Episode Details

From sophisticated investment scams to sanctions evasion and state-backed cybercrime, crypto has become an increasingly important part of the global financial crime conversation.

In this episode of the Payment Expert Podcast, Louis Thompsett is joined by Senior Business Journalist Kieran O’Connor to examine some of the darkest corners of the digital asset economy.

The pair look at how so-called scam farms build relationships with victims over weeks or months before stealing their money, why stablecoins such as USDT have become so useful to criminal networks, and how stolen funds can be dispersed across multiple wallets and exchanges within minutes.

They also examine the human cost behind these operations, including forced scam compounds in Southeast Asia where victims of trafficking are coerced into carrying out fraud.

The conversation then moves from organised crime to geopolitics, exploring how sanctioned states including Russia, Iran and North Korea have used digital assets to move money, bypass traditional financial rails and support state-linked activity.

But is crypto actually better for criminals than cash?

The episode ends by asking whether the permanent, public nature of blockchain transactions could ultimately make crypto one of the most traceable forms of financial crime.

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#Crypto #Cryptocurrency #FinancialCrime #Stablecoins #Payments