Scam Nation

‘A gripping take on how fraud and scamming have become part of our everyday lives’ Laura Whateley

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.

Reviews

‘Kaf Okpattah is one of the most original minds in journalism. This book is typically fresh, spikey and eye-opening. It’ll have you spotting scammers at every turn’

Paul Brand, UK Editor, ITV News

‘A refreshingly original and gripping take on how fraud and scamming have become part of our everyday lives. By investigating the people behind these crimes and their motives, Kaf’s book plays an essential part in trying to tackle them and make sure our family and friends don’t get caught up in them as victims, or as Kaf points out, accidental perpetrators. A great book!’

Laura Whateley, Author of Money: A User’s Guide

‘Eye-opening and fascinating. A great read’

Mary Nightingale, Presenter, ITV Evening News

About the author

Kaf Okpattah is an award-winning investigative journalist and podcast producer. He began his career with BBC News’ specialist investigations unit whilst still in his first year of university, and now works for ITV as an investigative reporter covering a wide range of subjects.

He is the recipient of an NCTJ Award for Excellence 2020 (for “Top Scoop"), and was chosen as one of thirty-under-thirty in the British Journalism Awards, 2019. He was also highly commended in the Wincott Awards for Financial Journalism, 2020.

In August 2021, Kaf became the youngest ever writer and presenter of BBC’s “Panorama”, fronting a 30-minute documentary about social media fraudsters.

Kaf was born in Accra, Ghana in 2000, and has lived in London since 2010.