How India became the frontline of global fraud

Snigdha Poonam's nonfiction book 'Scamlands' takes stock of the implications of fraud in an already fractured society

- Singdha Poonam

The fear of being scammed is a primal emotion, as fundamental as the need for love, uniting humans across time and borders.

It's why we step back when someone we let into our lives becomes a little too familiar a little too quickly. It's why we are sceptical of emails from unknown senders. And it is why we are distrustful when a stranger calls. It is why we are silent when we don't know who is on the other end of the line.

Yet, we may still find ourselves blindsided. Despite our caution, we may have run into a professional: Someone who has been trained to trick us, someone selected for their ability to win our trust, someone paid to deceive. Any of us may encounter a scammer. More and more of us will.

We know what they want—our money—but we often have no idea who they are or why they chose to swindle us of our hard-earned income instead of making an honest living. Do they seek only money, or is there a deeper intent—revenge on an unfair and unfeeling world, perhaps? Levelling the playing field in some twisted attempt at justice? Settling some score we were unaware of?

In years of writing about villains and villainy, I have encountered criminals from petty vandals to serial killers. Yet none have fascinated me as much as fraudsters. There are other ways to take someone's money: hacking into accounts or executing elaborate heists. But unlike others in the financial crime world, fraudsters must first build a relationship with their victims—however fleeting—before making their move. It's a remarkable skill, and a terrifying weapon.