KTVU Fox 2 | Santa Clara County has sued Meta, alleging that the company knowingly promotes and profits from billions of fraudulent ads, generating an estimated $7 billion in scam ad revenue every year.

Reuters | Home to Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County filed a lawsuit alleging that Meta is in violation of state false advertising and unfair business practices laws by profiting from ads that promote scams.

404 Media | Journalist Joe Cox obtained a copy of the “Haotian AI,” deepfake software that scammers use to turn their face into anyone else’s face in real time.

Dark Economy | The story of a Ugandan man who escaped human trafficking to Myanmar illustrates how organized crime used modern slavery to turn scams into a massive revenue stream.

Associated Press | Ugandan authorities have detained dozens of foreigners in a crackdown on illegal migration that officials suggest was linked to human trafficking and cyberscam operations.

UNODC | The Philippines has improved policies and procedures to enforce regulations banning offshore gaming operators (POGOs) often used as cover for scam compounds.

According to the FBI, internet crime losses exceeded $20.9 billion in 2025, a 26% increase over 2024. Investment-related fraud had the highest losses, followed by business email compromise, and tech support scams.

Unspoken Security | Erin West joins A.J. Nash to explore the scams draining wealth at an industrial scale — and why business email compromise, government impersonation, and romance scams work so well.

Sumsub | Operation Shamrock investigates the heart of the scam industry. Erin explores compounds, finds new ones, and meets a trafficking victim forced to scam under threat of violence.

PBS | Rulings could require Meta and other social media platforms to increase user protections and make other changes to the management of their platforms.

Channel 3000 News | Following an investigation by Wisconsin’s Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, a judge has authorized the freezing and seizure of stablecoin funds held in digital wallets.

The Guardian | A jury in New Mexico found that Meta misled consumers over safety and enabled harm — including sexual exploitation of children — against users.

DW | Cambodian authorities claim that they’ve cut scam compound activity in half. But do the claims match reality?

Scamnetic | Scammers are constantly refining their craft. They have more schemes to steal money and information, using social engineering to get people to do things they normally wouldn’t.

TRM Labs | Detective Matt Hogan of the Connecticut State Police and scam survivor Jackie Crenshaw talk about how scams unfold, tracing funds, and the importance of fast reporting and better education.

Huntress | Hear a trafficking survivor’s firsthand story of life in a scam compound where he was forced to scam people. Learn how scams work and what you can do to stay safe.

The Future of Money | Crimes like romance scams and pig butchering are no longer niche fraud stories. These are industrial-scale operations targeting everyday people.

Humanity Research Consultancy | The Scam Compounds Brief is an evidence-based report on scam compounds and trafficking–fraud networks.