#2567 - Mariana van Zeller

Online scams, especially romance fraud, are surging worldwide, costing individuals and societies billions. While new technologies like AI enhance scams’ effectiveness, major online platforms are implicated in enabling and profiting from widespread fraud, often at the expense of vulnerable and lonely users.

Meta Profits From Fraudulent Ads While Claiming Inability to Regulate

According to an extensive Reuters investigation cited by Sarah McCammon and Joe Rogan, internal Meta documents reveal massive engagement with fraudulent ad content. Meta estimates that users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are exposed to 15 billion scam ads every single day, including scams and banned goods. The company projected a staggering $16 billion profit in a single year from scam ads and illicit items—about 10% of its total profits.

Meta’s business model actively profits from these scams. Instead of removing all suspected fraudulent ads, the company uses an internal system called "penalty bids": ads with a 95% or higher suspicion of fraud are removed, but ads deemed less suspicious are charged a higher advertising rate but allowed to remain active. This system means Meta, by charging suspected scammers a premium, often earns even more from illegitimate ads than from legitimate ones. This punitive surcharge, branded as a deterrent, actually increases Meta’s revenue while giving the appearance of rule enforcement.

Internal discussions at Meta show that these policies are carefully balanced against potential impact on the company’s bottom line. The documentation indicates that, even when advertisers who are likely scammers pay more, Meta still chooses to allow them to reach users as long as it is profitable. The Reuters investigation found that, rather than focusing solely on genuine scam removal, Meta has developed tactics to manage the external appearance of addressing scams, such as delaying mandatory identity verification for advertisers and making scam ads harder for outsiders to detect.

While other tech giants like Google have removed hundreds of millions more scam ads than Meta—the comparison for one year was approximately 602 million removed by Google vs. 159 million by Meta—Meta’s internal evaluation suggests that it resists stronger protections if those would threaten profitability. Discussions around safety rules also show altered priorities, such as giving law enforcement discretion in probes on sensitive issues like [restricted term] trafficking, sometimes at the expense of civilian safety.

Calls for accountability include proposals for new regulation: making platforms verify advertisers before accepting payments, making scam reporting simpler, and requiring platforms to block repeated use of the same email for multiple fraudulent accounts. Victims could also gain legal recourse to sue platforms that violate such laws.

Loneliness Is the Primary Vulnerability Scammers Exploit

The main vulnerability exploited by scammers is human loneliness. Victims are often isolated elderly people, recently widowed individuals, estranged spouses, or anyone lacking daily social interaction or family support. Scammers initiate contact through platforms like Facebook or Instagram, often posing as celebrities or affluent professionals. McCammon recounts multiple stories: a widowed woman forming a three-year online relationship with a supposed oil worker in Russia, an elderly Texan man convinced Emma Watson was his girlfriend, even bedridden and intubated. Some grew so dependent on the companionship that, even realizing the relationship may not be real, they preferred the emotional bond over stark reality.

Scammers rely on psychological manipulation: they use love-bombing and selective attention to build trust, memorize details and invest time, and slowly escalate towards requests for money or involvement in illicit activities. McCammon describes "pig butchering": weeks or months of trust-building followed by a “slaughter,” where the victim is targeted for financial gain, such as sham investments or direct pleas for emergency funds. Tactics include sharing fake investment dashboards, professional-looking documents, and small initial payouts to build confidence. Victims are frequently deceived through personalized messages, fabricated crises, and AI-enhanced content like deepfakes, personalized video messages, and even simulated romantic gestures with gifts.

AI-generated images and videos greatly intensify scams’ realism, as in the case with fake Jon Bon Jovi videos or scammers using altered images to hide identifying details like tattoos. McCammon notes the emergence of virtual dating cafes and AI companions, such as those at EVA AI Cafe, where people converse with AI agents. This evolution is reshaping loneliness; as AI technologies improve, many may prefer simulated relationships over genuine human ones, further deepening vulnerability to scams and emotionally manipulative bots.

