Lessons from an infamous conman

Greetings,

It’s Thomas, TNW’s managing editor, and today I have a question for you:

Have you ever been scammed?

Go on, you can tell me. Too embarrassed? Ok, I’ll go first.

The last time was on a trip to Cuba. Strolling through Havana, I bumped into an incredibly charming local. Would I like to visit his tobacco shop? Sure! Because I’m an idiot.

Thirty minutes later, I’m the proud owner of a pack of Cuban cigars — filled with trash.

Six years later, the embarrassment still lingers. But I learnt a valuable lesson: trust no one.

Pernilla Sjöholm knows the feeling all too well. In 2018, she was scammed by the notorious Tinder Swindler.

After sharing her story in the hit Netflix doc, Pernilla became a public advocate for fraud awareness. Through her talks and research, she grew alarmed about new forms of digital deception — particularly deepfakes.

This week, she launched a new tool to fight back: IDfier, a human-to-human identity verification platform she cofounded with computer scientist Suejb Memeti.

On a recent trip to Stockholm, TNW asked Pernilla about her plans to outsmart tomorrow’s fraudsters. At TNW Conference this June, she’ll dig deeper into the digital dangers — and defences. Want to hear her live? Then use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 to get 30% off your ticket.

In the meantime, read our interview with Pernilla here:

🔍 Tinder Swindler survivor launches identity verifier to fight scams

What else we’re writing about

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💡 Europe’s biggest blackout made me confront my dependence on tech. The powercut didn't just kill my gadgets, but the mental safety net they’d created.

🚀 IQM is set to install Poland’s first superconducting quantum computer. The machine will familiarise computer scientists with the mysterious world of quantum mechanics.

☂️ A giant radar ‘umbrella’ launched into space on a mission to transform climate science. This world-first satellite acts like an MRI scan for forests.

📞 ‘Untappable’ encryption edges closer as scientists made the first-ever coherent quantum communication using existing telecomms infrastructure.

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