Inside the Scam State: Cambodia's Criminal Economy with Jacob Sims (Ep 12)

In this jaw-dropping episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with Jacob Sims—one of the most brilliant and fearless voices in the global fight against human trafficking and financial crime. Together, they unpack the explosive truth about how Cambodia has become the epicenter of next-gen fraud, fueled by a shadow economy of pig butchering scams, forced labor, and elite corruption. From the streets of Phnom Penh to high-level policy failures, Sims breaks down how a multi-billion-dollar scam industry took over half of Cambodia's GDP—and how powerful state actors are not just complicit, but actively profiting. If you’ve ever asked, “Who’s behind all these scams?”—this is the episode you can’t miss. Spoiler: it's not a whodunit. It's a who's-already-doing-it.