The emotional grip of such fraud is powerful. Victims become deeply invested, equating the anticipation of positive interaction to a [restricted term] rush similar to gambling. Even after suspicious inconsistencies, many remain engaged, clinging to the hope for emotional fulfillment. The connection—real or not—becomes their prim ...

Opioid Epidemic Began With Pharmaceutical Companies Deceiving Doctors and Patients About Addiction Risks, Creating Demand Exploited by Cartels

Pharma Companies Used Marketing to Mislead Doctors on Opioid Safety, Flooding Market Despite Known Dangers

The opioid epidemic in the United States began when pharmaceutical companies, notably Purdue Pharma, aggressively marketed opioid painkillers like [restricted term] to doctors, falsely claiming they were safe and non-addictive for chronic pain treatment. Joe Rogan and Sarah McCammon discuss how pharmaceutical reps—often attractive young women—visited clinics to assure doctors and patients that pain management with opioids was the new standard, downplaying any risk of addiction. Despite existing evidence of danger, companies continued to flood the market with opioids, fueling widespread addiction.

"[restricted term] Express" Exploited Lax Florida Laws, Enabling Clinics to Dispense Unlimited Pills Without Tracking, Allowing Nationwide Resale

This deception was facilitated by the "[restricted term] Express" phenomenon. Lax laws in Florida permitted pain management clinics to dispense vast quantities of opioids without any statewide tracking. Patients could visit multiple clinics, claim back pain, and be prescribed bags of pills without oversight. These pills were then transported north to states like Kentucky and Ohio, creating addiction chains and supporting a black market for prescription opioids. Investigative work, such as McCammon’s undercover reporting at clinics like American Pain (run by the George brothers), exposed these operations as the equivalent of narcotics trafficking rings.

A Million Americans Died From Opioids In 20 Years—More Than all U.S. War Deaths—yet No Purdue Pharma Executives or Sackler Family Faced Criminal Prosecution Despite Their Responsibility

The human cost has been staggering: about one million Americans have died from opioids in the last two decades—more fatalities than all U.S. wars in the past 150 years. Despite this, no Purdue Pharma executives or members of the Sackler family, who owned Purdue, have faced criminal prosecution.

Settlement Stripping Sackler Family's Civil Immunity Inadequate; Pharmaceutical Companies Less Accountable Than Street-Level Distributors

While the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma reached a $7.4 billion settlement in 2025 that strips the Sacklers of future civil immunity, meaning they can still face individual lawsuits, they remain wealthy and have avoided prison. This contrasts sharply with the way street-level drug dealers are prosecuted, revealing a troubling lack of accountability for those responsible for initiating and profiting from the opioid crisis.

[restricted term]: Evolution Of Trafficking Via Chinese Precursors and Prescription Addiction Demand

Mexican Cartels Transitioned From Heroin-[restricted term] Mix to Pure [restricted term], Boosting Potency and Lethality, Lowering Costs

With widespread opioid addiction established through prescription drugs, Mexican cartels shifted from smuggling heroin and heroin-[restricted term] mixes to focusing on pure synthetic [restricted term]. This transition increased potency, lethality, and lowered production costs—making [restricted term] a dangerous new wave in the opioid crisis.

95% of [restricted term] Enters Ports via Couriers, Indicating Systemic Corruption in Enforcement and Transportation Networks

Sarah McCammon points out that 95% of [restricted term] now enters the U.S. through official ports of entry, mainly smuggled by American citizens. Shipping containers are rarely checked—only about 10%—and large shipments routinely bypass detection, suggesting there are systemic enforcement failures and possible corruption within inspection or transportation networks.

Emerging Drugs Like Nitazenes, 50 Times Stronger Than [restricted term] and Undetectable or Naloxone-Resistant, Mark the Next Escalation in Cartel Drug Development

The problem is evolving as even more dangerous synthetic opioids emerge. A new class of drugs called nitazenes, produced with Chinese chemical precursors in Mexico, is up to 50 times more potent than [restricted term]. Some nitazenes are not detected in normal test strips or reversed by naloxone ([restricted term]), posing an extreme new threat that cartels are beginning to exploit.

