americans last year. And the situation is only getting worse. 

On today's episode, AI has turbocharged the scam industry. So, how can we protect ourselves? 

GUESTS:

Andrea Alegrett, an assistant the Washington Attorney General's office.

Yuki Ishizuka, Technology Policy Manager, Washington Attorney General's office. 

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

The United States has always been full of scammers, from snake oil salesmen promising miracle cures, to stockbrokers selling Ponzi schemes.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But now, swindlers and thieves have a new tool in their toolbox: AI.&nbsp;
The FBI says cybercrimes&nbsp;involving AI stole&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2025_IC3Report.pdf">nearly a billion dollars from 22,000 Americans</a> last year.&nbsp;And the situation is only getting worse.&nbsp;
On today's episode, AI has turbocharged the scam industry. So,&nbsp;how&nbsp;can&nbsp;we&nbsp;protect&nbsp;ourselves?&nbsp;
GUESTS:
Andrea Alegrett, an assistant the Washington Attorney General's office.
Yuki Ishizuka, Technology Policy Manager, Washington Attorney General's office.&nbsp;
Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at&nbsp;<a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

The FBI says cybercrimes involving AI stole nearly a billion dollars from 22,000 Americans last year. And the situation is only getting worse. 

AI supercharged scammers. Here's how to protect yourself

It's not your imagination. Booking popular experiences in our national parks can feel impossible if you're a mere mortal. Going for a permit to backpack The Enchantments or a campsite on Diablo Lake is kind of like buying a lottery ticket these days. 

The reason our parks are starting to feel like the Hunger Games arena comes down to bots, artificial intelligence, and the government's top cyber security contractor.  

On today's episode, is there anything we humans can do to take back our public lands from the bots?

GUEST: Heather Hansman, freelance writer and editor. She recently wrote a piece for the nonprofit newsroom RE:PUBLIC and Wired titled, "The US Built a Site to Ensure Fair Access to Public Lands, Then Everything Went Wrong."

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

It's not your imagination. Booking popular experiences in our national parks can feel impossible if you're a mere mortal.&nbsp;Going for a permit to backpack The Enchantments or a campsite on Diablo Lake is kind of like buying a lottery ticket these days.&nbsp;
The reason our parks are starting to feel like the Hunger Games arena comes down to bots, artificial intelligence, and the government's top cyber security contractor.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On today's episode, is there anything we humans can do to take back our public lands from the bots?
GUEST: <a href="https://heatherhansman.com/">Heather Hansman</a>, freelance writer and editor. She recently wrote a piece for the nonprofit newsroom RE:PUBLIC and Wired titled, "<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-built-a-site-to-ensure-fair-access-to-public-lands-then-everything-went-wrong/">The US Built a Site to Ensure Fair Access to Public Lands, Then Everything Went Wrong</a>."
Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at&nbsp;<a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

The reason our parks are starting to feel like the Hunger Games arena comes down to bots, artificial intelligence, and the government's top cyber security contractor. 

How bots took over our national parks

Economic anxiety has reached a fever pitch.  

Mortgage rates are creeping back up, there’s a war on, and companies seem more focused on investing in AI than hiring people. 

Many Americans are worried about their finances, but still splurging more than they’re saving, especially the youngest generations. When they don't have savings, they're taking on debt. 

There’s a name for this phenomenon – it's called "Doom Spending." 

On today's episode, Gen Z is spending like never before ... and they’re not the only ones. So what happens to the economy over the long term when so many people are spending like there’s no tomorrow? 

GUEST: Shikha Jain, lead partner for Simon-Kucher's consumer practice in North America. Read her report on the New American Dream here. 

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Economic anxiety has reached a fever pitch.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mortgage rates are creeping back up,&nbsp;there&rsquo;s&nbsp;a war on, and&nbsp;companies&nbsp;seem&nbsp;more&nbsp;focused on&nbsp;investing&nbsp;in AI than hiring people.&nbsp;
Many Americans are worried about their finances, but still splurging more than they&rsquo;re saving, especially the youngest generations. When they don't have savings, they're taking on debt.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a name for this phenomenon &ndash; it's called "Doom Spending."&nbsp;
On today's episode, Gen Z is spending like never before ... and they&rsquo;re not the only ones. So what happens to the economy over the long term when so many people are spending like there&rsquo;s no tomorrow?&nbsp;
GUEST: <a href="https://www.simon-kucher.com/en/who-we-are/leadership-specialists/shikha-jain">Shikha Jain</a>, lead partner for Simon-Kucher's consumer practice in North America. Read her report on the New American Dream <a href="https://www.simon-kucher.com/en/insights/new-american-dream">here</a>.&nbsp;
Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at&nbsp;<a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Many Americans are worried about their finances, but still splurging more than they’re saving, especially the youngest generations. When they don't have savings, they're taking on debt. 

Buy now, worry later? How 'Doom Spending' is taking over the economy

App fatigue is causing more and more singles to break up with online dating. Instead of swiping, people are turning to matchmakers and other ways to find love I-R-L... often spending thousands of dollars in the process.  

Seattle is becoming a city of singles. And that’s turned one of the world’s oldest businesses into one of the hottest new ones. 

On today's episode, matchmaking is having a moment. Could it solve what some are calling the 'relationship recession' and help the economy as well?

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

App fatigue is causing more and more singles to break up with online dating. Instead of swiping, people are turning to matchmakers and other ways to find love I-R-L... often spending thousands of dollars in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Seattle is becoming a city of singles. And&nbsp;that&rsquo;s&nbsp;turned&nbsp;one of the world&rsquo;s oldest businesses&nbsp;into&nbsp;one of the hottest new ones.&nbsp;
On today's episode, matchmaking is having a moment. Could it solve what some are calling the 'relationship recession' and help the economy as well?
Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at&nbsp;<a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Seattle is becoming a city of singles. And that’s turned one of the world’s oldest businesses into one of the hottest new ones. 

AI supercharged scammers. Here's how to protect yourself

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