Julian Morgans

And it's vast, and it's terrifying, and it costs the world over a trillion dollars annually. So, let's get started. Our first step in this journey is to meet a scammer, someone who got sold into slavery to run scams, but survived.

And it's vast, and it's terrifying, and it costs the world over a trillion dollars annually. So, let's get started. Our first step in this journey is to meet a scammer, someone who got sold into slavery to run scams, but survived.

That was Q singing. And I think something I like about Q is he's got dreams.

That was Q singing. And I think something I like about Q is he's got dreams.

So that's what he did. Q managed to scrape together enough money to buy one computer at a time. And over a few years, he had enough to open an internet cafe. And that was his life. Every morning he'd open the shop, people would use the internet and they'd need clothes. And it was fine, but it wasn't really fulfilling.

So that's what he did. Q managed to scrape together enough money to buy one computer at a time. And over a few years, he had enough to open an internet cafe. And that was his life. Every morning he'd open the shop, people would use the internet and they'd need clothes. And it was fine, but it wasn't really fulfilling.

And Q was always struggling to pay the bills until one day someone came in and they offered him more.

And Q was always struggling to pay the bills until one day someone came in and they offered him more.

Data entry. That was the job he was promised, working for a company in Dubai. But Q had never been overseas. So initially he brushed off the idea.

Data entry. That was the job he was promised, working for a company in Dubai. But Q had never been overseas. So initially he brushed off the idea.

Q had no idea, but this man was one of hundreds of recruiters that are currently funneling tens of thousands of Africans into slavery in Southeast Asia every year. In fact, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, this movement of people might constitute the largest human trafficking event in recorded history, bigger than the transatlantic slave trade. But Q didn't know this.

Q had no idea, but this man was one of hundreds of recruiters that are currently funneling tens of thousands of Africans into slavery in Southeast Asia every year. In fact, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, this movement of people might constitute the largest human trafficking event in recorded history, bigger than the transatlantic slave trade. But Q didn't know this.

Instead, he trusted the man.

Instead, he trusted the man.

It felt like this could finally be your big opportunity. That's right. So Q paid for his own flight to Nairobi, which was the nearest Thai embassy. And there he got a visa for Thailand. And then he went back to Uganda, where he was told, actually, we're not going to fly you to Thailand. You're going to have to pay for your own ticket.

It felt like this could finally be your big opportunity. That's right. So Q paid for his own flight to Nairobi, which was the nearest Thai embassy. And there he got a visa for Thailand. And then he went back to Uganda, where he was told, actually, we're not going to fly you to Thailand. You're going to have to pay for your own ticket.

So quick note here on exchange rate, that's about $1,000 USD for the flight to Thailand.

So quick note here on exchange rate, that's about $1,000 USD for the flight to Thailand.

This right here is another reason I wanted to feature Q in this series. Because his story kind of represents globally a worst case scenario. Because scammer farms recruit slaves from Asia and Eastern Europe as well. But places like Uganda offer so few opportunities that Ugandans will leap at a chance for a better life. And recruiters exploit this.

This right here is another reason I wanted to feature Q in this series. Because his story kind of represents globally a worst case scenario. Because scammer farms recruit slaves from Asia and Eastern Europe as well. But places like Uganda offer so few opportunities that Ugandans will leap at a chance for a better life. And recruiters exploit this.