Scammers Can See Your OTP Before You | Dostcast w/ Snigdha Poonam

February 13

1h 21m

Episode Description

Subscribe to Dostcast Clips:

https://www.youtube.com/@dostcastclips?sub_confirmation=1

Listen to Dostcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70vrbHeSvrcXyOeISTyBSy?si=be05dbdd564245d9

Join the Dostcast Janta Party on WhatsApp for regular updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAZwo5D8SDs5kf94N3T

Want to suggest a guest?

Fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ft_-1QDs7XpsSWnaPOeF21yUlhk9bzKvwHSyh4hHfBU/edit?usp=drivesdk

====================================================================

In this episode of Dostcast, we speak to Snigdha Poonam, a journalist who has spent years reporting from the inside of India’s scam ecosystem — from call centres and digital fraud networks to the human cost behind them.

We break down how modern scams actually work, why ordinary people fall for them, and how entire scam economies are structured. From caste dynamics inside scam networks to how stolen money is routed, laundered, and protected — this conversation goes far beyond surface-level headlines.

Snigdha also shares rare insights into scam compounds, gift card frauds, police involvement (or lack of it), and how Indians trapped in overseas scam centres are eventually rescued. Her own reporting journey reveals the real risks involved in investigating these networks — and why this problem is far bigger than most people realise.

This episode isn’t about fear.It’s about understanding the system — so you don’t become part of it.

Get a copy of her book: https://www.amazon.in/Scamlands-Inside-Asian-empire-fraud/dp/0670095540?s=bazaar

Timestamps:

00:00 - Coming Up

01:30 – Scammer vs Average Person

06:22 – Are Indians Accepting of Crime?

14:23 – How Caste Plays a Role in Scam Structures

21:42 – How Your Money Is Used by Scammers

23:32 – Is the Police Involved?

25:41 – How Scammers Guess Your PIN

27:49 – Different Techniques These Scammers Use

41:34 – Economy of a Scam Centre