Saturday Evening Post | A new profile of Erin West examines the criminal networks behind online scams and Operation Shamrock’s work to protect people and support survivors.
A message on a screen can connect someone to a criminal operation thousands of miles away. By the time the deception becomes clear, the damage can go far beyond a financial loss.
“Scammers are contacting you daily,” West tells the Post. “Every person I know has received a scammy text. And it’s being done in these massive compounds.”
The founder of anti-scam nonprofit Operation Shamrock, West has visited Southeast Asia half a dozen times to study the region’s scam industries. The people contacting you are often trafficking victims, many lured from other countries by what they believe are legitimate job offers. When they arrive, they’re met at the airport, their identification taken, and transported to scam compounds in places like Myanmar.
In its feature article, The Saturday Evening Post explores this reality through Erin West’s work, examining how organized networks cultivate trust, manipulate relationships, and draw victims into fraudulent investments.
She talks about the technology behind the operations. It’s the same apps and platforms people use every day. The companies know criminals use their apps and platforms to target people in scams. And the crypto exchanges makes money on every dollar that moves through their systems.
Assume that any electronic communication you didn’t ask for is a scam until otherwise proven. — Erin West in the Saturday Evening Post
Operation Shamrock Turns Awareness Into Action
Responding to the scam crisis depends on collaboration. Through educational programs and the Crypto Coalition, we help communities understand these crimes and connect professionals who share investigative knowledge and experience. Bringing that knowledge into everyday conversations can help people recognize manipulation before it leads to financial loss.
Survivors remain central to the work. Operation Shamrock connects people with resources, support partners, and opportunities to hear from others who understand what they have experienced. Sharing their stories helps make these crimes recognizable—and reminds those affected that they are not alone.
We’re grateful to Ken Budd and The Saturday Evening Post for bringing national attention to this work and the people behind it.
