We have with us Soumya Gupta who is the Editor of the Consumer Economy Bureau at Mint and has been a journalist for over 12 years reporting on consumer, retail, media and tech companies shaping India’s consumer internet economy.

She is the Author of Bharat Bluff a book on the cons of India’s internet revolution, and that’s our topic for today!

We discuss how people across generations are being scammed in an increasingly low-trust society by strangers and people we know. From "digital arrest" frauds and cryptocurrency schemes to misleading finfluencers and even phone numbers swapped on Google listings, scams have become pervasive, affecting individuals and families alike.

Yet there is remarkably little meaningful conversation about this growing problem. The book aims to change that. It seeks to start a broader dialogue, moving us away from the instinct to ridicule victims, a reaction all too common in India and towards understanding, empathy, and practical support. Because anyone can be vulnerable, and awareness is our first line of defence.

You can buy the book here - https://amzn.in/d/0aev1C9E & https://cmykbookstore.com/products/bharat-bluff 

You can read Soumya’s work in Mint here - https://www.livemint.com/authors/soumya-gupta 

Soumya’s piece on Scammers using Big Tech for Cons - https://restofworld.org/2026/tech-facebook-google-whatsapp-scams/