Scam INC is a thrilling look at crypto currency scams. It is a production of The Economist and hosted by Sue-Lin Wong. In this podcast, there are interviews with those who are scammed, the scammers themselves, and an in-depth look at the scamming underworld. Scam INC is a fascinating true crime podcast.
The podcast begins with the story of a scandal at a regional bank in Kansas. Millions of dollars were mysteriously wired out of the bank’s holdings. Eventually, the board of the bank finds out the CEO is responsible for the money disappearing and that he astonishingly became involved in a cryptocurrency scandal. This story immediately drew me into the podcast and I wanted to hear more.
In episode two, you are given a tour of the scammer underworld. Scammers are interviewed and they describe their work at a shady scamming company-the type that swindled the CEO of the Kansas bank. They were recruited from social media platforms; such as Facebook and Linkedin. Though they were told the place of employment was in Thailand, they were driven for hours when they landed in Thailand to a guarded compound in Myanmar. Recruits were under severe pressure to ensnare people into scams and women were threatened with prostitution if they did not scam anyone. Despite their transgressions, you feel bad for the low-level scammers because of how they were manipulated and the cruelty that they endured from their employers.
In the following episode, you are given more insight into how these scamming businesses operate. An insider describes how they operate like a corporation and how they manage different businesses; such as casinos, currency exchange businesses, supermarkets, and even prostitution. There is a division in the business that handles working with local governments and their military and police forces. In order for people to leave, they need to find two replacements. It is shocking and disturbing to learn about how strong the infrastructures are for these scamming organizations.
Scam INC is a thrilling true crime podcast. The stories told by both the scammed and scammers are fascinating and the host beautifully crafts all of them together and fills in the blanks. This is a gripping podcast that grabs your attention right from the beginning.
Please note the first three episodes of Scam INC are free but you need a subscription to listen to the rest of the series. The first three episodes are still excellent and I highly recommend listening to them.
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler.