Control Room: Inside the dark world of scam factories

A century of advocacy meets a new era of crime

Breyault briefly touches on the long-standing mission of the National Consumers League, which has spent more than a century protecting consumers and advocating for safer, fairer markets. With that background in mind, he takes a closer look at how fraud has transformed into a global, industrialized operation that reaches far beyond traditional consumer scams.

He explains how today’s fraud networks span multiple regions, including Mexico, Eastern Europe, West Africa, Jamaica, and especially Southeast Asia, where scam compounds hold trafficked workers and force them to target Americans online. These operations reveal how deeply intertwined cybercrime, organized crime, and human trafficking have become, turning fraud into both a financial threat and a growing humanitarian crisis.

Watch the full Control Room episode on YouTube to learn more.

Pig butchering and the global fraud economy

A major driver of this system is pig butchering, a scam that relies on building trust over weeks or months. Scammers pose as friends or romantic partners, then slowly introduce fake investment opportunities. Victims often lose life savings before realizing everything was fabricated. Behind many of these schemes are trafficked workers in scam compounds trained to manipulate emotions and build rapport.

Fraud profits now fuel cartels, trafficking rings, rogue regimes, and even weapons programs. Yet the U.S. lacks a coordinated national strategy to counter it. Law enforcement agencies operate in silos, allowing criminals to exploit gaps with ease.

AI is a game-changer for scammers and defenders

AI has erased many of the obvious red flags consumers relied on. Scammers can now generate flawless messages, create realistic personas, and automate conversations. This makes scams more convincing and far easier to scale. But AI is also helping defenders. Banks, telecom companies, and tech platforms are using machine learning to detect fraudulent patterns earlier.

We fight fraud by talking about it

Fraud thrives in silence and breaking that silence is one of the most powerful tools we have. Sharing scam experiences with friends and family reduces stigma, raises awareness, and helps others recognize early warning signs. Even small conversations — “Did you get this text too?” — can interrupt a scammer’s strategy.

As Breyault reminds us, this isn’t just a financial issue. It’s a global problem tied to national security and human rights. But with coordinated action, smarter tools, and open dialogue, we can push back.

“We may be in the dark ages of fraud,” he says, “but talking about it is how we find the light.”

Catch the full episode on our YouTube channel to learn more.

Stay informed with new Control Room episodes every week

Tune in every Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on the LifeLock YouTube channel for a new episode of Control Room. We unpack the newest scam trends, reveal the tactics criminals are using, and walk you through simple, effective ways to safeguard your identity.