Logo
Brett Johnson Headshot
Report a problem with this profile
[email protected]

Brett Johnson    

"Original Internet Godfather" & Former United States Most Wanted; Cybersecurity Expert & Consultant; Host of "The Brett Johnson Show"

Former United States Most Wanted, Brett Johnson, referred to by the United States Secret Service as “The Original Internet Godfather,” has been a central figure in the cybercrime world for over 20 years. Mr. Johnson built and led the ShadowCrew, the precursor to today’s darknet markets. He was instrumental in developing many areas of online fraud while helping design, implement, and refine modern Identity Theft, Account Take Over Fraud, Card Not Present Fraud, IRS Tax Fraud, and countless other social engineering attacks, breaches, and hacking operations.

Upon his capture, the United States Secret Service hired Johnson to work as a consultant and informant. Johnson worked with the Secret Service for several months before going on a cross-country crime spree, being placed on the US Most Wanted List, being captured again, sent to prison, escaping prison, being captured yet again, and finally accepting responsibility for his actions. With the help of many, Johnson stepped away from crime and now uses the vast knowledge he has concerning cybersecurity, cybercrime, identity theft, and fraud to help individuals and companies protect themselves from the type of person he used to be.

Today, Johnson is a security consultant and public speaker. He is one of the world's foremost authorities on cybercrime and identity theft. He hosts the podcast "The Brett Johnson Show," where he discusses his life and cybersecurity while teaching listeners how to protect themselves from the type of person he used to be. Johnson has been featured in Kevin Poulsen's book "Kingpin" and on numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, NBC, CNN Money, Wired Magazine, Vice, RT TV, ArsTechnica, The Independent, and more.

Speech Topics

Synthetic Fraud. Synthetic Identity Fraud is the fastest-growing form of identity theft on the planet. It accounts for 80% of all new account fraud, 20% of all credit card chargebacks, and 5% of overall credit card debt. Brett Johnson discusses what it is, how it's committed, and what should be done to mitigate the problem.

Account Takeovers (ATO) Brett discusses a variety of account takeovers, from bot-driven attacks to social engineering schemes, and reverse proxy attacks. Attendees will learn how these attacks happen and how to defend against them.

Scams, Hustles, Frauds, and the Power of Social Engineering. What makes a scam successful? In order for fraud to exist you need to build trust first, either as an individual or as an organization. Brett dives into a variety of scams from Zelle Fraud, and Romance scams, to Crypto Schemes. We learn how criminals develop Trust with potential victims and what you can do to protect yourself.

Understanding the Cybercriminal Mindset. In order to defeat your enemy, you must understand your enemy. In this discussion, we dive deep into the psychology of cybercrime: How attackers think, how they pick their targets, how criminals develop Trust with each other, and more.

The Brett Johnson Story Brett Johnson details his life of crime and redemption. From committing crimes as a child to being convicted of 39 felonies, and placed on the US Most Wanted List.

Money Laundering. Ever wonder how criminals launder stolen funds? Find out in this incredible session

Crypto Currency and Its Criminal Roots Brett Johnson discusses the origins of cryptocurrency and why crime is so ingrained in the vertical.

Business Email Compromise. How BEC works, where it's headed, and what can be don't to mitigate the problem.

Refund Fraud. Brett dives deep into a fraud that is eating every merchant and retailer alive. Find out how it's committed, how criminals network together to succeed, and how to stop it.

Related Speakers View all

More like Brett