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Scam call centres are no longer small, isolated operations. They are highly organised criminal enterprises that use psychology, technology, and global financial systems to steal billions every year. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of scam call centres to uncover how modern fraud operations actually work – from recruitment and scripts to money laundering and digital infrastructure. We break down the tactics used to manipulate victims, the role of organised crime, and why shutting these networks down is far more complex than it appears. This conversation explores: - How scam call centres are structured and operated - The psychology behind social engineering and coercion - Common scam scripts and manipulation techniques - How proceeds of fraud are moved and laundered - Why scam networks are difficult to dismantle - The growing role of technology, data, and AI in financial crime - What regulators, businesses, and individuals need to understand to reduce risk Whether you work in financial crime, compliance, fraud prevention, cybersecurity, law enforcement, or simply want to understand how scams really operate, this episode offers practical insight into one of the fastest-growing criminal threats globally. 🔎 Why this matters Scam call centres sit at the intersection of fraud, money laundering, organised crime, and human exploitation. Understanding how these operations function is critical to protecting consumers, strengthening compliance frameworks, and disrupting criminal networks at scale.

In this episode, we unpack how uncertainty, data gaps, and fragmented intelligence are creating new opportunities for financial crime, fraud, and environmental exploitation across global markets. Joining the conversation is Emily Hsu, Financial and Environmental Crime Researcher, who explores how weak governance, limited transparency, and uneven access to information allow criminal networks to operate across borders — from illicit supply chains and environmental crime to financial fraud and organised criminal activity. The discussion examines how criminals exploit: Knowledge gaps in high-risk jurisdictions Weak regulatory enforcement and oversight Complex global supply chains Limited data sharing between public and private sectors We also explore why financial institutions, regulators, and compliance teams must rethink traditional risk assessments — moving beyond static checklists towards intelligence-led, context-driven analysis that reflects real-world risk. Subscribe for more expert discussions on financial crime, fraud, corruption, sanctions, and emerging risks!

How did Burkina Faso become one of the most viral political stories on social media, despite limited internet access at home?   In this episode, Henry Wyard, Senior Policy Analyst, and Finlay Taylor, Junior Investigations Analyst, unpack how Burkina Faso has found itself at the forefront of modern disinformation warfare, AI-driven propaganda, and scam ecosystems operating across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and beyond. The discussion explores the global online campaign surrounding military leader Ibrahim Traoré — examining how bot networks, AI-generated videos, deepfakes, click farms and fabricated economic “success stories” are reshaping public perception far beyond West Africa.   Key topics covered: How AI has transformed propaganda into scalable, anonymous influence campaigns The role of bots, click farms and astroturfed engagement Fake gold mining claims, deepfake world leaders and AI-generated music propaganda The geopolitical narratives tying Burkina Faso, Russia and anti-Western sentiment Why West Africa’s mineral wealth makes it a strategic disinformation battleground The collapse of democratic norms and the fallout from ECOWAS sanctions How disinformation fuels fraud, scams and financial crime risk This episode breaks down how modern propaganda works, why it spreads and what it means for geopolitics, financial crime and global security, using Burkina Faso as a case study in the future of influence operations.    Perfect for viewers interested in:  Disinformation | AI & propaganda | Financial crime | Cyber-enabled fraud | Geopolitics | Africa security | OSINT | Risk & intelligence  Podcast: Burkina Faso & The Cutting Edge of Propaganda   Based on analysis by Finlay Taylor   Subscribe for more deep-dive investigations into financial crime, risk and global influence operations.  

Themis FinCrime Podcast: Fraud Alongside the release of The FinCrime Times, Themis presents a five-part podcast series uncovering the evolving world of fraud, from AI-driven deception to cross-border scam economies. Hosted by Henry Wyard, Senior Policy Analyst at Themis, each 20-minute episode dives into one of the magazine’s feature stories, with the authors themselves joining to unpack their research, perspectives and real-world implications. In the first episode, Henry speaks with Jennifer Downie, AI and Fraud Researcher at Themis, about her article ‘Pig Butchering Investment Scams: The Victims on the Other Side of the Bitcoin.’ Jennifer discusses how these scams intertwine human trafficking, organised crime and emerging technology, revealing the disturbing human cost behind one of the fastest-growing fraud typologies in the world.

Join us as Aine McParland, Financial and Environmental Crime Researcher at Themis, engages in conversation with Olivia Dakeyne, Associate Director of Themis' Insight Team, and John Dodsworth, Drivers Initiative Lead at WWF-UK, as they delve into the recently published report by Themis and WWF-UK titled 'Financial Crimes and Land Conversion: Uncovering the Risk for Financial Institutions.' Tune in to gain insights on the critical issue of land conversion and its far-reaching implications for financial institutions. Learn more about the broader Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit, an initiative being developed in partnership with WWF-UK, designed to address these challenges directly.

