Who started Scam Inc?

Chinese syndicates honed their scam tactics at home before expanding abroad.

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How do you run a scam operation? 

Perks, recruitment, outsourcing and a monthly landscaping budget—this is Scam Inc.

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Who are the scammers?

They aren't who you think.

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You wouldn’t fall for a scam—would you?

A small town in Kansas is left reeling after one of its best and brightest gets sucked in.

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Our new podcast series is a shocking look at transnational organised crime: nearly as big as the illegal-drug trade and far more sophisticated than you might think. Beware. After a week that started with bold tariff moves by the Trump administration, what can be gleaned from how things progressed (09:20)? And a staid, ancient game gets a glitzy modern makeover (16:20).

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We meet the opposition leader who is likely to be the next president. Cleaning up the domestic mess after an alleged coup would seem easy compared with his tasks on the international stage. Our correspondent reports on renewed violence in Colombia; again, or still, it is about cocaine (10:10). And remembering the ups and downs of Marianne Faithfull, a beloved British singer (17:40).

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A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. 

The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped?

Available now.

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The details President Donald Trump laid out for American ownership and redevelopment of the Gaza Strip took everyone by surprise—not least Israel’s prime minister. As improbable as it all is, though, it may play into Binyamin Netanyahu’s hands. As a second-world-war-era dispute reignites between Ukraine and Poland, Russia is the beneficiary (10:00). And the growing appetite for eye-wateringly pricey baby products (19:10).

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From media-studies dropout to international jihadist to Syria’s ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa has an unlikely résumé. He speaks with our editor-in-chief, sharing hopeful-sounding hints of his vision—but precious little detail. Japan’s economy has been hobbled by low inflation for years; is that now in the past (14.05)? And the lucrative media gigs of Britain’s lawmakers (21.30).

Special thanks to Mamoon Alhidayat, our interpreter in Syria. 

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. 

The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped?

Available now.

To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.