“Robin Hood” Hacker Virtually Swoops in to Save Lawrence Woman

Just as a Lawrence widow was about to unknowingly give hackers access to her life savings, her son rushed over, shut down all her devices, and stopped the transfers, in time. How did he know? A “Robin Hood” hacker called the son and told him to get there quickly.

LKPD’s responding officer soon learned of @DEYOCLUB on YouTube. The anonymous content creator who helped the woman and her son secure her funds and lock the scammers out.

“He doesn’t ask for permission,” responding officer Charles Smyser notes. “His goal is essentially to keep people from being scammed. He’s following the scammers, not the victims.”

Officer Smyser reached out to the man, who was using an untraceable phone and, admittedly, a false name. The content creator calls himself a “Gray Hat Hacker” and isn’t in Lawrence.

The anonymous man told Officer Smyser he monitors overseas fraud rings. From the “back door” of the criminal operation, he saw the live connection to the woman’s device, then used public information sources to track down her son and warn him when she didn’t answer.

White, Black, and Gray Hat Hackers

Simply put, technology experts define “White Hat Hackers” as legitimate experts hired by companies to keep their systems secure. “Black Hat Hackers” are the people trying to get into systems for nefarious reasons. The resulting gray area is filled with a spectrum of technology experts, including some who are infiltrating the fraudsters to shut them down.

This “Gray Hat Hacker” says he became aware of the real-world impact of online scams when a close friend was targeted by a romance scam. “I began actively engaging with scammers to better understand their methods and disrupt their operations. What started as a hobby in wasting the scammer’s time, has evolved into a more focused effort to confront scammers, raise awareness and advocate for victims,” says the man known as Deyoclub.

This incident began when the woman received a fraudulent letter, purportedly from PayPal, claiming a phone had been purchased on her account. When she called the number to dispute the charge, she was funneled directly to scammers. For hours, they manipulated her, eventually gaining remote access to her phone. That’s when the scammers began screen-recording her every move, capturing passwords and sensitive data with their sights set on her retirement accounts.

No Money Lost but….

While the legality of “hacking the hackers” remains debatable, the emotional impact for this Lawrence woman and her son was black and white. “They were very appreciative,” Smyser said. “They were just happy there are people out there stopping this.”

Boxed Content:

1. Beware of the “Urgent” Letter or Email
   • If you get a notification about a purchase you didn’t make, never call the phone number listed in the letter or email. Go directly to the official website or the official app to check your transaction history.
2. Never Grant Remote Access
   • A legitimate company will never ask to “remote into” your phone or computer to fix an order. If someone asks you to download an app like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or Zoho, hang up.
3. Recognize the “Boss” Tactic
   • High-pressure escalations are a hallmark of fraud. Passing the phone from a female to a supervising male is a common psychological trick. Remember that you are the customer. You have the power to hang up and call the bank’s verified number.
4. Monitor Your Public Footprint
   • While in this case, public information was used to locate help, scammers use the same tools to find relatives and make their lies more convincing.