In this episode, Olivia Dakeyne, Associate Director at Themis, talks to Gavin Miller, a former detective who spent time working for the Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This is the third and final episode in a short series of podcasts with Gavin Miller about modern slavery and human trafficking. In this episode, Gavin talks about the great benefits to organisations (as well as wider society) of taking anti-modern slavery and human trafficking efforts seriously, not just for staying on the right side of regulation but also for attracting new businesses.  

In this episode, Olivia Dakeyne, Associate Director at Themis, talks to Gavin Miller, a former detective who spent time working for the Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This is the second in a short series of podcasts with Gavin Miller, and in this episode, Gavin talks to us about the importance of private public partnerships and cross-sectoral collaboration to modern slavery and human trafficking efforts and how the private sector can add value, with examples of real cases worked on during his career with the Police Service. 

In this episode, Olivia Dakeyne, Think Tank Manager at Themis, talks to Gavin Miller, a former detective who spent time working for the Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This is the first in a short series of podcasts with Gavin Miller, and in this first episode, he talks about the specific crime landscape for modern slavery and human trafficking in Northern Ireland and gives us some fascinating and insightful real life cases that he worked on during his career, and how financial intelligence provided by financial institutions was so pivotal to these investigations - both to the victim experience and the prosecution.  

Join us on this eye-opening episode of Themis as we delve into the chilling world of cryptoscammers and their relentless pursuit of targets within the start-up scene. In a riveting first-hand account, Cindy Gallop of MakeLoveNotPorn shares her brief encounter with these cyberfraudsters. Learn how entrepreneurs like Cindy navigate the treacherous waters of cryptocurrency and emerge with their finances and businesses intact. It's a cautionary tale that sheds light on the tactics of modern-day scammers and how conducting due diligence can be your best defence.

In this podcast, Themis’ Head of Investigations, Henry Williams, speaks to Diligencia’s Regional Director in the Gulf, Jonathan Siklos, about corporate investigations, particularly in the MENA region. They discuss why someone might engage a corporate investigator, the types of intelligence used in such investigations, the challenges of finding data in the MENA region, whether AI will ever replace human investigators, and whether investigation is a science or an art.

With Interpol estimating that deforestation contributes 6-17% of global carbon emissions, it will be impossible to mitigate the negative effects of climate change without addressing the practice. In this podcast, Carel van Randwyck, Themis’ Chief Growth Officer speaks to Marc Jessel, Chief System Integrity Officer with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to discuss what can be done to increase the sustainability of forestry and reduce illegal logging, and how firms can ensure they are not unwittingly exposed through their supply chains.

In this episode, Olivia Dakeyne, Think Tank Manager at Themis, talks to Gavin Miller, a former detective who spent time working for the Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This is the first in a short series of podcasts with Gavin Miller, and in this first episode, he talks about the specific crime landscape for modern slavery and human trafficking in Northern Ireland and gives us some fascinating and insightful real life cases that he worked on during his career, and how financial intelligence provided by financial institutions was so pivotal to these investigations - both to the victim experience and the prosecution.

In this episode, Themis Think Tank Manager, Olivia Dakeyne, speaks to Rocio Domingo Ramos, who is the Business and Human Rights Officer at Anti-Slavery International. Her research and policy work seeks to tackle forced labour in global supply chains, implementing Anti-Slavery’s advocacy programmes on human rights due diligence and state-sponsored forced labour.   Anti-Slavery International is a leading charity that works to ensure that all people everywhere are free from all forms of slavery, always. They work in partnership with survivors, business, grassroots organisations and funding partners to deliver projects worldwide that challenge the root causes of modern slavery. And they do this by pushing for legal protections for people, making sure people know their rights and making the problem of, and solutions to, modern slavery much better understood by everyone.  Listen to this podcast to hear about forced labour in global supply chains and what regulation and legislation is needed to help safeguard against this.

Viri Chauhan, Themis Financial Crime SME, talks to Naresh Aggarwal, Associate Director of Policy and Technical at the Association of Corporate Treasurers. They discuss the responsibilities of a treasury function and various financial crime risk typologies that may be encountered by treasurers and how to respond to those threats. The subjects of financial derivatives, commodities and market abuse are also considered in the conversation. This is a deeper dive, longer podcast that provides some very useful insight and takeaways for anyone wishing to find out more about financial crime risk in corporate treasury.

In this episode, Themis' researcher Eliza Thompson interviews Farheen Ishtiaq-Stansfeld, a senior associate specialising in commercial crime at FieldFisher, a full-service firm with a market-leading financial services practice. Farheen shares her career journey thus far and what motivated her to pursue a path in financial crime and white collar law. We also discuss the importance of having colleagues and mentors who champion the development of women and look to build inclusive environments, which helps drive creativity and innovation. This episode is part of a wider series of podcast conversations that Themis is releasing with impressive women working in finance and tech.