OSINT Weekly Review 2025.41. Just enough fraud to go around.

Just enough fraud to go around.

🛡️ In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Mason Wilder, CFE, Research Director of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), shares how to protect your information online. Wilder discusses common fraud schemes prevalent today and provides strategies to mitigate these threats.

💸 While AI can be a boost to productivity in the workplace, it can also ramp up the possibility of fraud. A recent study published by online payments news site PYMNTS found that “68 percent of organizations encountered at least one fraud attempt” through their accounts payable services, including fake employee receipt submissions. If you are a business owner, are you aware of how AI may be impacting your establishment? If you’re an employee, have you seen this behavior around you?

💰 From Indicator Media, another stellar guide for determining if a social media account is monetized. From the guide: “There are lots of ways to make money on a social platform: sponsored content, affiliate marketing, ecommerce, ad revenue share. One of the most notable recent trends is that creators are increasingly being paid directly by platforms.” This guide breaks down different ways to identify monetized accounts on social platforms, including a detailed look at new tools to help your investigation. (Paywalled, but worth the subscription)

⛓️The Algorithmic Literacy for Journalists project helps journalists understand the functions, impacts, and ethics of algorithms. Designed for journalists, this is a valuable resource for OSINT investigators to learn about shadow banning, blacklisting, changes to algorithmic technology, and the role of AI in algorithms. Recommend adding this to your OSINT resource toolbox.

Selected Upcoming Training:

🌍 The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) will be hosting a free session on Mapping Illicit Hubs in Africa. Since 2022, the GI-TOC has been building a comprehensive map of 350 illicit hubs across West Africa and parts of Central Africa. These hubs are locations where illicit economies converge, and where their impact on conflict and instability can be assessed.

What: Mapping Illicit Hubs in Africa
When: 20 Oct 9:00 EDT / 13:00 GMT / 15:00 CEST

🗣️ i-intelligence will host a free webinar on elicitation skills. Get a little HUMINT for your OSINT! DM Skip Schiphorst on LinkedIn to attend or send an email to [email protected] . Check out the course flyer for more information. For more information on other i-Intelligence training courses (which I highly recommend), check out their training catalog.

What: Elicitation Skills
When: 15 Oct 15:00 GMT

🎙️Skopenow OSINT Live 2025 will be held on 15 Oct and run throughout the day, with a series of sessions covering OSINT and investigative topics from experts in various fields. Registration is free. Completely virtual.

What: Skopenow Presents OSINT Live 2025
When: 9:00–14:15 EDT