People have lost billions of dollars to scams. But the scammers are often victims, too.
By Emma Ware
Head of Audio
The Conversation UK
By Justin Bergman
International Affairs Editor
The Conversation Australia
By Matt Garrow
Editorial Web Developer
The Conversation Australia
‘We Could Hear the Screams until Midnight’: Life Inside Southeast Asia’s Brutal Fraud Compounds
People around the globe are swindled out of billions of dollars a year in scams. The scammers, though, are sometimes victims, too. Many are often duped into jobs, then trapped in compounds and subjected to unspeakable violence.
Online scam operations are booming in Southeast Asia due to lax regulations, organised crime networks and corrupt local officials. Our authors are on the trail of the powerful, shadowy figures at the top.
Escaping a scam compound is rife with risk. Some workers break out of compounds en masse; others jump from high windows to freedom. Those who succeed then face persistent questions from authorities and their families about whether they are truly a victim.
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