Scamlands: Inside the Asian empire of fraud that preys on the world

by Snigdha Poonam

Snigdha Poonam’s Scamlands takes you to parts of the world where a scamster is born every minute. Beginning from the rural heartland of eastern India, where she grew up and ending in a shining city by the South China Sea, Poonam follows the networks of deceit across an invisible empire that thrives on inequality, technological change and the erosion of trust. It is a world where fraud is at once a route to upward mobility, an act of revenge against the privileged and uncaring, and a blatant disregard for the pain of others.

A gripping account of the people and forces behind the scams reshaping societies and economies in India, Asia and beyond, this book describes places where corruption is not just an abuse of power but also an expression of agency and of ingenuity. It uncovers what it means for the social order, in India and elsewhere, when deception becomes a way of life. When fraud triumphs over trust, none of us anywhere in the world will escape its armies of foot soldiers and scam lords. We may all become unwilling citizens of this dark empire.

Genres: Nonfiction

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2025

About the author

Snigdha Poonam is a national affairs writer with The Hindustan Times in Delhi. Her work has appeared in Scroll, The Caravan, The Times of India, The New York Times, The Guardian, Granta, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and The Financial Times. Her article 'Lady Singham’s Mission Against Love' was runner-up in the Bodley Head / Financial Times Essay Prize, 2015. She won the 2017 Journalist of Change award of Bournemouth University for an investigation of student suicides that appeared on Huffington Post. Dreamers is her first book. It won 2018’s Crossword Book Award (Jury) for nonfiction and was longlisted for PEN America Literary Awards. Dreamers also featured in many best-books lists including The Financial Times’ and The Hindu’s.

Reviews

[Aishwary Mehta (The_Fugitive_Biker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Didn't know that the scams we used to hear about every day, everywhere from social media to newspapers to TV, were so widespread and deeply rooted in the system. Made me wonder about the movie Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, where I got to know the concepts of sleeper cells. The same concept I found here in Scamlands, where the author tells that most of the advertisements we read in newspapers or on pamphlets on everywall of every Indian town, luring people to get a Call Centre job and a salary ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 45,000, are mostly scams. Here, the author found out for herself in the real world that people are lured in with the offer of a job in a job-scarce country to scam the strangers and even get a commission out of it. A country where my classmates, after being Post-Grad, were offered a mere salary of Rs. 12,000 per month in major Pharma companies, people with just a 10th pass or with a decent knowledge of the English language and persuasive skills can get 4 fold salary by scamming others easily and not getting caught!

This whole section just blew my mind about how deeply ingrained this all has become. Once, where India was famed and known for Truth-speaking, it is now almost submerged in the quagmire of lies. I feel bad when I read this book; it is eye-opening, yes, but bad for all the victims and pawns of this game. Victims for losing what they earned with hard work, and pawns for not getting the fair things they should. In several government schemes, *Can't mention the name or the Holigans might target me*, people are offered free money monthly, not for anything but votes, a different scheme than giving free money openly. Previously, it was called buying votes; now it's called 'Yojna'.

All applause to the author because it is one of those books that really tells you what true journalism is like. She went from researching about it to actually getting to talk to the Scheme organisers and various people who were just as simple as any town person you know, who secretly is one of the scammers. Some are shy or hideous of their work, and some are proudly accepting it as a mere job. As is the famous Bollywood movie dialogue, 'Ganda hai par dhanda hai', 'Though it's wrong, but it's business after all'. I guess it all came down to being in power for the Political parties and filling their pockets with money, rather than actually doing well for the citizens and nation. More of acting like the Termites and not true leaders.

[Jayanti Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was suggested scamlands as a recommendation i went in thinking I knew what the book was already about. Who in the Indian subcontinent has not received a potential scam call or email, eventually learning the lesson to not pick up unknown calls unless absolutely necessary. The Netflix show on jamatara had already informed us about the wide scale nature of the scam emanating from the hinterlands and one would’ve even read about the cyber compounds in Cambodia.
But what Snigdha Poonam does in this book is a little different. It’s writing by a journalist who is ready to uncover the very last piece in the puzzle and that’s why she does not stop at the domestic spread of this late stage capitalist problem. She reveals that the “problem” of cyber crimes is social political economic and even geopolitical. Scam lands read more like a dive into the very human reasons why someone scams and particular why scamming is not just a hobby or simply a way to make money. It the protest of the marginalised, under skilled, unemployable, lost demographic dividend of the country. When public institutions and policy decisions fail a young generation having ready access to nothing but a phone and cheap data, they take things in their own hands and make best of their ingenuity that Poonam repeatedly talks about.

My take away from the writing was that we’ve entered a stage where scam money may soon be the new remittance pouring into Indian households due to the lack of alternative opportunities. Poonam disturbingly makes the reader realise that over the past decade with scamming ecosystem receiving a steady stream of Indian youth willing to travel to these jurisdictions, the alternative may not be an incentive to remain and earn a living the traditional way. No sector is offering the comparable wage rate or even perks.

