About this episode
The episode introduces a series exploring a global scam economy linked to human trafficking and corruption.
**Winner of the Peabody Award 2026** 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? To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Sue-Lin Wong
Topics covered
- scams
- human trafficking
- corruption
- money laundering
- economy
- true crime
Keywords
- scam economy
- human trafficking
- corruption
- money laundering
- Peabody Award
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Economist, Acast
Places: Kansas
More episodes of Scam Inc from The Economist
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- 2. Opportunity of a lifetime · February 6, 2025 · 36 min
- 1. Pigs in a barrel · February 6, 2025 · 41 min
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