ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is hemorrhaging $9.3 billion annually to fraud and scams—a staggering 2.5% of the nation's GDP—as economic crisis, crushing youth unemployment, and sophisticated criminal networks converge to create one of the developing world's most severe fraud epidemics. With one-third of Pakistani
ISTANBUL — Turkey stands at a dangerous crossroads in 2025, positioned both geographically and economically at the intersection of Europe and Asia, tradition and modernity, legitimate cryptocurrency innovation and catastrophic fraud. With nearly 1 million fraud cases brought to prosecutors in 2023, $2 billion+ lost in a single cryptocurrency exchange collapse,
The holiday season is supposed to be about joy, family gatherings, and finding the perfect gifts. Instead, for 34 million Americans, it became a nightmare of drained bank accounts, stolen identities, and fraudulent charges. As Thanksgiving 2025 approaches and Black Friday deals flood your inbox, cybercriminals are already counting their
International crackdown exposes payment industry corruption as 18 arrested in sophisticated subscription scam affecting 4.3 million victims across 193 countries Executive Summary In one of the most significant cybercrime enforcement actions of 2025, international law enforcement coordinated by Eurojust executed Operation Chargeback on November 4, resulting in 18 arrests
Operation Nothing But Net: How Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and 34 Others Got Caught in a Mafia-Backed Sports Betting Ring The Biggest Sports Corruption Scandal Since the Black Sox The FBI dropped a bombshell on October 23, 2025, unveiling what authorities are calling one of the most brazen sports corruption
Executive Summary Dubai has emerged as the world's "Crypto Oasis" – a gleaming financial hub where legitimate blockchain innovation collides with sophisticated fraud on an unprecedented scale. In the first half of 2025 alone, UAE cryptocurrency victims lost an average of $80,000 (Dh293,600) each, the
Executive Summary Russia occupies a unique and disturbing position in the global cybercrime ecosystem – a nation-state that doesn't just harbor cybercriminals, but cultivates, protects, and weaponizes them for strategic advantage. Ranked #1 on the World Cybercrime Index, Russia serves as the birthplace and safe harbor for the world&
Executive Summary Nigeria stands at a crossroads in 2025, simultaneously serving as both a major source of global cybercrime and one of its most significant victims. The birthplace of the infamous "419 scam" has evolved into a sophisticated cybercrime ecosystem where unemployment drives young people into fraud, spiritual
Executive Summary New Zealand, long known for its laid-back "she'll be right" attitude and trusted community spirit, faces a staggering fraud crisis that is draining NZ$2.3 billion ($1.4 billion USD) annually from the nation's economy—equivalent to 0.6% of GDP.
Executive Summary Poland presents a fascinating paradox in 2025's global cybersecurity landscape: ranked 2nd globally in the National Cyber Security Index for preparedness, yet simultaneously suffering the highest ransomware attack rate worldwide at 6% of all global incidents—surpassing even the United States. With 113,600 serious cyberattacks
Executive Summary Spain stands at a dangerous crossroads in 2025: while 85 million annual tourists flock to Barcelona's beaches and Madrid's museums, they walk into one of Europe's most sophisticated fraud ecosystems. With €240 million lost to banking fraud in 2023 alone (a 117%
Executive Summary Vietnam stands at a dangerous crossroads where rapid digital transformation meets sophisticated cross-border cybercrime. With economic losses reaching $16.23 billion (3.6% of GDP) in 2023 and a 65% surge in online scams through 2025, the nation faces a dual crisis: Vietnamese citizens being victimized by domestic
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Thailand faces a dual-front crisis in 2025: while tourists lose millions to traditional street scams in Bangkok and Phuket, the nation's Myanmar border has transformed into the epicenter of a global human trafficking and cybercrime empire. With ₿115.3 billion ($3.2 billion USD) lost annually
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Indonesia, Southeast Asia's digital payment powerhouse and home to 270+ million people, is grappling with an unprecedented fraud crisis that threatens to undermine its remarkable digital transformation. With financial losses reaching Rp 7 trillion ($438 million) in less than one year and 89% of all unknown
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Italy, a nation celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and world-class tourism industry, confronts a sobering reality in 2025: €181 million lost to online fraud—a staggering 32% increase from 2023's €137 million. With 18,714 cases reported in 2024 (up 15% from the previous year)
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary The Netherlands, renowned as Europe's most digitally advanced economy and a global logistics powerhouse, faces a paradox in 2025: despite having one of the world's highest digital literacy rates, the nation now leads all European Economic Area countries in digital payment fraud. With €1.
Global Scam Series 2025
Date: October 2025 Executive Summary France is experiencing a devastating scam epidemic, with total fraud losses reaching €7.6 billion ($8.3 billion) in the last twelve months alone. Over half of French adults (54%) reported falling victim to scams in 2025, with the average loss per victim exceeding €750.
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Mexico faces an unprecedented convergence of traditional organized crime and sophisticated cyber fraud that has created one of the most dangerous digital threat environments in the Western Hemisphere. In 2024 alone, Mexico lost MX$11.3 billion (US$611 million) to cyber fraud, with the country accounting for
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, faces a staggering cybercrime crisis that has cost the nation €267 billion in 2024 alone—the fourth-highest fraud rate in Europe and seventh-highest among all 30 European Economic Area countries. In just the 12 months leading to mid-2025, German consumers lost €10.
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary South Korea is experiencing what experts are calling a "scam pandemic"—an explosive surge in voice phishing (voice fraud) and cryptocurrency scams that has left 26% of adults victimized in just the past year, with losses totaling $1.4 billion USD. In the first quarter of
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Japan is grappling with a record-breaking fraud crisis in 2025, as "special fraud" (tokushu sagi) cases surge to historic levels. What once targeted primarily the elderly has evolved into a sophisticated criminal industry that now victimizes people of all ages, with younger generations increasingly falling prey
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary The Philippines faces a digital fraud crisis of unprecedented proportions, ranking as the second-highest country globally for suspected digital fraud rates in 2025. With 13.4% of all digital transactions flagged as potentially fraudulent—more than double the global average—74% of Filipinos have been targeted by scammers
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary As 2025 progresses, China faces one of the world's most complex and sophisticated fraud landscapes, with telecom and internet scams evolving into an industrial-scale criminal enterprise that operates both domestically and across borders. With over 294,000 cases solved in the first half of 2025 alone
Global Scam Series 2025
Executive Summary Brazil stands at a dangerous crossroads where financial innovation meets criminal exploitation at unprecedented scale. The nation's revolutionary instant payment system, PIX, has transformed how 140 million Brazilians transact money—but it has simultaneously created a $2.7 billion fraud ecosystem that represents one of the