Why scam texts have exploded

If it feels like you’re getting more scammy texts in the past few years, you’re not imagining it. Scam texts have exploded since 2020, and the operation behind them has become a massively lucrative industry. Dexter talks to Eric Priezkalns, a self-proclaimed ‘troublemaker’ in the telecommunications world and founder of the website Commsrisk, about the new technology that’s making scam texts easier than ever, what some of the weirder, long-game schemes are after, who’s behind these operations, and if there’s anything we can do to stop them.

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read: 

• Eric’s website Commsrisk: https://commsrisk.com/
• Eric’s article on Huang, the boy sold to a Myanmar scam compound: https://commsrisk.com/17-year-old-chinese-girl-accused-of-selling-boyfriend-into-myanmar-scam-compound-slavery/
• How to turn off 2g for android: https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/cellular-security/toggle-2g

Listen + Watch:

• Labi Siffre - Bless the Telephone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpy2O6fYiTk 
• A Tribe Called Quest - Skypager: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYc50S23pQY
• kill switch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8oh6zDRg1zgHkyOfikoeQS7cafAytstv&si=zrCE7MYWVBgmpWqi

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.