Scam Farms 101: Ponzi Schemes of Suffering, Featuring Erin West
On the Fringe | Operation Shamrock Founder Erin West explores the emergence of the transnational scam industry, how it’s evolving, who it’s targeting, and why we should consider it a national emergency.
Exposing Online Scammers with Erin West
Financial Crime Matters | ACAMS Chief Analyst Kieran Beer interviews Operation Shamrock Founder Erin West about online scams, fraud, and related crimes that often rely on forced labor.
Investigating the Global Scam Crisis with Erin West
Sumsub | Erin West travels to document the scam industry’s criminal infrastructure. She reveals how organizations recruit victims, launder money, evade authorities, and continue expanding.
Scammed: A PBS Frontline Documentary
PBS | Scammed, a new Frontline documentary examines the global criminal industry built on scams and fraud, the people and technology that enable it, and the efforts to shut it down.
The Fraud Economy Has a Supply Chain; Erin West Is Going After It
PYMNTS | Scammers will take as much as they can. As Erin West tells CEO Karen Webster, “Whether it’s $4.5 million or $450,000 or $45,000, the scammer is going to take every penny that you have.”
From Trafficking Victim to Cybercrime Whistleblower
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 Scam Compounds Brief
Humanity Research Consultancy | The Scam Compounds Brief is an evidence-based report on scam compounds and trafficking–fraud networks.
I Was Trapped in Chinese Mafia Crypto Slavery
WIRED | It began with a message in a journalist’s inbox. A computer engineer from India was in a scam compound, forced to work 15-hour shifts running scams.
Fortresses of Fraud: Lessons from Cambodia’s Scam Centres
Blue Dragon | Teams documented the scale of organized crime and human trafficking in Cambodia. Despite publicized crackdowns, the scam industry is strong — and growing.
34 Arrests in Action against ‘Black Axe’ Criminal Network
Europol | The Spanish National Police, working with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, disrupted operations of the “Black Axe” international criminal organization.
How Chinese Money Launderers Move Criminal Profits
Wall Street Journal | Chinese money launderers have moved more than $300 billion in illicit transactions through U.S. banks and other financial institutions in recent years.
Scams, billions lost, and how Meta is turning a blind eye
Hard Reset | Tech both enables and profits from the scam industry. Billionaire leaders have some of the world’s most advanced tech, yet do little to stop scams or support victims.
New Scam Center Strike Force Battles Crypto Investment Fraud
U.S. Department of Justice | Strike Force teams focus on identifying, pursuing, and bringing key leaders to justice and preventing U.S. infrastructure from being weaponized against American citizens.
Google Lawsuit Targets Massive Text-message Phishing Scams
CBS News | Google is filing a federal lawsuit against a network of foreign cybercriminals accused of launching massive text-message phishing attacks.
Congress finally has a blueprint to stop China’s online scams
The Hill | Fraud experts outline the significance of the DOJ indictment of Chen Zhi and what must be done to fight industrialized scamming run by organized crime.
Scamland Myanmar: Conflict and a Global Fraud Industry
ASPI | In a new report, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute outlines what’s happening as Myanmar becomes a haven for transnational organized crime groups.
Tracers in the Dark
Andy Greenberg | Investigators with the right skills and tools can trace crypto transactions. The information is there if you know how to use it. Greenberg tells the story in Tracers in the Dark.
The Pig Butchering Invasion Has Begun
WIRED | We talk a lot about scamming operations in Southeast Asia, but the criminal organizations that run them have expanded their operations worldwide.