Cybercrime isn’t only “a security problem” anymore; it’s the greatest heist of our age. We’re watching a once-in-history transfer of wealth unfold in real time: trillions siphoned from citizens, companies, and public services, at a scale that rivals (and in some cases surpasses) the GDP of entire nations.

The Great Brain Robbery takes you inside the real battleground: human attention, emotion, and trust. Because modern attacks don’t start with malware, they start with persuasion. You’ll see how scammers and hostile actors weaponise psychology (urgency, authority, reciprocity, scarcity, social proof, curiosity) to short-circuit good judgement, and why “awareness training” so often fails when real-life pressure hits.

Then the twist: AI enters the scene and the game changes. Generative AI is accelerating phishing, vishing, and highly targeted manipulation, making attacks more convincing, more personal, and more scalable than ever. As reality gets easier to fake and harder to verify, trust itself starts to crack; in inboxes, on calls, on social media, and inside organisations.

This session doesn’t aim to scare you; it gives you a way forward. You’ll learn how to think like an adversary and defend like a grown-up: building scepticism without paranoia, resilience without blame, and a stronger “human firewall” through better design, better habits, and responsible use of AI for defence and collaboration. Leave with practical ways to spot manipulation, reduce risk, and respond with foresight before the next “perfectly believable” message lands.