Scams are not new. But whilst digitisation has brought in unparalleled transformation especially with financial inclusion, it has also resulted in financial fraud becoming rampant in India that many of us have been victims of, but few acknowledge. That in itself is sometimes the safety net for a fraudster. Snigdha Poonam whose first book‘Dreamers’ told the incredible story of Jamtara, ‘call centres’ in India set up to scam people, is back with her next – Scamlands, which was published earlier this week. Much like in Dreamers, Snigdha doesn’t stop at just writing about the modus operandi of fraudsters but also explores socio-economic factors that creates them.
“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.
…The circumstances that gave rise to the scammers of Jamtara are unique, but the psychology behind them is universal: a blend of greed, fear and trust, proving equally effective whether the target was in Massachusetts or Mumbai. There I saw how two Indias collide—one chasing material progress, the other bent on survival. And in their collision is born the kind of ambition that drives people to the brink of innovation and then pushes them over the edge of illegality—while hardened inequalities make it impossible for them to turn back.”
In this book, she illustrates multiple scam stories and what stands about each of them: “Scamlands travels onwards to a divided and desperate eastern state, beset by fear and floods. If in my home province of Jharkhand, I was struck by the ingenuity that underlay the dishonesty, in Assam, what stood out was audacity. I saw, too, how the empire of scams is both born of and undermines the social contract between the state and its citizens. The fraudsters of Assam’s Barpeta looked like they were exploiting weaknesses in the welfare infrastructure, but they were also taking a hammer to a system that overlooked their existence. Once you have met them, you will understand a little more about the broader implications of fraud in an already fractured society.”
The Financial Express carried an excerpt of one such scam story from the book, to whet your appetite.
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