The Audio Long Read ‘Scamming became the new farming’: inside India’s cybercrime villages
11 snips
Nov 24, 2025 Explore how Jamtara, a remote district in India, transformed into a hub for digital scams. The rise of mobile technology fueled a new profession, where villagers, once farmers, became skilled scammers. Meet a local 'chief scammer' who reveals the intricate methods behind stealing banking information. The tensions between caste and crime emerge as poverty drives people to become cyber fraudsters, while urban victims are seen as fair game. Discover the social dynamics that sustain this illicit economy and the implications for community structures.
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Digital Boom Fueled Rural Fraud
- Rural Jamtara became synonymous with nationwide phone scams as mobile penetration rose.
- The digital revolution created new, illicit income streams that outpaced local legal opportunities.
A Phone Changed A Teenager's Path
- Jitu was recruited as a teenager after his father bought him a phone and older boys taught him targeting techniques.
- He rose from schoolboy to 'chief scammer' by leveraging early mobile access and peer respect.
Social Engineering, Not Hacking
- Scams exploited trust and ignorance of banking procedures to extract full account access without technical hacking.
- Fraud relied on social engineering: persuading victims to read out OTPs and personal details over the phone.
