Can We Make the Internet Safer From AI Scams Before Fraud Becomes a $20 Trillion Crisis. With Kalie Nitzsche

Podcast Link

In this episode of AIBiz, host Sayan Bhattacharjee sits down with Kalie Nitzsche, founder and CEO of SafeHer Inc and creator of Fuzzy, to unpack how one brutal online romance scam became the launchpad for a full scale online safety company. Kalie breaks down how an eight month relationship based on lies shattered her trust, why high achieving professionals are often targeted, and how AI deepfakes and voice cloning are supercharging digital deception.

They dive into the forecast of 20 trillion dollars in online financial fraud by 2026, what that means for everyday users, and why verifying that someone is a real human is now business critical, not optional. From her patent pending Automated Deception Discovery technology to Fuzzy Watchdog for monitoring misuse of name, image and likeness, Kalie shows what it looks like to turn humiliation into infrastructure for a safer internet.

About the Guest:

Kalie Nitzsche is the founder and CEO of SafeHer Inc, a US based online safety company focused on protecting people from digital deception, AI driven scams and identity abuse. After discovering that the man she had been dating for eight months was married and had fabricated almost every detail of his life, she pivoted from a successful corporate career into tech entrepreneurship.

Through Fuzzy, her identity verification platform, and tools like Automated Deception Discovery and Fuzzy Watchdog, Kalie works with individuals, brands and sports agencies to verify humans, detect fraud and monitor fake profiles that exploit name, image and likeness. She is also a policy advocate, taking her lived experience and data from the field to lawmakers in Washington DC to push for stronger legal consequences for large scale online scams.

Key Takeaways  :

• Getting scammed does not mean you are careless. Kalie was a driven professional, emotionally invested in an eight month relationship with someone who lied about his name, marital status and career. Her story shows that scammers intentionally target optimistic, high performing people who want to see the good in others.

• Online deception is now a systemic risk, not a niche edge case. From romance scams to fake job offers and impersonation of public figures, fraud crosses dating apps, finance, social media and everyday transactions like rent or mortgage payments.

• AI tools such as deepfakes and voice cloning make it simple to fabricate convincing identities in seconds. This widens the attack surface for scams that appear to come from friends, family, employers or celebrities.

• Fuzzy focuses on making identity verification a simple digital gut check. The platform confirms that someone is a real, authenticated human, ties them to their genuine digital properties and uses a QR code that regenerates frequently so it cannot be stolen and reused.

• Fuzzy Watchdog gives agencies, athletes and brands a way to monitor and flag fake accounts or misuse of name, image and likeness at scale. This supports faster takedowns and protects reputation in an environment where trust on social platforms is eroding.

• Kalie is working with members of Congress to push for clear laws and penalties around online impersonation and fraud. Today many forms of deceptive digital behavior carry few direct consequences, which makes scamming easy and profitable.

• Shame keeps victims quiet, which hands power back to scammers. By talking openly on her podcast and inviting others to share their stories, Kalie reframes victims as survivors, encourages reporting and normalizes using protective tools and policies.

• Listeners are encouraged to audit their own digital habits. Verify profiles, question unexpected financial requests, and stop assuming scams only happen to other people. Awareness plus tools like Fuzzy can materially lower risk.

How Listeners Can Connect With Kalie Nitzsche  :

Want to learn more about Kalie, SafeHer Inc and Fuzzy, or dive deeper into her story and the reality of online scams. You can connect with her here.

• Instagram: Follow Kalie at her handle for updates on online safety, fraud prevention and product news.

• LinkedIn: Connect with Kalie Nitzsche, Founder of SafeHer at Fuzzy, to follow her work at the intersection of tech, AI risk and policy.

• Podcast. Check out Kalie’s own show. In Season 1 she shares the full story behind the scam that started it all. In Season 2 she interviews other victims to surface patterns, red flags and practical ways to stay safer online.