U.S. Gun Trafficking Supplies Cartels: 70% of Guns at Mexican Crime Scenes Are American Weapons Sold by Corrupt Officials

Cartel firepower is fueled by U.S. gun trafficking. About 70% of firearms found at crime scenes in Mexico come from the United States, often sold or trafficked by corrupt officials or law enforcement. McCammon recounts how guns confiscated by U.S. police or military sometimes end up in cartel hands, smuggled by American citizens into Mexico, where they are used in violent confrontations with authorities and rivals.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Prioritizes Case-Building Over Safety, Allowing [restricted term] Pills to Circulate

Whistleblowers: DEA Let 1.7M [restricted term] Pills Be Distributed to Build Cases, Causing Overdoses, Including a Months-Old Child

Recent DEA whistleblower reports reveal that in New Mexico, agents allowed 1.7 million [restricted term] pills to circulate on the streets in order to monitor and build larger cases against traffickers. Surveillance was prioritized over public safety, leading to fatal overdoses—including the death of an infant—when agents knowingly permitted the distribution of lethal drugs.

Justice Department Removes 2024 Rule Prioritizing Civilian Safety in Drug Investigations

A rule that previously required investigating agents to halt operations when civilian safety was at risk was rescinded in 2024, giving law enforcement greater discretion to allow dangerous drugs into communities if it might benefit investigations. This lack of transparency, as McCammon argues, was pushed forward with little public input.

DEA Whistleblowers Expose Failure to Seize 350,000 [restricted term] Pills, Contradicting "One Pill Can Kill" Slogan

In another case, agents failed to seize 350,000 pills despite knowing about the shipment for months. This contradicts the DEA's public "One Pill Can Kill" campaign while internally facilitating the continued trafficking of deadly drugs to build cases.

Enforcement Strategy Mirrors Operation Fast and Furious, Prioritizing Investigation Success Over Harm Prevention By Allowing Gu ...

Scam compounds across Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar and Cambodia, have become hubs for forced labor and sophisticated internet fraud. These operations lure and enslave global workers to execute scams, generating billions of dollars in illicit profits and supporting entrenched criminal networks.

Workers Trafficked Into Southeast Asia to Defraud Americans Online

Myanmar, Cambodia Host Scam Cities With High-Rises, Barbed Wire, Barred Windows, Armed Guards Preventing Escape

Myanmar and Cambodia serve as primary locations for these scam compounds, with evidence of their spread into other regions like Dubai following law enforcement crackdowns. Scam cities in Myanmar have rapidly transformed from rural jungles into high-rise complexes and casino-filled urban enclaves within just a couple of years, resembling "mini Macau." These cities feature fortified facilities with barbed wire, barred windows, and armed security guards, making escape virtually impossible for those inside.

Chinese Gangs' Scam Profits Fund Warfare

Chinese criminal gangs drive most of these operations, investing in scam compounds and paying local rebel groups for protection and freedom to operate. In Myanmar, for instance, syndicates like Yatai International, led by Chinese nationals, are central to these enterprises. Their scam profits directly fund local armed conflicts, entrenching violence in an already war-torn region.

Global Workers Lured by False Job Promises, Imprisoned After Passport Confiscation

Hundreds of thousands of workers from Brazil, India, the Philippines, and beyond are enticed by fake online job offers. Upon arrival, traffickers confiscate passports and force victims to work relentlessly at online fraud targeting Western consumers, especially Americans. The captive environment mirrors modern slavery.

Victims Face Torture, Sexual Assault, Blood Sale, Extreme Violence; Some Attempt Suicide, Like a Man Who Survived a Sixth-Floor Jump

Victims endure torture, rape, beatings, and extreme physical violence. One man, desperate to escape, jumped from the sixth floor, shattering his hips and legs but surviving in a wheelchair. Others, labeled as "blood slaves," are subjected to repeated blood draws, with their blood sold as a commodity. Sexual abuse is pervasive, with some female victims reporting being raped and beaten both as punishment and for the pleasure of their captors.

