Podcast Summary: Click Here – Episode: "An Illusion of Control"

Release Date: June 10, 2025
Host: Dina Temple-Raston
Producer: Recorded Future News

1. Introduction: Jake Gallen’s Crypto Journey

The episode kicks off by introducing Jake Gallen, a former nightclub worker from Las Vegas who transitioned into the volatile world of cryptocurrency. Jake's initial foray into crypto began in 2016 when he discovered Ethereum on a Reddit forum, WallStreetBets. This discovery ignited his passion for decentralized finance and blockchain technology.

Jake Gallen [01:25]: "I was very fascinated by this idea of how it kind of strips power away from a lot of the central authorities. And for me, I was very certain that this was going to be the industry that changes the world. I still have that belief."

Jake didn't just passively invest; he became deeply involved, trading Ethereum and later delving into NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), particularly historical NFTs like Mooncats—primitive, pixelated cat collectibles that were among the early NFTs minted.

2. Rising Profile in the Crypto Community

Leveraging his background in antiquities and collectibles from running an antique store with his father in Las Vegas, Jake quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the NFT space. His expertise caught the attention of Sotheby's, prompting his participation in their second-ever NFT auction, a significant milestone that elevated his status within the crypto elite. This exposure led to interactions with celebrities and the broader media, enhancing his reputation as a "crypto royalty."

A pivotal decision Jake made was to maintain transparency by using his real name in the crypto world—a realm typically dominated by anonymity.

Jake Gallen [04:00]: "Since I started in 2017, you know, being a docs person was. Was unheard of. That was like a very rare thing to do."

This openness resulted in a surge of media requests, including an invitation to appear on a YouTube show called Tactical Investing, marking the beginning of the incident that would lead to his downfall.

3. The Fatal Interview: A Trap Unveiled

In April, Jake agreed to an interview with Tactical Investing, a YouTube channel boasting nearly 100,000 subscribers and a six-year posting history. The interview began normally, but soon raised suspicions:

Jake Gallen [07:57]: "So when we get on the interview, he has his screen off and he says, do you mind that I'm going to keep my screen off?"

Despite the initial red flags, Jake was impressed by the interviewer's technical knowledge and the depth of questions regarding his company, Emblem Vault. This trust led Jake to share his screen to demo a new AI tool, Agent Hustle, showcasing his product to the interviewer.

4. The Heist: Instantaneous Cryptocurrency Theft

The following day, Jake discovered that a valuable Mooncat NFT he owned had been sold for a fraction of its worth—the theft had already begun.

Jake Gallen [09:05]: "Oh, fuck. This is like a full on. Like, somebody has my seed phrase."

Realizing that his seed phrase, a critical cryptographic key, was compromised despite being securely stored offline, Jake estimated his losses between $150,000 to $200,000. Confusion and panic set in as hackers locked him out of his email and social media accounts, rendering him powerless to stop the ongoing thefts.

5. Investigation Begins: SEAL Team and FBI Involvement

Jake reached out to SEAL (Open Security Alliance), a team of white-hat hackers specializing in crypto attacks. Nick Bax, an incident responder at SEAL, spearheaded the investigation.

Nick Bax [14:16]: "Yeah, it's just, you know, we're always on call. Some days are a lot worse than others. Fridays are worse. I think a lot of hackers know that if they start hacking on Friday, the feds won't get involved until Monday."

Initial theories pointed towards North Korean involvement due to their known cyber tactics, but further investigation revealed a different culprit.

Nick Bax [15:04]: "They kept trying to get him to screen share."

6. Unmasking the Hackers: Elusive Comet

The SEAL team concluded that the attack was orchestrated by a group named Elusive Comet, a collection of Western hackers imitating North Korean methods to exploit vulnerabilities. Unlike DPRK operatives, Elusive Comet operated out of North America or Europe, using sophisticated social engineering tactics to deceive victims.

Nick Bax [18:54]: "We called them Elusive Comet."

This group leveraged the default remote access feature in Zoom, tricking victims into granting control of their computers, thereby gaining access to sensitive information and executing unauthorized transactions.

7. The Vulnerability: Zoom’s Remote Access Feature

A critical vulnerability identified was Zoom's default setting that allows hosts to request remote control of participants' screens. Jake inadvertently clicked to share his screen, providing hackers full access to his device.

Jake Gallen [20:46]: "Basically, the whole scam is that if you're a host of a Zoom interview, you can request remote access to the guest. This is like a default feature that's on. Like, if you turn that default feature off, this whole thing goes away. It's literally that simple."

Attempts to address the issue with Zoom were unsuccessful, as the company maintained that explicit consent was required for remote access. However, cybersecurity experts argued that disabling this feature by default could prevent such scams.

8. Aftermath and Advocacy

Despite the significant loss, Jake chose to use his experience as a cautionary tale. He actively communicates the dangers of social engineering and the importance of cybersecurity within the crypto community.

Jake Gallen [22:06]: "Yeah, it is embarrassing, but I felt like there's. It's much more important to keep people protected, to ensure that this doesn't happen again and again and again."

9. Other Cyber and Intelligence Headlines

After covering Jake’s story, the episode transitions to broader cyber and intelligence news:

• U.S. Senate Hearings: Senator Gary Peters questions Shawn Karen Cross, President Trump’s nominee for National Cyber Director, highlighting concerns over cyber threats and surveillance.

• Palantir's Surveillance Database: The Trump administration collaborates with Palantir Technologies to build a centralized database aggregating sensitive citizen information, raising privacy alarms among employees and experts.

• AI and Data Scraping Lawsuit: Reddit sues Anthropic for unauthorized scraping of its platform data to train the chatbot Claude, sparking debates on ethical AI training practices.

• Law Enforcement Cyber Sting: The Department of Justice shuts down over a hundred dark web domains tied to Biden Cash, a marketplace dealing in stolen credit cards and illicit crypto transactions. Funds seized are allocated to building America's strategic Bitcoin reserve.

• Tech Product Release: Nintendo unveils the Switch 2 alongside the new title "Mario Kart World," featuring diverse characters and expanding multiplayer capabilities.

10. Conclusion: Lessons and Moving Forward

"An Illusion of Control" serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threats in the digital age, especially within the burgeoning field of cryptocurrency. Jake Gallen's experience underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity measures and the dangers of social engineering attacks. The episode emphasizes the need for both individuals and platforms to prioritize security settings and remain vigilant against deceptive practices.

This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the "An Illusion of Control" episode of Click Here, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of Jake Gallen's cyberattack ordeal and its broader implications in the digital landscape.