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.
2026 Trafficking in Persons Report: Summary
U.S. Department of State | The State Department has released the 2026 Trafficking in Persons report. The report includes a section focused on the use of trafficking victims as forced labor to commit financial scams against Americans.
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.”
Mapping Global Expansion of Chinese-speaking Scam Syndicates, 2010–2026
Humanity Research Consultancy | A chronological overview of Chinese-speaking scam syndicates exposes the transformation and geographic reach of their operations since 2010.
Trafficking victims detained, sleeping on streets and stranded in Cambodia
Mekong Independent | Lured from Lesotho for the promise of a job in a Cambodian casino, Kenzo instead found himself trafficked to a scam compound. Once released, he had nowhere to go and no money for a plane ticket to get home.
Imperfect Victims: Trafficking Survivors of the Online Scam Industry
Blue Dragon | A report examines the experience of Chinese and Vietnamese victims of trafficking into scam compounds. Survivors are seen as offenders, even if it was forced through violence, coercion, and exploitation.
Sri Lanka Emerging as a New Base for Scam Networks
Bloomberg | With increased attention on Cambodian scam compounds, the crime groups behind them are moving operations to countries like Sri Lanka, where they’ve found an environment with advantages for scam activity.
They Don’t Shut Down, They Move: Inside Cambodia’s Scam Cities
Sumsub | Erin West traveled to Cambodia to investigate the scam industry and separate fact from fiction, image from reality. The news about crackdowns was in the headlines. But what she found didn’t match.
Investigation Exposing Billion-Dollar, China-Linked Scam Centers Targeting Americans
Press Release: The Select Committee on China has released a new investigation exposing a China-linked scam center network that has defrauded Americans of at least $10 billion annually.
Opportunity to Safeguard America from Chinese Cybercriminals
The Wilson Center | Distinguished Fellow Ken Westbrook advocates prioritizing transnational cybercrime as a core bilateral priority for the United States and China.
Trafficking, Torture, and the Globalization of Forced Fraud
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.
Uganda Detains 231 Related to Possible Human Trafficking
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.
The Philippines Is Cracking Down on Scam Centers with UN Support
UNODC | The Philippines has improved policies and procedures to enforce regulations banning offshore gaming operators (POGOs) often used as cover for scam compounds.
Is Cambodia’s Scam Crackdown Working? Erin West Went to Find Out
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.
Has Cambodia really cut cybercrime by half?
DW | Cambodian authorities claim that they’ve cut scam compound activity in half. But do the claims match reality?
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.
How Scammers Target Users and How to Stop the Scamdemic
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.
The Scam Compounds Brief
Humanity Research Consultancy | The Scam Compounds Brief is an evidence-based report on scam compounds and trafficking–fraud networks.