Check out our interview with internet’s favorite comedian and scam hunter, Ryan Kelly. Between performing standup in clubs across the U.S. or helping to stop global scammers and online predators, there is a reason why Ryan has amassed more than 7 Million followers across his socials.
As someone who can be described as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes by day and a gut-busting comedian by night, Ryan has grown a massive social media following thanks to his satirical comedy, good-natured desire to help followers get their money back after falling victim to internet scammers, and an incredibly interesting life.
So how did this online crime-fighting comedian first become a legendary scambuster? Ryan had been the victim of online scamming and lost $712.50, and as a full-time comedian with a master’s degree…he had a lot of free time on his hands. By the end of that same day, Ryan had gathered the scammer’s information and reported them to his local FBI office.
Follow Ryan on IG @ryankellycomedy & TikTok @youthpastorryan
Hi Ryan, please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m just a golden retriever type guy who keeps chasing what’s interesting at the moment, hence why I ended up with such a weird career path. Comedian/Scam Hunter seems to be the most popular right now and it’s just as confusing as it sounds.
Describe yourself in three words.
Wholesome, creative, clever
Who is your role model?
My grandpa, my parents and Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career, and how has your comedy evolved over time in response to these challenges?
I’ve been ignored, not given time in front of bookers that I had earned previously, and not made improv teams but it all gave me a purpose to become so good that I couldn’t be overlooked and honestly, I think it’s helped me in every aspect of my life. Just do better and we’ll get there is my motto for it. My comedy has changed in writing and performance style since I started but that’s natural. Once I found a groove and a rhythm it all came naturally.
Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you come up with new material and ideas for your comedy?
It feels like life throws so much comedic fodder at me that I can’t help but do comedy. I’ve had a parachute not open when skydiving, ran out of oxygen while scuba diving and had my first drink at 21 years old with my Grandma and my Mom. All the content comes from true stories that just keep happening, so I guess I’ll keep doing comedy until life settles down!
Who are your comedic role models or influences, and how have they shaped your style and approach to comedy?
Mike Birbiglia is probably my main influence, he’s really the pinnacle of storytelling comedy. However, others outside that mold like Demetri Martin, Anthony Jeselnik, Gabriel Iglesias and Iann Bag have all contributed to my comedy education.
In your view, what is the role of comedy in today’s society, especially in the context of being an influencer on social media platforms?
I take a different perspective than I feel most do in this space. I feel like we’ve devolved into “clapter” where you just say something people agree with and they clap. That isn’t comedy to me, I want you to laugh and be taken away from your problems. I hope I can interest you in a story that you may find a take away from but at the end of the day you just had fun and felt lighter.
Tell us about your work as a comedian and as a scam hunter?
Comedian at Night and Scam Hunter by Day. I’m really fortunate to get to pay my bills through comedy and content creation, which frees up a lot of my day to work pro-bono for those who have been scammed. It really is just me creating fake profiles, becoming the perfect victim and then engaging the scammer. I then pull all the data I can and report it to wherever it needs to go.
Where or when did you find the love for this?
I’ve always had a desire to seek justice and that came from a loss in my family. I got my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Business, but focused mostly on countering terror or crime. Then while working for Disney, they paid for my Master’s Degree in Homeland Security.
About 9 months ago, I got scammed while moving and thanks to all my studies, I figured I’d get them and I did! The response online was powerful and I decided to start helping others with scams to give back. I feel like my comedy helps people forget about their problems, and my cybersecurity helps fix the problems.
How did you get into the scam busting/hunter content, and how rewarding is now being so popular and trying to share and educate what this scammers are doing around?
After getting scammed I started posting about what had happened and then took down a few scammers/fraudsters ranging from puppy scams to predators that target minors.
It’s always rewarding to get that dopamine hit from a video doing well but nothing compares to hearing that I’ve stopped people from being scammed, it’s incredibly rewarding to know I may have really made a difference in someone’s life.
How often do you upload new content?
I post one video everyday, it varies from comedy, to sketches and scam hunting!
How many hours do you dedicate to this. From ideas, recording, editing, etc?
It feels like it never stops! I wake up thinking about what I’m filming today, then I prepare my research or intercepted data and film. I then spend time sending out bait emails to scammers and while I wait for a response I spend my time educating myself on everything I do from comedy and social engineering to cybersecurity and international laws surrounding fraud.
Now tell us about the huge TikTok success, and what are you doing to keep it going and growing even more?
It’s strange for me because my content has varied so much on Tik Tok that I never had a real niche I fell into. I feel both fortunate and hamstrung by being a variety account, because I have to keep searching for new ideas, topics and styles for videos. This leads to really fun discoveries and really tough times when a series has run its course.
But my current strategy for doing well on Tik Tok is prayer that the algorithm decides to like me today. Trust me, anyone who says they understand how it works is deeply delusional.
What do you think is the secret to having a successful TikTok/IG account?
Consistency, likeability and interesting changeable content. Consistency is good for growth while videos hit the end of their lifespan. Likeability is great for getting people to follow, and for your own peace of mind so you don’t constantly have to deal with hate. Interesting changeable content is what can bring the most followers, you want a topic or platform that makes someone go “oh, I’d watch this, and I’d watch things like this!”. Look at cleaning or refurbishing channels as a perfect example, “Oh this is soothing” followed by “Oh I wonder what’s next”.
When you started your accounts, did you expect such a success?
Absolutely not, a friend of mine named Casey Jones reached out to me and said my content might do well on a new app called Tik Tok and I had no faith in it. I was so incredibly wrong!
What mindsets helped make you so successful?
