How Hacks Happen

Author: Many Worlds Productions

Hacks, scams, cyber crimes, and other shenanigans explored and explained. Presented by your friendly neighborhood cybersecurity gal Michele Bousquet.  
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Language: en-us

Genres: News, Tech News, True Crime

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Spotify: Making Millions With Bots
Episode 4
Tuesday, 12 May, 2026

When musician Michael Smith couldn't find an audience for his music, he manufactured it. By unleashing thousands of bots to listen to thousands of fake AI-generated songs on Spotify and other platforms, Smith earned millions in royalties before getting caught.Resources:North Carolina Musician Charged with Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of JusticeNorth Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of JusticeIndictment: United States v. Michael Smith — U.S. Department of Justice PDFSpotify says it now has more than 100 million songsSpotify Q4 2025 Earnings ReportAlthough the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real — MusicRadarSpotify’s fake artists problem gets weirder with AI-generated albums — The VergeArtificial Streaming — Spotify for ArtistsHow Royalties Work on Spotify — Spotify Loud & ClearDeezer launches artist-centric payment systemBillie Eilish Was Discovered on Spotify and SoundCloud Before Global Fame — Rolling StoneSofi Tukker on Streaming Success and Spotify DiscoverySend us Fan MailSupport the show