By her punchy observations the author by the end of the book, leaves the reader with a mixed flavour that maybe we have lost the current youth to quick money and off the domain apps. Perhaps the next one can go screen less but only if the state takes this problem for what it is.

[Diti Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scamlands: Inside the Asian Empire of Fraud That Preys on the World by Snigdha Poonam

Scamlands is a gripping and eye-opening book that pulls you straight into the hidden world of global scams. From the very beginning, Snigdha Poonam writes with urgency, making the book feel less like dry journalism and more like a fast-moving thriller—while staying firmly rooted in real life.

What makes this book stand out is its human focus. Instead of only exposing crimes, Poonam looks closely at the people behind them—young men and women who run scams, the victims who fall for them, and the social conditions that allow this industry to grow. She travels from small towns in India to major Asian hubs, showing how scam operations work like professional companies, complete with targets, training, and strict rules.

Some parts go deep into how digital fraud works, which can feel heavy at times, but they also make one thing very clear: these scams are highly organised and far more common than we imagine. The writing remains clear, sharp, and emotionally grounded throughout.

The most lasting impact of Scamlands is how it changes the way you see everyday life. Unknown phone calls, online messages, and even friendly strangers suddenly feel different. This book is disturbing, informative, and extremely relevant in today’s digital world.

Scamlands is a powerful read that helps you understand modern fraud—not just as crime, but as a symptom of broken systems, lost trust, and the struggle to survive. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know what really lies behind the scams we hear about every day.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scamlands is one of those books that grabs you by the collar right from the prologue and whispers, “Welcome to the underbelly—hold on tight.” Snigdha Poonam’s reportage has that rare mix of sharpness and empathy; she doesn’t just describe the world of global fraud, she steps inside it, sits with the people powering it, and tries to understand what drives them. For me, that’s what makes this book far more than a crime exposé—it’s a portrait of an entire ecosystem built on desperation, ambition, and the collapse of trust.

The narrative moves briskly—from small towns in India to glittering hubs across Asia—revealing how scam networks function like full-fledged corporations. At times, the density of detail can feel overwhelming, especially when the book dives into the mechanics of digital fraud. But even those heavier sections underline how disturbingly organised and far-reaching these operations are.

Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...

[Kavita Jhala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scam! Scam! Scam! We hear this word every single day. What do we do? Read and forget. Until we are made to remember it traumatically for life. If you don't want the trauma, read the book! In Scamlands, Snigdha Poonam delivers a masterclass in investigative journalism. Moving far beyond the fleeting headlines of cybercrime, she explores the "scam kingdoms" emerging across the globe, with a specific focus on how unemployment acts as a catalyst in South Asia.
Why should you read it? Why not?
- Despite being non-fiction, it possesses a dramatic, thrilling element that keeps you hooked without a moment of boredom.
- Snigdha skillfully binds the stories of victims, authorities, and the scammers themselves into a logical, eye-opening framework.
- The book exposes the "brains" of the operation, detailing everything from the telecallers' scripts (SOPs) to their actual working conditions.
This is a necessary read for every Indian home to understand the mindset and mechanics of the modern fraud industry. It’s insightful, brave, and deeply researched

[Tushar Mangl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the scam call you dismissed yesterday is part of a global empire built on inequality and ambition?
Snigdha Poonam’s Scamlands is not just about phishing or call centres. It traces an invisible network stretching from rural eastern India to Southeast Asia. Through interviews and field reporting, Poonam examines how fraud becomes industry, mobility, choice and even revenge.
I found the book technically superb and morally unsettling. It made me question data privacy, digital exposure, and our collective empathy. While I wished for deeper exploration of corporate data complicity, the book remains essential reading.
For my full detailed critique, read here:
Full Review on TusharMangl.com

[Girish G. Vaidya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was aware of many scams described in the book through media reports. But it was good to read about different types of digital frauds in one book. The book also provided information about how these scams are conceived and executed. Obviously the key scamsters understand principles of running a business even if it is a criminal business. It was interesting to note that the scamsters do not suffer from any sense of guilt. The human stories of both perpetrators and victims made the book very different.

I wish digital arrest scam had been covered more elaborately. That is one scam which has been making headlines in the last 18 months or so.

[Sharath Ram Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-researched, well-written and holistic look into the world of digital scams. The author does a great job in presenting all sides of the story - the scammers, the victims, and the "scamlords" - from a human perspective. She also explains their (often sophisticated) MO in detail.

[Avi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read but something felt missing. A little bit of a slog to finish it.

[Sundar Ganapathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting read, wandering through the scams in the hinterlands of south asia. Thoroughly researched, engrossing , and a movie waiting to be made.
Strongly recommend

[Chandana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable. Language and vocabulary is average. Didn’t really find anything new.

[Amit Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliantly sculpted. it's a one sitting book - apart from economic deprivation every scam has a societal angle to its origins.