Keep pushing and keep working. Most importantly though for me is to be so good at what you do that outside factors don’t affect your work. I know it frustrates a lot of people, myself included, that just because someone is known by a person in power, they’ll get a better deal or free ride.
For me it leads to the thought, “ok, make it so you are invaluable to the people around you and then you will be hired because they need you.”
Do you have to work harder for this strategy, for sure, but I find it more rewarding.
As a popular comedian and influencer you are followed by so many people. How do you feel about that pressure of doing always the right thing, and encourage people to follow their dreams?
There is the overwhelming feeling of always needing to say what’s right from many influencers but what helps me is just trying to stay in my lane. I don’t talk about religion or politics because I just want to make you smile and educate you, and I don’t want you to ever be put off by those things that have nothing to do with what I’m trying to convey. My whole goal is to just make people feel loved no matter who they are or what their background is. Sometimes this works, I’ve also had people that demand I speak on vastly different topics that I’m not qualified for and in those instances I just say I’m not that guy. I think chasing dreams is an important part of life but after doing cybersecurity I think safety, peace and the simple things that cause joy are where your life should be focused.
Don’t throw everything out the window on a gamble but create a safe and stable environment for yourself while you continue to work on the things you love. You’ll do your best work when you have an environment that can expand to creativity instead of just survival, and desperation makes people far more likely to fall for scams, ruses and cons.
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
Stick to your morals and never betray who you are. I’ve been offered many enticing things through the entertainment side of my career that just required me to get “closer” to some higher up but I just never did. I think comprising on those things snowballs into bad patterns and worse mental health, plus those offers tend to be fake or not long term. Focus on yourself, and in every way continue to educate, certify and create a healthier version of yourself.
How do you balance your busy schedule and also the influencer part with your personal and family time?
I’m as balanced as a toddler and an elephant on a teeter totter. I discuss these topics all the time with my family and sometimes I get way too deep into scam cases or into writing sessions but I think it’s important to find reasons to leave the house even if it’s just to go for a walk.
Honestly, I downloaded Pokemon Go because I needed to start walking more so that’s a tip!
Can you describe a typical day for you. What is your daily routine like?
Get up, check incoming messages and respond to those, decide what gets posted today, film as much as I can or that has been written, find time to work out, send out scam bait emails, accept that my keyboard and mouse now belong to my cat (pet him for as long as he wants), post, go live or do more writing, dinner, maybe video games and then bed.
Any advice to entrepreneurs out there?
Keep trying in your spare time, if it’s not your main hustle, never forget a side hustle counts and it only becomes your main job if you keep working on it.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Bringing peace to the victims of crimes, and bringing joy back to those in a comedy audience who have lost so much. I will always remember people that have come up to me after shows and thanked me for getting them through hard parts of life. I know too well what that feels like and I just hope they feel loved.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
Don’t stress the things you can’t control or the things that haven’t happened yet, which I know is cliche, but I really live by it now and it’s great. I still have friends that tear themselves up about potentially bad things that end up never happening and it’s like well now the damage is still done! So try your best to plan for everything but only focus on what is actually happening
What is your favorite healthy food?
Whatever my fiancé says it is. I just asked, apparently, I like Rice Bowls.
And your favorite cheat food?
Toasted Ravioli, a St. Louis original food that is just friend perfection.
How would your best friend describe you?
A very chaotic but loveable goober.
What’s next for Ryan Kelly in 2024?
Continuing the scam hunting as I partner with entertainment companies to take it further! We’ve just signed a deal or two that I need to keep under wraps for now but it’s very exciting! My second comedy special is filmed and we’re just waiting for the right time to release it!
What is your own definition of happiness?
I have no idea and I think it varies for everyone, I really love success and getting something done. I think I’m the achievement based type of person but then I spend time out on my grandparents farm where I grew up with no service, no tech, just doing a little labor and being out with pets and it feels like bliss. I think like everything I do, there’s a multi hyphenated answer to that.
What is your idea of a perfect Sunday?
My video for the day is already made so I just have to hit post, it’s snowing or raining, if snowing we go sledding, I get to spend some time with family, then play some games with friends and have a really nice meal.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Robin Williams, the greatest there ever was.
Best advice ever given?
Under promise and over deliver. My dad told me that all growing up, and it’s been life saving.
Do you support any charities?
Yes, I work regularly with the UNHCR, and have been working on attempting to set up and work with charities in Nigeria to help younger people find employment, provide meals and get an education. A lot of the scammers I bust are from there and I’m not looking to mess up a person who is desperate, so I would like to fix the root problem, not just fight the symptoms.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
I hadn’t started social media or cybersecurity 5 years ago, so I have no idea. This field changes so quickly which makes it fun but a little stressful. I hope I’m married, financially stable, and have good people in my life.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car or for karaoke?
Go the Distance from Hercules, however, I have been known to blast Phantom of The Opera as well.
What do you think of Social Media?
It’s a beautiful curse, I love being able to stay connected with friends from my past while meeting new people but man it is used for so many evil purposes. Sextortion, stalking, bullying, hate speech, it’s just a real double edged sword. It’s really too bad we as a species are attracted to drama because I think the amount of political anger I see would be so much more lovely if instead it was cat videos.
Where we can follow you?
@youthpastorryan on TikTok and YouTube, @ryankellycomedy on Instagram or youthpastorryan.com for all the links and upcoming shows.
Favorites:
Quote: “It’s Easier to Fool People Than It Is to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled.” – Mark Twain
Favorite Singer/Artist: AJR
Movie: Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat
Travel Destination: Finland
Sports Team: St. Louis Blues
Tv Show: Breakout Kings
Book: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss/ Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