Scam Compounds Use Trafficked Victims As Operatives in Sophisticated Fraud Schemes Targeting Americans

Workers In "Pig Butchering" Scams Build Relationships Before Pitching Fake Investments to Extract Funds

Known as "pig butchering," these scams use highly structured scripts where trafficked workers pose as potential online friends or romantic partners through social media, dating apps, or unsolicited texts. The workers build trusting relationships over weeks, then introduce victims to fake, "once-in-a-lifetime" investment opportunities. Scammers present fabricated evidence of profits, show off lavish lifestyles, and use sophisticated fake trading platforms to extract as much money as possible.

Female Victims Endure Beatings As Ai Face-Swapping Tech Malfunctions in Video Call Operator Roles

Some female victims are forced to operate as video-call models for the scams, with AI used to superimpose different faces onto theirs for added credibility. Malfunctions result in punishments including beatings and sexual assault from the bosses, compounding the trauma.

Gendered Trafficking Hierarchy: Men in Security, Women in Operations and Exploitation

A gendered hierarchy pervades the scam compounds: men are often trafficked into roles such as security, while women are forced into operations and further exploitation, including on-camera scams and sexual abuse.

Scammers Exploit Americans, Generating Billions Annually By Targeting Victim Profiles and Vulnerabilities

These operations target Americans and other Westerners, analyzing their profiles and ...

The discussion between Joe Rogan and Sarah McCammon, supported by investigative reporting, uncovers how weak regulations, profit-driven motives, and selective enforcement foster an environment where corporations, agencies, and criminals evade accountability, perpetuating harm to vulnerable populations.

Agencies, Corporations, and Criminals Lack Accountability Due to Weak Regulations, Selective Enforcement, and Profit Over Public Safety

The pharmaceutical industry, major tech firms, financial institutions, and governments are all implicated in allowing criminal or harmful practices to persist due to regulatory failures and profit priorities.

FDA Approved [restricted term] Despite Addiction Risk Data; Purdue Pharma Executives Avoided Criminal Charges Despite a Deadly Epidemic

Though not discussed directly in this conversation, the regulatory behavior mirrors the systematic failures detailed throughout the discussion: agencies, despite clear warnings and data, choose not to intervene decisively when powerful corporate interests are at stake.

Meta's Documents Reveal Executives Discussing Balancing Scam Crackdown Impact With Profits, Acknowledging Enforcement-Profit Tension Without Prioritizing Safety

Reuters internal documents reveal Meta executives openly strategizing how to crack down on scam advertisers only to the extent that it doesn’t hurt profits. Sarah McCammon and Rogan confirm that those at Meta “know” about the scams yet talk mostly about preventing impacts to their bottom line. Rogan reads from Reuters that Meta deliberately delayed mandatory advertiser identity checks and made scam ads harder for regulators to track. While some actual scam removal occurs, much of the effort is aimed at managing appearances, not solving the underlying exploitation.

Banks, Dating Sites, and Payment Platforms Enable Scams By Processing Transactions Without Enough Verification, Fostering a Permissive Exploitation Ecosystem

Financial platforms and dating websites continue to process suspicious transactions, enabling scammers to exploit users with little fear of detection due to insufficient verification requirements. This lack of diligence creates fertile ground for scams to flourish.

Mexican Government's Failure to Hold Corrupt Officials Accountable Lets Cartels Control Municipalities, Forcing Politicians and Police to Collaborate Under Threat of Death

McCammon describes a systemic failure in Mexico, where cartel leader El Mayo was able to bribe politicians at the highest levels, including governors and mayors. The Mexican government has been complicit, sometimes negotiating with traffickers: in exchange for cooperating or surrendering, reduced sentences and prisoner benefits are offered. Cartels exert power by assassinating rival politicians and journalists—nearly 500 such killings took place from 2000 to 2021, according to peer-reviewed research Rogan cites. McCammon notes that local police and agents often cooperate with cartels not only for money but because refusal means death for themselves or family members. This intimidation fills municipalities with compromised officials, rendering genuine law enforcement almost impossible.

Weak or Corrupt Regulatory Bodies Enable Crime Against Vulnerable Populations

Across industries and governments, weak or compromised oversight perpetuates crime and corruption, harming the most vulnerable.

