1. Hiding in plain sight
2. Embroiled in a scam
3. Puppies, romance, and exciting adventures
4. From breakfast cereal to bait and switch
5. Phantom listings
6. Lured into danger
7. “And then it went horribly wrong”
8. Review without a clue
9. Networks of fakers
10. It’s against the law. But who cares?
11. Working to make things right
12. Delusive speech 101
13. Studying delusive speech. Necessities and methodologies
Biography
Julie Reid is Professor of Communication Science, and specialises in media studies, audience research, and the study of digital technologies. She is based at the Department of Communication Science at the University of South Africa (Unisa). As a long-time activist for social justice related to communication rights, she has published widely on the topics of media regulation, media politics, and the issues of freedom of expression and media diversity. She is the editor and co-author of the books Looking at media: an introduction to visual studies (2013), New concepts in media diversity. A view from South Africa (2020) and the co-author of Tell Our Story. Multiplying voices in the news media (2020).
“It’s scary to read about real live stories of people who have been scammed by big tech companies. How it happened, how they got away with it or got caught. These stories serve as warning bells to all of us; hence Julie Reid’s book is useful, with a good fast pace.”
Glenda Daniels, Associate Professor and Head of Department, Media Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
"SCAM Inc. is a unique and example-filled monograph that answers all questions related to how the sharing economy is manipulated and used to SCAM audiences. Readers will love the international examples, the focus on technology, and the attention to familiar organizations."
Alison N. Novak, Ph.D., Rowan University
"We put our lives in the hands of strangers whose work is facilitated by tech oligarchs. We get into their cars. We stay in their bedrooms. We invite them into our homes. What could possibly go wrong? Julie Reid has assembled a swathe of international case studies which should cause us to pause."
Julie Posetti, Professor of Journalism at City, University of London, Global Director of Research at the International Center for Journalists, and a UN-published expert on online violence and disinformation.
