And they are growing fast

An illustration shows scammers at their desks, linked by glowing wires resembling a computer hard drive. The wires connect to microchips stamped with global currency symbols, symbolizing the vast, intricate network of digital fraud.
Illustration: Le.BLUE

|Elkhart, Kansas and Manila|13 min read

AS THE CEO of a small bank in Kansas, a former chairman of the Kansas Bankers Association and a former officer of the American Bankers Association, Shan Hanes knew all about the risks of online fraud. As a family man and part-time pastor at a local church, he was not the type to do anything reckless. As a shrewd investor, he had no need for get-rich-quick schemes. In fact, he had made a lot of money trading cryptocurrencies. But he was having all sorts of administrative trouble repatriating the money from Asia and needed some extra cash to sort out the paperwork and bring his millions home.

This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Industrial-scale swindle”

From the February 8th 2025 edition

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