Meta Claims 95% Fraud Certainty Before Banning Advertisers, but Allows Suspected Scammers Below That Threshold to Advertise At Higher Rates, Creating Perverse Incentives

Meta claims to ban advertisers at 95% certainty of fraud, but those below this threshold—yet still likely scam accounts—are merely charged higher advertising rates ("penalty bids"). Rogan explains that this approach creates a perverse incentive: suspected scammers who pay more can still reach users, and Meta profits from these penalty bids while publicly claiming aggressive action against fraud.

DEA Allows Discretion in Halting Drug Trafficking Investigations, Removing Civilian Safety As Mandatory

While the conversation primarily focuses on other agencies, the pattern of discretionary, profit-driven enforcement echoes in federal actions where agencies choose which cases to prioritize, often justifying controversial tactics for “larger” investigations and allowing dangerous activity to persist if it aligns with bureaucratic priorities.

Cartels Force Mexican Police Into Crime Under Death Threats

McCammon reiterates that many Mexican police have little choice but to collaborate with cartels, under threat of death for them or their family, rendering anti-cartel enforcement a near-impossibility at the street level. Corruption, intimidation, and violence have completely undermined public trust and efficacy in security forces.

Reuters: Meta Admits Prioritizing ...

Crime and exploitation do not occur in a vacuum. Joe Rogan, Sarah McCammon, and their guests explore how poverty, inequality, and social breakdown push both individuals and societies toward illicit activity, while profit-driven systems and weak regulation enable these cycles to continue.

Inequality, Poverty, and Lack of Opportunity Drive Vulnerable Populations Into Crime As Perpetrators and Victims

The show discusses how economic hardship and limited options force individuals in poor regions toward dangerous or criminal jobs. Joe Rogan shares the example of Michael Douglas, who smuggled marijuana to pay for college after receiving only $10,000 from his father. Sarah McCammon provides a more harrowing story of a young man who regularly hauled dozens of kilos of cocaine in the middle of the night, risking his life to earn enough money to attend dental school. He explains his family is poor, living as farmers, and that dangerous criminal labor was his only path to higher education.

This pattern extends across the globe. McCammon recounts a conversation with an Indian romance scammer running fraudulent tech support calls. When questioned, the scammer rationalizes his crime by comparing the relative wealth of Americans to his own poverty and claiming he avoids stealing from those with less than $1,000 in their accounts—anyone with more must be “rich.” Rogan underscores global disparity, noting a $50,000 income places someone in the world’s top 1%. According to McCammon, about 10% of the world—some 700 million people—live below the poverty line and struggle for basic necessities, making them especially vulnerable to trafficking and criminal exploitation.

McCammon points to broken systems, corruption, and political self-interest as root causes, emphasizing how crushing inequality, poor education, and a lack of opportunity force many to the black market or criminal activity to survive. Global wage gaps and poverty, she notes, create an endless supply of people vulnerable to trafficking or exploitation by criminal enterprises.

Loneliness and Isolation Create Vulnerability Exploited by Criminals, Affecting Elderly and Isolated Individuals Lacking Community Connections

The conversation shifts from material deprivation to social isolation as another driver of exploitation. Rogan and McCammon agree that family and community bonds have eroded; traditional communal structures have disappeared. McCammon reminisces about her grandmother playing cards with friends or families gathering for meals and TV, pointing out the lack of such connections today.

This isolation impacts not only the elderly—who fall prey to online relationship scams for companionship—but also young men. Rogan observes that many young men are virgins, lack real-life romantic experience, and spend their days online watching porn and playing video games, eroding their social skills. In-person interaction, including eye contact and conversation, is often replaced by digital communication or social media, resulting in awkwardness and discomfort in real-life settings. McCammon sees this reflected in her own son’s peers.

Fraudsters capitalize on this loneliness: one Texas man continued to send money to an online scammer in exchange for daily conversation, as it was his only source of companionship. McCammon likens scams to other addictions, like drug use, which people turn to as substitutes for genuine social connection.

Meanwhile, companies ...