Narrator/Denise Chan

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Look, I'm like everyone else. I get all these scam texts, as I'm sure both of you do, and I just kind of wrote them off. Then I found out who was actually behind them, and my mind was totally blown. And I knew I wanted to find someone to talk to who'd been inside these compounds. So I was working with a reporter from Thailand. Her name is Vijita Duangdi.

Look, I'm like everyone else. I get all these scam texts, as I'm sure both of you do, and I just kind of wrote them off. Then I found out who was actually behind them, and my mind was totally blown. And I knew I wanted to find someone to talk to who'd been inside these compounds. So I was working with a reporter from Thailand. Her name is Vijita Duangdi.

And we'd actually heard from Colonel Matalong, who's in the series, that there were two people who had just come out of the compound literally like two or three days prior. And that was actually Max and Jane. And so when we did that interview, we noticed that Max was sitting there and While he was talking to Vajitra, he kept looking at a woman during the interview.

And we'd actually heard from Colonel Matalong, who's in the series, that there were two people who had just come out of the compound literally like two or three days prior. And that was actually Max and Jane. And so when we did that interview, we noticed that Max was sitting there and While he was talking to Vajitra, he kept looking at a woman during the interview.

And when we turned the recorder off, we found out that woman was Charlie, his sister, who helped him and Jane get out. And we found out that Charlie actually played a huge role in getting him there. And my jaw was on the floor when I learned, you know, how she played, not only played that role, but then she agreed to work for Dev, and then she recruited five other women, and then her

And when we turned the recorder off, we found out that woman was Charlie, his sister, who helped him and Jane get out. And we found out that Charlie actually played a huge role in getting him there. And my jaw was on the floor when I learned, you know, how she played, not only played that role, but then she agreed to work for Dev, and then she recruited five other women, and then her

other brother went. And I mean, the story just kept getting wilder and wilder the more we dug into it. And at the center of it all, tying it all together was Charlie.

other brother went. And I mean, the story just kept getting wilder and wilder the more we dug into it. And at the center of it all, tying it all together was Charlie.

When I heard that these scammers were actual victims, like that was very, very shocking to me. And I knew a lot of listeners would have the same reaction that I did because it totally flips the narrative of who we think these people are. I really wanted to explore this question of would you hurt people you don't know in order to save yourself or someone you love?

When I heard that these scammers were actual victims, like that was very, very shocking to me. And I knew a lot of listeners would have the same reaction that I did because it totally flips the narrative of who we think these people are. I really wanted to explore this question of would you hurt people you don't know in order to save yourself or someone you love?

Everyone in the scam factory is faced with that question. But I also feel like it's a question that universally, no matter where you're from, you can understand it. And it brings up a very personal moral dilemma. What would you do in that situation? So that was really interesting for me.

Everyone in the scam factory is faced with that question. But I also feel like it's a question that universally, no matter where you're from, you can understand it. And it brings up a very personal moral dilemma. What would you do in that situation? So that was really interesting for me.

I have to be honest, at one point I thought I was being scammed because some of the things that I was hearing were just so wild. It just sounds unbelievable. And sometimes they'd be so specific that I thought it felt unreal. The fact that there was a boba shop in these micro cities. I didn't believe it until I saw a menu.

I have to be honest, at one point I thought I was being scammed because some of the things that I was hearing were just so wild. It just sounds unbelievable. And sometimes they'd be so specific that I thought it felt unreal. The fact that there was a boba shop in these micro cities. I didn't believe it until I saw a menu.

You know, I heard about a luxury shop being built and selling designer bags. There are employers throwing pizza parties. Then I heard about another source who was playing with a like a baby bear, like a cub inside the compound. And it's just like you hear these things thrown at you and you're like, what? Is this for real? And then, of course, you hear things about how this company is set up.

You know, I heard about a luxury shop being built and selling designer bags. There are employers throwing pizza parties. Then I heard about another source who was playing with a like a baby bear, like a cub inside the compound. And it's just like you hear these things thrown at you and you're like, what? Is this for real? And then, of course, you hear things about how this company is set up.

Like there is an HR department, an entire department that's just mining data. Then there's another department that's just like marketing, finding pictures and putting together scripts for you. And it feels fake. And it's hard to find the evidence. You know, everyone inside the compound is monitored. Their phones are monitored. Their computers are monitored.

Like there is an HR department, an entire department that's just mining data. Then there's another department that's just like marketing, finding pictures and putting together scripts for you. And it feels fake. And it's hard to find the evidence. You know, everyone inside the compound is monitored. Their phones are monitored. Their computers are monitored.