Our #ScamEmpire project revealed how sophisticated scam call centers ruined thousands of victims’ lives using fake investment platforms.
Now we investigate 81 of these platforms, revealing their scam tactics.
https://www.occrp.org/en/project/scam-empire/call-center-brands-design-test
As of now, 15 of the 81 platforms uncovered by reporters are still online. #ScamEmpire
Read more here 👇
https://www.occrp.org/en/project/scam-empire/call-center-brands-design-test
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As of now, 15 of the 81 platforms uncovered by reporters are still online.
Read more here: https://www.occrp.org/en/project/scam-empire/call-center-brands-design-test
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta projected last year that 10% of its overall income would come from advertising for scams or banned goods, Reuters reports.
The #ScamEmpire project revealed how social media ads were central to scammers' strategies:
Two professional scam call-center operations depended on affiliate marketing firms to supply them with contact details of people who had clicked on ads for phony investment platforms. The marketers were only paid if the victims — some of whom went on to lose their life savings — were ensnared.
Two professional scam call-center operations depended on affiliate marketing firms to supply them with contact details of people who had clicked on ads for phony investment platforms. The marketers were only paid if the victims — some of whom went on to lose their life savings — were ensnared.
Scam call centers have been a scourge for years, conning ordinary people around the world out of hundreds of billions of dollars. Touting fake celebrity endorsements and deploying the latest technological buzzwords, skilled fraudsters lure victims into handing over their life savings for imaginary “investments.” And they operate with near-impunity: they’re hard to track and harder to prosecute. Their inner workings usually remain a mystery.But not anymore. An unprecedented leak of nearly two terabytes of data from two major scam operations — thousands of hours of phone calls, screen recordings, spreadsheets, and other files — has enabled journalists to enter the scammers’ world and even to watch them at work.It took a months-long collaborative effort by dozens of media partners to scour through this trove of evidence. The result is an unprecedented look into the heart of one of the world’s darkest industries.This is Scam Empire.
Great work by independent journalist collectives!
Professional scammers call upon a global network of service providers to execute their work in a sophisticated, streamlined fashion. Here are some of their names.
Behind the Scam: How Fraudsters Use Social Media, Software, and Shell Companies to Steal Millions | OCCRP
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/behind-the-scam-how-fraudsters-use-social-media-software-and-shell-companies-to-steal-millions
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
OCCRP
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Leonieke