Scam Inc is a new eight-episode limited podcast series from The Economist exploring the sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar industry of online scams.
Hosted by Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist’s South-East Asia correspondent, the series follows the trail from the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas into the heart of a vast, global, underground economy of fraud, human trafficking, corruption and money laundering.
It tells the story of a predatory, multi-billion-dollar industry emerging from the shadows and why victims fall prey to it.
“The rise of the online scam industry is the most shocking story you’ve never heard of,” said Wong. “It’s taking over whole cities and countries as it spreads around the world. And scammers are now using not just crypto but also the most sophisticated AI, malware and psychological manipulation—and they’re coming for all of us.”
Scam Inc is the fourth limited series created for Economist Podcasts+, The Economist’s podcast subscription.
Subscribers to The Economist and Economist Podcasts+ have exclusive access to the entire series. The first three episodes are available to non-subscribers.
