Episode
#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
1:19:41
Published: Sat Jul 23 2022
Description
Brett Johnson is referred to by the United States Secret Service as "The Original Internet Godfather", he was the Founder and Leader of Counterfeit Library and Shadow Crew and has been a central figure in the cybercrime world for almost 20 years. Brett has been a lifelong criminal, he was committing crimes from inside the Secret Service's own offices, then after being sent to prison he escaped from prison and went on the run to Disneyland, all while defrauding millions. This story is one of the wildest things I've ever heard. Expect to learn what it feels like to be on the FBI's Most Wanted list, what actually happened with the Solar Winds hack, how Brett was involved in the origins of the darknet, his thoughts on Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road, the closest calls Brett had to being killed, how he evaded capture for so long, whether he thinks Julian Assange is a criminal or a hero and much more... Sponsors: Get the Whoop 4.0 for free and get your first month for free at http://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM) Extra Stuff: Check out Brett's website - https://www.anglerphish.com/ Follow Brett on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GOllumfun Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/
Chapters
In this episode, Joe Rogan interviews Brett Johnson, the founder and leader of Counterfeit Library and Shadow Crew and a central figure in cybercrime world for almost 20 years.
00:00 - 01:12 (01:12)
Summary
In this episode, Joe Rogan interviews Brett Johnson, the founder and leader of Counterfeit Library and Shadow Crew and a central figure in cybercrime world for almost 20 years. He talks about his criminal past, including his time on the FBI's most wanted list and his escape from prison, as well as his involvement in the origins of the Darknet, his thoughts on Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road, and much more.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
Summary
This transcript includes ads for Whoop and Surfshark.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
A former fugitive shares his experience of constantly being on the run, committing various frauds and trying to escape the psychological trauma that came with it.
06:28 - 10:50 (04:21)
Summary
A former fugitive shares his experience of constantly being on the run, committing various frauds and trying to escape the psychological trauma that came with it.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
A man recounts his experience of selling Beanie Baby Elephant and rare cards, and then money laundering to cash out that money.
10:50 - 15:33 (04:43)
Summary
A man recounts his experience of selling Beanie Baby Elephant and rare cards, and then money laundering to cash out that money.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The CVV1 hack involves acquiring customer names and full track two data from the magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards, which is used by criminals to encode counterfeit cards and withdraw money from ATMs.
15:33 - 20:15 (04:41)
Summary
The CVV1 hack involves acquiring customer names and full track two data from the magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards, which is used by criminals to encode counterfeit cards and withdraw money from ATMs. The forum for carders had vouching systems in place, review systems, and escrow systems with the purpose to build trust among criminals who didn't know each other, but Albert Gonzalez who was hired as the techie was involved in selling stolen credit card details and the CVV1 hack.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
A scammer explains how he used fraudulent tax returns to make quick cash, traveling to ATMs across the country and withdrawing large sums of money before returning home to stash the cash.
20:15 - 23:36 (03:21)
Summary
A scammer explains how he used fraudulent tax returns to make quick cash, traveling to ATMs across the country and withdrawing large sums of money before returning home to stash the cash.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The cyber crime environment is fueled by ego, as individuals seek to gain status and respect by showing off their abilities in areas such as programming and social manipulation.
23:36 - 30:30 (06:54)
Summary
The cyber crime environment is fueled by ego, as individuals seek to gain status and respect by showing off their abilities in areas such as programming and social manipulation. This dynamic is similar to other online communities such as Reddit.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The recent SolarWinds hack resulted in Russian hackers gaining access to the emails of SolarWinds' clients, including multiple US government agencies, by exploiting known vulnerabilities and using a widely available password.
30:30 - 35:18 (04:47)
Summary
The recent SolarWinds hack resulted in Russian hackers gaining access to the emails of SolarWinds' clients, including multiple US government agencies, by exploiting known vulnerabilities and using a widely available password.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The only people in North Korea who have access to the internet and have escaped the country are young defectors, many of whom were part of maths competitions.
35:18 - 43:47 (08:29)
Summary
The only people in North Korea who have access to the internet and have escaped the country are young defectors, many of whom were part of maths competitions. The speaker also questions whether the US has the courage to do what China, Russia or North Korea have done and talks about the shift in Julian Assange's role from journalism to exposing information.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
Social engineering can be used for malicious purposes, such as phishing scams that trick people into giving up sensitive information.
43:47 - 48:11 (04:23)
Summary
Social engineering can be used for malicious purposes, such as phishing scams that trick people into giving up sensitive information. This technique has also been used to facilitate violence and profit from drug trafficking in certain environments.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The violence is high in county jails, making them good places to learn how to serve time in real prisons.
48:11 - 52:12 (04:00)
Summary
The violence is high in county jails, making them good places to learn how to serve time in real prisons. In this podcast snippet, a former law enforcement officer shares his experience of finding targets for arrest while working in a county jail.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The speaker discusses the stereotype that all computer criminals are white and how this affects attitudes towards white people in the tech industry.
52:13 - 57:14 (05:01)
Summary
The speaker discusses the stereotype that all computer criminals are white and how this affects attitudes towards white people in the tech industry.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The cognitive behavioral therapy that the speaker took in prison and the job he got working outside the fence were important in his transition to life beyond the bars.
57:14 - 1:02:06 (04:51)
Summary
The cognitive behavioral therapy that the speaker took in prison and the job he got working outside the fence were important in his transition to life beyond the bars. The lack of such programs could have led him to revert to his old ways, he says.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
A probation officer requests a shorter sentence for a defendant in order for him to qualify for good time and be with his family sooner.
1:02:06 - 1:05:44 (03:37)
Summary
A probation officer requests a shorter sentence for a defendant in order for him to qualify for good time and be with his family sooner. The officer speaks highly of the defendant, calling him a "good guy", while also discussing the financial struggles of being on probation.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode discusses the need for a more formalized rehabilitation program for ex-convicts who struggle to find their place in a new world after serving time in prison, and highlights how support, accountability, and frameworks for success can help prevent individuals from reoffending.
1:05:44 - 1:11:56 (06:11)
Summary
This episode discusses the need for a more formalized rehabilitation program for ex-convicts who struggle to find their place in a new world after serving time in prison, and highlights how support, accountability, and frameworks for success can help prevent individuals from reoffending.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
Finding common ground in criminal justice reform is crucial in order to help rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism rates, while also providing a sense of justice to victims.
1:11:56 - 1:17:31 (05:34)
Summary
Finding common ground in criminal justice reform is crucial in order to help rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism rates, while also providing a sense of justice to victims. It is important to give offenders the opportunity to change and lead healthy and productive lives.
Episode#503 - Brett Johnson - The United States' Most Wanted Hacker
PodcastModern Wisdom
The podcast mentions a possible future book and discusses a story with "grisly details".
1:17:31 - 1:19:56 (02:24)
Summary
The podcast mentions a possible future book and discusses a story with "grisly details". The host also promotes two products, a Whoop 4.0 and Surfshark VPN.