The Economist has released “Scam Inc”, a new eight-episode limited podcast series exploring the sophisticated, multi-billion dollar industry of online scams.
Scam Inc is hosted by Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist’s South-East Asia correspondent and host of “The Prince”, a podcast series about China’s leader Xi Jinping. For “Scam Inc”, Wong 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.
“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. The publisher says subscribers to The Economist and Economist Podcasts+ will have exclusive access to the entire series. The first three episodes will be available to non-subscribers. The entire series can be found here.
“Scam Inc” is the latest podcast to join The Economist’s stable of shows that showcase its journalism. Today The Economist says the portfolio includes:
- The Intelligence, a daily podcast on global news
- The Weekend Intelligence, a weekly exploration of stories beyond the news
- Checks and Balance, a weekly podcast on American politics
- Money Talks, a weekly show on markets, the economy and business
- Babbage, a weekly podcast on science and technology
- Drum Tower, a weekly podcast on China
- The Prince, a limited series on the ambitions of China’s leader, Xi Jinping
- Next Year in Moscow, a limited series on Russia’s future
- The Modi Raj, a limited series on India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi
- Boss Class, a limited series on leadership and management
- Boom!, a limited series on how a generation blew up American politics
- The World in Brief, a news briefing on the global agenda
- Editor’s Picks, essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
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