Forensic Cyberpsychology: How AI is changing crime and human behavior

<p>AI is changing more than workflows—it’s changing how we communicate, what we trust, and how criminals manipulate people. In this episode, I’m joined by <strong>James McDowell</strong>, Executive Director of the <strong>Cyber Crime Research Institute (CCRI)</strong> and an adjunct professor at American Military University, to unpack <strong>forensic cyber psychology</strong>: how human behavior shifts online, how “truth” gets distorted (deepfakes, social media personas), and why scam victimization is often about <strong>cognitive states and social engineering</strong>, not intelligence.</p><p>We talk through the <strong>Eliza Effect</strong> (why people humanize chatbots), <strong>automation bias</strong> (over-trusting systems), and the <strong>duality of technology</strong>—how the same tools that increase efficiency can also amplify fraud and exploitation. We also dig into <strong>revictimization</strong>: how shame, underreporting, and social withdrawal can create a cycle that fraudsters intentionally “reload.”</p><p>References: </p><p>LinkedIn Profile - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-m-profile/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James McDowell, PhD | LinkedIn</a></p><p>Amazon Link - Mind behind the screen - https://a.co/d/09Y9lYVc</p><p>CRI - <a href="https://www.cybercrime.institute/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cybercrime Research Institute</a></p><p></p>