Understanding Scam Language
Kaf Okpattah is fluent in the terminology used by scammers. He explains,
“Squares is one word which comes up a lot. That’s bank cards,”and adds,
“Fullz … that’s a person’s full financial information.”
In his new book, Scam Nation, Okpattah explores additional slang such as
“clicking”, which means using stolen details to commit online crime;
“addy”, which refers to the shipping address for fraudulently purchased goods;and
“mule herder”, meaning someone who recruits and manages people accepting stolen funds.Many of these terms he learned during his school years.
Personal Experience with Fraud Culture
Okpattah recounts how his peers used stolen “fullz” to buy designer trainers, acquiring the information from the dark web and having their purchases sent to unrelated “addys”. He notes that these activities were discussed casually, often barely concealed from teachers.
“Fraud was part of my life, just by the nature of when I grew up, who I grew up with and where I grew up,”he says.
“All of my friends were doing it and discussing it and DMing each other about it. So it was just part and parcel of normal life.”
Now in his 20s and working as an investigative journalist at ITN, Okpattah reflects on his near involvement in fraud and his transition into journalism, where he investigates and exposes criminal activity.
The Role of Youth and Social Media in Fraud
The scammers Okpattah encounters are predominantly young, with the internet and social media playing crucial roles. These platforms facilitate crimes and allow fraudsters to flaunt their gains. He describes one scammer as
“basically the Kim Kardashian of fraud”,who rides an electric scooter and boasts about his latest con to 150,000 social media followers.
Okpattah suggests the appeal of seemingly easy money, which might be perceived as victimless due to bank reimbursements, attracts those with limited resources, particularly students. One chapter details a university student approached to become a money mule, offered payment for using her bank account.
“Sometimes they’re not students, but most of the time, I’d say in every university year group, there are about 50 fraud boys,”Okpattah explains.
“They’re students themselves, they’ve grown up doing this thing and they’ve stayed in this world.”He adds that those higher in the hierarchy instruct them to obtain account details to transfer stolen funds, often targeting classmates.
Motivations Behind Fraudulent Activity
Okpattah observes that some individuals engage in fraud primarily to display status rather than genuine desire for the items. When asked if this is accurate, he confirms,
“If your parents can afford [to buy] you the nice things and you live that comfortable life and you’ve never had to see your parents worrying about rents, bills, etc, etc, then it’s more of ‘check me out, I’m being cool.’”
Warning Signs for Parents
Comparing the scam culture’s slang and influencers to other online subcultures, Okpattah offers advice for parents concerned about their children’s language. He says,
“I wouldn’t be that concerned if my son was saying ‘squares’ because it might just be him talking about bank cards. And probably by the time he’s 13, he’ll probably have a bank card,”but cautions about terms like
“fullz, on the other hand, that’s a person’s full financial information. Why on earth would a 13-year-old be discussing full financial information unless you’re: a) planning on handing yours over; or b) planning on taking someone else’s?”
He also mentions
“deets”,which, while often innocuous, can mean full financial details in fraud contexts.
“So those are the two things,”he advises.
“If you see your children searching those terms on social media platforms in their recent searches, then that’s a cause for concern.”
Okpattah adds,
“If the algorithm is showing people with flashy items holding lots of cash, then the chances are that they are either in that world or being sucked into that world … What teenager doesn’t want flashy things? And I’d try to nip that in the bud as quickly as possible. Probably take their phone and chuck it into the Thames.”
