Story perspectives

Young Scammers Normalize Fraud Through Social Media Culture

4/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

Kaf Okpattah, author of Scam Nation, analyzes how the language and culture of young scammers shape fraud.
He highlights terms like "squares" for bank cards and "fullz" for complete financial information.
Okpattah notes that fraud has become normalized among peers, with social media enabling scams.
He says students are targeted for recruitment as money mules.
He warns parents to monitor their children's online activity to deter exposure to flashy lifestyles.

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Story summary

Kaf Okpattah, author of Scam Nation, analyzes how the language and culture of young scammers shape fraud.
He highlights terms like "squares" for bank cards and "fullz" for complete financial information.
Okpattah notes that fraud has become normalized among peers, with social media enabling scams.
He says students are targeted for recruitment as money mules.
He warns parents to monitor their children's online activity to deter exposure to flashy lifestyles.