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'Scam Inc' uncovers multi-billion dollar online scam network

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The Economist podcast “Scam Inc” tells the story of the global online scam industry, which is growing larger and more sophisticated all the time. The eight-part podcast, hosted by The Economist’s South East Asia correspondent Sue-Lin Wong, speaks with people who have fallen for online scams and have lost money.

She also speaks with some on the other side, who are committing the fraud and, in many cases, are also victims who have been trafficked and held in prison-like compounds where they follow a carefully crafted handbook on how to connect with people, find their vulnerabilities, and eventually steal money from them. Artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and global corruption are allowing the scam industry to thrive.

Host Scott Tong spoke with Wong back in March.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

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