logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
1h 1m

Scam Factory, with Denise Chan

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

It's a harrowing story, often untold in the West: while everyone's tired of scam calls and texts, we rarely ask about the lives of people on the other side of the call. While it's devilishly easy to make light of the scammers and the con artists, the harsh reality is that thousands of people pushing scams are being forced to do so, often held against their will in what amounts to modern-day slavery. Following up on their earlier episode investigating the terrifying scam compounds in Myanmar, Ben, Matt and Noel welcome special guest, the award-winning journalist Dennis Chan, to learn more about the continuing catastrophe in her newest project, Scam Factory, by Wondery.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
What Comes After Humans? Chapter One: A Brief, Brightly Burning Light
Humans! Seems like they're everywhere these days. They've also been great for our show, so thanks! Anyhow, the Age of the Anthropocene has fundamentally altered the natural world -- and, no matter what happens, the legacy of the human will remain long after the actual species is ... Show More
49m 37s
Oct 7
CLASSIC: Operation Infektion: Russia's AIDS Conspiracy
HIV and AIDS, the syndrome the infection causes, have become the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Over the decades people have proposed the infection was purposely designed to kill certain segments of the public, or that it was a lab experiment gone wrong, or that it didn ... Show More
51m 11s
Oct 6
Strange News: Peter and the Antichrist, Hegseth's Stand-up Bombs, Crypto Heists and More
The world's largest crypto-related heists poses a bizarre dilemma for authorities in London. The perplexing meeting of US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and America's generals has everyone -- including the generals -- scratching their heads. The billionaire Peter Theil is raising ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
Listen Now: Scam Factory
You know those messages that you get all the time, the ones that pop up out of nowhere? They could be real, but something about them seems fishy. You likely dismiss these texts and emails as mere annoyances, thinking you’ve stopped some random stranger from ripping you off. But t ... Show More
6m 30s