Deep within the Internet is the Dark Web, a space where criminals can anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and private information. It’s where identity thieves can easily and cheaply purchase our personal and financial information.
It’s a place that Brett Johnson knows well. Law enforcement once called him “the godfather of the Dark Web” because he was one of the first criminals to buy and sell credit cards and personal information on the internet.
After serving seven years in prison, Johnson now helps law enforcement catch cyber criminals and works with AARP to teach consumers about protecting themselves and their families from scammers.
AARP will host an in-person workshop to go “Inside the Mind of a Con Artist” with Johnson on Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. at the Maui Beach Hotel, 170 W. Kaahumanu Ave. in Kahului.
Johnson will share what he knows about internet fraud schemes and con artists who work to steal your personal information.
“I’m the guy that built what is today’s dark net market,” Johnson said. “Things like credit card cons and tax scams – I was on the ground floor of developing that stuff and figuring out how criminals should go about ripping other people off.”
Seminars also will be held on Aug. 20 in O’ahu at the Ala Moana hotel and in Hilo on Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. at…
