Story of the FBI Visit to the Studio

Introduction

• References to an FBI visit to the studio were previously mentioned but not discussed for confidentiality reasons.
• Now, the speaker is finally able to tell the story.

Background

• The studio is located in a larger building with multiple tenants.
• There is a security desk where the rule is that no one can enter the studio without being met by the speaker first.
• In June 2020, during peak COVID, only the speaker and Andrew were working in the studio.

The FBI Visit

• The front desk security, referred to as Bob, informed the speaker of visitors with badges.
• The speaker was initially confused and concerned about the visit.
• Upon going to the front desk, three people flashed FBI and IRS badges.
• The agents were interested in the Escobar phone video published by the speaker.

The Escobar Phone Incident

• The Escobar Fold was a scam where a company covered Samsung Galaxy Fold phones with gold stickers and falsely marketed them.
• The speaker's video exposed the scam where consumers were defrauded.

Interaction with the FBI

• The FBI agents asked for all communications with the Escobar phone company.
• Andrew, who handled business emails, was called to provide communications he had.
• The FBI took the Escobar Fold phone and a gold iPhone as evidence.
• The speaker was instructed not to discuss the visit publicly for a while.

Aftermath

• The scam began to unravel as organizations like PayPal stopped working with the Escobar company.
• The head of the operation, Olaf Gustafsson, was arrested for fraud and money laundering.
• The speaker was eventually given permission to talk about the incident publicly.
• The FBI provided proof of evidence collection of the phones.

Future Implications

• If Olaf is charged in the U.S., the speaker’s videos might be used in court.
• The speaker expresses interest in producing more investigative videos.
• Other encounters with the FBI have occurred but remain untold.

Conclusion

• Encourages audience to seek more such stories on the Waveform podcast.
• Leaves on a humorous note about a misunderstanding where the speaker was labeled a "villain" for a short period.