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Scam Nation: Undercover with the Next Generation of Cyber Fraudsters
A riveting journey into the secret world of online scamming and the cyber criminals seeking to defraud you.
For decades, we have thought of scammers as rogue actors – offshore con artists or opportunistic criminals who target the elderly, the ill-informed and the vulnerable, looking to gain access to their money or their identities. But this is no longer the reality.
As Kaf Okpattah, an investigative reporter and ITV journalist reveals, a new generation of fraudsters are harnessing tools like artificial intelligence, encrypted messaging and social media platforms to extend their advantage, committing increasingly audacious crimes with new levels of sophistication and unprecedented rewards. And they are coming for us all.
In this new arms-race of deepfake calls, psychological manipulation and advanced money laundering techniques, these criminals – many of them still teenagers – stay constantly one step ahead of the authorities and are adept at exploiting our social and digital weaknesses.
Having spent months immersed in this shadow world, Okpattah takes you inside the sinister underground domain of Scam Nation. Weaving analysis of the larger structural issues with frontline reporting and gripping narrative detail, he comes face-to-face with the new generation of scammers and offers strategies for how best to protect yourself when the fraudsters inevitably come for you.
For decades, we have thought of scammers as rogue actors – offshore con artists or opportunistic criminals who target the elderly, the ill-informed and the vulnerable, looking to gain access to their money or their identities. But this is no longer the reality.
As Kaf Okpattah, an investigative reporter and ITV journalist reveals, a new generation of fraudsters are harnessing tools like artificial intelligence, encrypted messaging and social media platforms to extend their advantage, committing increasingly audacious crimes with new levels of sophistication and unprecedented rewards. And they are coming for us all.
In this new arms-race of deepfake calls, psychological manipulation and advanced money laundering techniques, these criminals – many of them still teenagers – stay constantly one step ahead of the authorities and are adept at exploiting our social and digital weaknesses.
Having spent months immersed in this shadow world, Okpattah takes you inside the sinister underground domain of Scam Nation. Weaving analysis of the larger structural issues with frontline reporting and gripping narrative detail, he comes face-to-face with the new generation of scammers and offers strategies for how best to protect yourself when the fraudsters inevitably come for you.
- GenresTrue Crime
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5
Since the start of the twenty-first century, and as we have entered the digital age, it would be more than fair to say that fraudulent activity feels like it has exploded. From phishing emails and SMS messages to scam calls pretending to be your bank – or worse, a family member – there seems to be a never-ending line of swindlers hoping to part you from your bank balance.
While many may already be aware of the types of scams out there, the whys and hows might not be so transparent.
Kaf Okpattah spent many months investigating this new digital underworld, and some of the findings may come as a surprise. While online fraud may conjure up images of large, shady call centres situated abroad, the reality is often much more local and low-key.
Okpattah writes in an extremely accessible and conversational way, which makes for an easy and fascinating read.
Overall, I found Scam Nation an informative book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the subject.
With thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC.
Since the start of the twenty-first century, and as we have entered the digital age, it would be more than fair to say that fraudulent activity feels like it has exploded. From phishing emails and SMS messages to scam calls pretending to be your bank – or worse, a family member – there seems to be a never-ending line of swindlers hoping to part you from your bank balance.
While many may already be aware of the types of scams out there, the whys and hows might not be so transparent.
Kaf Okpattah spent many months investigating this new digital underworld, and some of the findings may come as a surprise. While online fraud may conjure up images of large, shady call centres situated abroad, the reality is often much more local and low-key.
Okpattah writes in an extremely accessible and conversational way, which makes for an easy and fascinating read.
Overall, I found Scam Nation an informative book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the subject.
With thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fairly informative read, although a bit more of a light touch than other books I've read on the subject of scams and scammers.
I understand this book was more to highlight the scammer's side of this sort of crime rather than the scammed victim's, however I think without hearing how this crime impacts people it comes across as a bit robotic. I really did feel for the kid at the end who had come to watch a fraudster be sentenced as his father had lost money to a scam, but otherwise it didn't feel very emotive to me.
I was however disgusted with the abuse leveled at the author during the course of their investigations. It felt very weird for literal criminals to be upset over getting called out for ... being criminals.
Overall it is well written and I liked the conversational style the author has and the footnotes expanded on terminology which was good to keep referring back to.
This was a fairly informative read, although a bit more of a light touch than other books I've read on the subject of scams and scammers.
I understand this book was more to highlight the scammer's side of this sort of crime rather than the scammed victim's, however I think without hearing how this crime impacts people it comes across as a bit robotic. I really did feel for the kid at the end who had come to watch a fraudster be sentenced as his father had lost money to a scam, but otherwise it didn't feel very emotive to me.
I was however disgusted with the abuse leveled at the author during the course of their investigations. It felt very weird for literal criminals to be upset over getting called out for ... being criminals.
Overall it is well written and I liked the conversational style the author has and the footnotes expanded on terminology which was good to keep referring back to.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, Scam Nation, by Kaf Okpattah from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The author of this book is a journalist who was looking in to fraud/scams. This book shows scams through the years in the UK. Its interesting and scary how scammers can scam people, from spoofing phone numbers to much more. I liked this book, except for the language.
May 22, 2026
interesting, even though i'm not sure i'd recommend empathizing with the criminals as the author suggests in the beginning...a bit strange.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews