This STL-native stand-up comedian is fighting against scams
ST. LOUIS – Ryan Kelly is a man of many trades. He’s been an accountant, personal assistant, Spider-Man in Disneyland, and more. But there’s one thing that has always stuck around: comedy.
Growing up and career twists
Raised in St. Louis, Kelly’s beginnings with comedy began in high school when he joined the improv team. Ever since, it has always been a constant in his life.
After going to school in Michigan, he traveled across the country and moved to Los Angeles, eventually picking up a job at Warner Brothers as an accountant. When that job came to a close, he moved on to Disneyland as a Storm Trooper, Spider-Man, and entertainment host.
While working at the theme park, he discovered that degrees were paid for by his employer. So, naturally, Kelly got his master’s degree, but in a rather unexpected area: homeland security.
“Quite a trajectory,” Kelly joked. “After (getting my degree), things started picking up on TikTok, then on Instagram…I was like, ‘Oh, I’m never going to use this.”
Instead, he is utilizing that degree now more than ever.
Turning scams into laughs
In early 2023, Kelly became a victim of a scam. After $712.50 was stolen, he decided to do more than just get his money back.
“They stole that money…and thankfully, my full-time job is a stand-up comedian, so I was like, ‘I got time,'” he said.
Kelly was able to use his knowledge of homeland security and how criminal money moves to gain access to the scammer’s information. By the end of the first day, he knew their address, driver license information, and employers. The information he collected made it possible for the scammer to be caught.
He then took the process of it all to TikTok, garnering almost 3.5 million views. Since then, his social media platforms have climbed to over 7 million followers combined, with over 330 million likes on TikTok. Forms have also been opened up for his followers to report scammers that he tries to catch.
“We’ve definitely gotten some silly stories out of it,” he said. “I love celebrity scams; I think they’re so funny. I just love the idea that Niall Horan wants you to get into crypto.”
He now spends a large amount of his time working to combat scammers to prevent others from having to go through the same thing many others have. One comedy tactic he incorporates throughout the process is improving.
“You’re learning how to tell the story and play it with them,” he said. “It just becomes that game and then the social engineering aspect comes from the standup of the idea of the psychology of a show.”
Combining this strategy of comedy and previous education, Kelly has assisted police in locking up many scammers, hackers, and even child predators.
He’s currently in the process of developing software that can prevent others from falling victim.
“Right now, I’m happy to help as many people as I can,” he said. “I would love to be able to scale it up to help more because… I am just one guy.”
Back to the roots and plans for the future
Once Kelly decided Los Angeles wasn’t for him anymore, he decided to move back to his roots in Missouri last year. He continues to travel across the country for comedy shows but when he’s not on stage, he is working on his scam-prevention software.
In 2022, Kelly had his first comedy special released through Amazon, titled “Girlfriends and Girl Friends.” Within the 73-minute-long show, he touches on his adventures throughout his dating life.
His next special, “How to Survive Plane Crashes,” looks into all the nearly unthinkable stories of his life, including losing oxygen while scuba diving, his parachute tangling up while skydiving, and a whole lot more.
“Crazy stuff has always kind of followed me, and so now I just tell the stories and have a good time,” he said. “From there, it’s taking a story, stretching it out and finding the word play that fits best with it.”
When asked if he had any special memories he’s had over the last 15 years in the world of comedy, there wasn’t just one that stood out.
“There’s so many little moments that are all big in their time, and I’m just happy that I’ve had as many as I get to.”
Kelly is performing at the Helium Club in St. Louis April 21. To order tickets, click here.
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