Introduction When Netflix released The Tinder Swindler, audiences recoiled at the ease with which Simon Leviev (born Shimon Hayut) manipulated women into handing over millions. His method was brutally simple: he exploited love, trust, and vulnerability under the guise of romance. Strip away the private jets and Instagram illusions, and... View Article
Introduction Almost my entire professional life has revolved around investigations, interrogations, and uncovering deception. I served in war, where survival depended on verifying information under fire. Later, as a military state security and diplomatic intelligence security officer, I learned that appearances deceive and that the most dangerous threats often come... View Article
Introduction Investigations, interrogations, and understanding human behaviour in its rawest forms have shaped almost my entire working career. And the more I see trends in crime, business, or personal development, one truth stands out: theory and practice are two completely unique things. On social media, I often hear so-called strategies... View Article
“Fraud is an art, employing logic, facts, understanding victims and witnesses, and above all—imagination.” (adapted from Mario Bekes, Investigative Scenarios) Introduction – The Other Side of Imagination Investigations and interrogations have occupied almost my entire working career. The more I studied trends in criminal activity—whether blue-collar street crimes or sophisticated... View Article
“Investigation is an art, employing logic, facts, understanding victims and witnesses, and the use of imagination.” — Mario Bekes, Investigative Scenarios Introduction: Beyond CSI: The Real Art of Investigation We are often dazzled by television shows like CSI, where glowing fingerprints, instant DNA tests, and magical databases appear to solve... View Article
Introduction—The World Evolves; HUMINT Hardly Does Last year I visited Berlin and STASI HQ to study their methods. STASI was one of the most efficient and successful counterintelligence agencies in the world. That being said, I was exposed from an early age to the communist type of intelligence agencies, but... View Article
Introduction—The Allure of Personal Branding We live in an age where visibility equals credibility. For many, stepping into the world of social media branding is no longer a choice but a necessity. Entrepreneurs, coaches, and influencers build digital profiles to attract clients, command authority, and stand out in a crowded... View Article
Introduction—What War Taught Me About Words In intelligence work, I learned that information is both currency and weapon. The more precisely you control it, the safer you are and the stronger your position becomes. On patrols and in debrief rooms, I watched careers—and sometimes lives—hinge on a sentence said too... View Article
Introduction—The Corporate Illusion of Safety When people think about reputational risk, they often assume it’s an influencer’s problem. “That’s for Instagram coaches and YouTube stars,” they say. But corporations are just as exposed—sometimes more so. The digital age has erased the line between personal scandal and corporate scandal. A single... View Article
Transforming Fear into the Foundation of True Bravery Introduction: Understanding Why Courage Cannot Exist Without Fear It was 2 a.m. on a silent summer night in 1991. The air hung still and heavy, almost mocking me with its tranquillity. I was barely eighteen, a young person carrying the weight of... View Article