Rephonic
Artwork for What the Hack?

What the Hack?

DeleteMe
Identity Theft
Cybersecurity
Cryptocurrency
Cybercrime
Scams
Fraud
Romance Scams
Financial Awareness
Sextortion
Financial Literacy
Family Dynamics
Online Dating
Youth Safety Online
Mental Health
Privacy
Emotional Trauma
Artificial Intelligence
Onboarding Scams
Online Dating Scams
Pig Butchering

"What the Hack?" is the award-winning true cybercrime podcast--the place to hear memorable stories and get good advice.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes250Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyTrue Crime

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for What the Hack?

Latest Episodes

Data as duh-duh. It's all is out there—indexed, sold, and weaponized. Open source intelligence turns public records into a hacker's playground, your LinkedIn profile is dangerous, but you can still claw back a little privacy before it's gone for good... more

The whisper: A downed U.S. pilot was located by tracking his heartbeat from 40 miles away. Real, or fake news to rattle Iran? Benn Jordan and physicist Chad Orzel help us separate the science fiction from the real threats we all face right now.

Lear... more

You’ve heard how the compounds work. This week we go inside one—through the eyes of Small Q, an Ugandan musician who was trafficked in and got out—also: Erin West of Operation Shamrock on the bigger picture.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m... more

Christopher Anderson has spent thirty years in high-stakes situations—war zones, sinking boats, the current White House. What he’s learned about the information people don’t know they’re giving away is the privacy lesson you need to hear.​​​​​​​​​​​​... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Click Here
Click HereRecorded Future News
Hacking Humans
Hacking HumansN2K Networks
Hacked
HackedHacked
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Recent Guests

Christopher Anderson
Magnum photographer known for war photography and portraits
Magnum Photos / Vanity Fair
Episode: Episode 245: A Professional Noticer of Things
Tracy Chou
Prominent advocate for diversity data; former Facebook/Quora/Pinterest engineer; founder of Block Party
Block Party/Delete Me
Episode: Episode 244: Inside Tracy Chou's Block Party for Social Media
John Gaines
Independent cybersecurity researcher, Red Team security specialist
Gainesec
Episode: Episode 242: Surveillance in America, Pt 2: Flock You Very Much
Al Franken
Former senator and special guest performing a political-satire sketch about privacy
Former U.S. Senator (Minnesota)
Episode: Al Franken Holds a Mock Senate Hearing on Privacy with Siri and Alexa (Bonus)
Jason Koebler
Co-founder of 404 Media and former editor-in-chief of Vice's Motherboard
404 Media
Episode: Episode 241: Surveillance in America, Pt 1: Somebody's Watching You
Benn Jordan
Musician/YouTuber known for privacy and surveillance experiments
Self/YouTube
Episode: Episode 241: Surveillance in America, Pt 1: Somebody's Watching You
Jay Stanley
Senior Policy Analyst with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project
ACLU
Episode: Episode 241: Surveillance in America, Pt 1: Somebody's Watching You
Kathy Stokes
Director of Fraud Prevention at AARP
AARP
Episode: Episode 239: Is AARP Doing More than the FBI to Stop Scams?
Charlotte Jump
VP of Customer Success at Outthink, an AI-driven cybersecurity company focusing on human risk management.
Outthink
Episode: Episode 238: The Phone Call that Broke the Bank

Host

Beau Friedlander
Host and producer focusing on cybersecurity storytelling and investigative framing.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 586 ratings
  • I looooooveee thissssssss

    Hm

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pheandparkercrashmoe
    United States2 months ago
  • Nice popcast

    Great value

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kael2809
    United States3 months ago
  • Why it was so goodddd

    It was the best little story and that's why I love this app

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Coconut cococ
    United States3 months ago
  • They could make it more intriguing

    Solid topics just kinda boring

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DJ_Fox2000
    United States3 months ago
  • Yea, im only here for the rewards

    yeaaaaa

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Harris Nguyen284
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High excitement for real‑world security tips and investigative reporting.
Some listeners feel the show leans political; overall quality remains high.
Balanced host approach with strong expert guests.
Thoughtful deep dives into privacy and cybercrime with practical takeaways.

Top True Crime Podcasts

Crime Junkie
Crime JunkieAudiochuck
Love Trapped
Love TrappediHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBCNBC News
Morbid
MorbidAsh Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
48 Hours
48 HoursCBS News
20/20
20/20ABC News
The Idiot
The IdiotSerial Productions & The New York Times
Betrayal Season 5
Betrayal Season 5iHeartPodcasts | Glass Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 246: Trafficked: Part Three, Asian Scam Compounds
Q: How big was the scam compound and what was the setup like inside?
The compound was enormous, consisting of a town-like complex with multiple factories or 'companies' on a large plot, resembling a self-contained town with living quarters, security, and a mass operation to recruit and exploit workers.
Episode 241: Surveillance in America, Pt 1: Somebody's Watching You
Q: Why is the ACLU interested in surveillance?
Because surveillance raises fundamental questions about power, freedom, and the ability to express oneself without coercion or fear, touching on First Amendment rights and the potential chilling effects of pervasive monitoring.
Episode 240: Who’s Watching the Watchers?
Q: What do parents need to understand about the choices they're making when it comes to their children's data?
Parents should check in with their feelings about privacy, opt out of unnecessary data collection, and ask for data privacy statements from schools.
Episode 238: The Phone Call that Broke the Bank
Q: What is cyber risk management and human cyber risk management in plain English?
It's about understanding and taking steps to reduce different cyber risks affecting a business, with the aim of preventing breaches.
Episode 239: Is AARP Doing More than the FBI to Stop Scams?
Q: What are some recent successes in legislation that give you hope?
Kathy mentions that there is increasing interest at the federal and state levels to address fraud, with bipartisan support for bills like the Guard Act, which aims to train local law enforcement to tackle scams.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About What the Hack?

What is What the Hack? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show explores the high-stakes world of cybercrime, privacy, and digital risk through investigative reporting, expert commentary, and real‑world case studies. Recent episodes scrutinize mass surveillance infrastructures, data ownership, and the balance between public safety and civil liberties, often featuring policy analysts, journalists, and security researchers. The discussions frequently connect practical security lessons to broader societal impacts, from fraud and scams targeting everyday users to the design flaws in widely deployed technologies. A standout aspect is the series' willingness to challenge tech narratives with hands‑on demonstrations, legal perspectives, and actionable tips for listeners to protect themselves online.

Where can I find podcast stats for What the Hack??

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for What the Hack?. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to What the Hack? and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does What the Hack? get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for What the Hack?, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for What the Hack??

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for What the Hack?, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does What the Hack? have?

To see how many followers or subscribers What the Hack? has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to What the Hack??

These podcasts share a similar audience with What the Hack?:

1. Click Here
2. Hacking Humans
3. Hacked
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. Cybersecurity Headlines

How many episodes of What the Hack? are there?

What the Hack? launched 5 years ago and published 250 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact What the Hack??

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for What the Hack??

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for What the Hack? from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for What the Hack??

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of What the Hack?. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on What the Hack??

Recent guests on What the Hack? include:

1. Christopher Anderson
2. Tracy Chou
3. John Gaines
4. Al Franken
5. Jason Koebler
6. Benn Jordan
7. Jay Stanley
8. Kathy Stokes

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days