Joe Azzouggagh

To start—can you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you get into investigations, and what drives your work today?

I got into investigations through a deep interest in understanding patterns of online fraud and protecting communities online. Early in my career, I worked closely with security teams, customer support and moderation teams, where I saw firsthand how harmful scams and malicious behaviour could be for online users. That exposure drove me to specialize in trust and safety, with a focus on threat intelligence, behavioural analysis, and policy enforcement. What drives my work today is knowing that each investigation helps keep a community safe. I’m motivated by the ever-evolving nature of online threats and the challenge of staying ahead of bad actors in the world of Ai. Above all, I’m driven by a commitment to protecting users and maintaining trust and safety for our community.

In your experience, what’s one skill or mindset every great analyst should have—and why?

Every great Analyst/Investigator should think in terms of uncovering the incentive. Understanding how and why bad actors benefit helps reveal the bigger picture behind scams and abuse. It’s about connecting behaviours to their underlying goals to better detect, disrupt their operations.

What’s a trend or challenge in digital investigations that you think deserves more attention right now?

A key challenge in digital investigations today is the intersection of AI-driven brand abuse, evolving financial systems, and the need for stronger threat intelligence. Bad actors are using AI to scale and personalize the fraud operations, while also leveraging decentralized finance to move money with less traceability. To keep up, investigators must integrate threat intelligence with financial and technical signals to detect and disrupt abuse these organized groups.

A lot of people in the field look up to professionals like you—what advice would you give someone just starting out in OSINT or analysis work?

Always stay curious and never stop learning. OSINT and analysis work will always be evolving, so the ability to ask the right questions and dig a little deeper is more valuable than knowing all the tools. Start small, build strong habits around verification and documentation, and don’t be afraid to follow the leads.

And finally—what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you? Any hobbies, passions, or routines that help you recharge outside of work?

People might be surprised to learn that I’m a hobby farmer. I raise animals and really enjoy the rhythm of country life living on a small farm. Spending time outdoors and caring for animals helps me recharge and brings balance to the work of investigations and trust and safety

 

 

 

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