Benn this is one of your best videos, the sudden turn from the scam to actually interview the guy and do a sociological review of the current state of Ghana leading to it is just amazing. Keep on!
My priest told me to watch this video 1.3 million times to have success in scamming a New York Times author that shall not be named. Seems like a win win win to me.
Holy shit dude I appreciate you not being super click-baity but your title SERIOUSLY undersells this video. Thanks for another crazy in-depth rabbit hole exploration.
The amount of humanity and empathy you framed this with is dope af. The opening of the video that frames the scams in terms of post-colonial struggling is great.
On one hand, I get it; I get the empathy. I get the empathy for people assumedly living in dire conditions looking to make a buck for food. But on the other hand, I don’t approve no matter how poor they may be, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor. I get they may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. I have pals in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it. It’s bad enough indies lose money on some legit submission sites (many curators are not giving most submissions a fair chance)… Losing dollars on pure, total scams (whether it’s impersonators or fake promo/PR services) in this current inflation at that is only causing harm to those artists. I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more. The music industry as a whole is kinda scammish, true, but I still can’t back those fraudsters. I can't even count how many fake DMs I've recently got.
I'm sorry if you sometimes feel down about your channel not gaining as much traction as it should. For what it's worth - you're the first person whose patreon I've become, and I don't even care about any of the bonuses you provide there, haha. Godspeed!
You make for a good investigative youtube journalist. Not that you are uncovering specifically huge things, but videos like this one are really compelling. Your ability to state your thoughts clearly and on simple terms is definitely above the average of people I follow on youtube. I hope you keep doing these kinds of explorations in the future.
Absolutely loved this video. I just wrapped up a situation where I was being targeted for a LinkedIn graphic design job scam yesterday so the timing was eerie and on point. Thanks Benn. Have a good one!
I really hope Psuedo-Andy Greene does start a youtube channel; I'd watch it. I also hope that you continue to sprinkle in these 'off the beaten path' videos, because they're great.
Mate, I have no idea why in the world you are struggling with music - this piece is absolutely brilliant! Its like reading an investigative report from the Atlantic or the New Yorker. Kudos to you, Sir! And your immense talent!
Ben, you are a fucking treasure. I mean, you are like a musician/journalist/documentarian/polymath. And you are more than all that. And you are living proof that you should just do your thing. Forge your own path. You are an inspiration. And you defy definition. I bow to you sir. Thank you for being
If you get a chance, do go to Ghana. I (a South African) visited in 1999. But since then the country has absolutely boomed economically. As such it's a fascinating place where a long-moribund economy supporting a people who were just _brutalised_ beyond comprehension by colonialism, is waking up. This kind of scam-industry for young men makes perfect sense in a situation of wild change like that. There are also many contradictions between following Islam and Christianity (and Ghanaian cities make the US Bible belt seem like Denmark for vocal religiosity) and traditional religions. Religious leaders will denounce traditional religion, but a fair proportion of believers still dabble (a lot like how belief in fairies and charms and such persisted in Europe despite Catholicism). I 100% agree though that the claims of ritual murders are so exaggerated by the followers of Abrahamic religions as to be questionable whether they even exist beyond the effects of serial killers, or gangs, or many things that could be attributed to ritual murder by people eager to paint traditional religion as dangerous. Also, Ghana is no a dangerous country crime-wise overall. I say that coming from one of the few African countries that is genuinely beset by very high (Central American style) levels of violent crime.
This was SUPER cool. Great way to take something annoying and instead of approaching it as "ugh what a pain" and turning it into a learning opportunity is so cool. Not enough people do that. Also appreciate the informative dive in Ghanian culture and the technoreligiosity. And now, to brush up on my pidgin.
Hi I started watching your channel recently, and although we may come from different worlds musically (I love sonic experimentation but don't do software - I'm used to Moogs and hardware multi FX etc. Presently I have no recording system, when I do get one I will likely orient towards old 8 track digital machines..or may find that a laptop makes better sense, we'll see) ..you do your drum n bass electric drums - I also enjoy complex rhythms but would like to find an amazing real drummer...(are you familiar with King Crimsons material circa '90s to present day). Your product reviews are truly excellent so I am a big fan. And you have a cool wryness about you. You are self possessed and intelligent. 8:50 Someone's professed religious faith is not necessarily an indication of what they do or do not get up to in real life. I lived in Egypt for fourteen months. There are a lot of Muslims there. There are some real sweethearts, some lovely genuine selfless people. There are also those who will opportune for sex, for money...who will behave completely immorally yet at the same time swear they are a good Muslim...and the same goes for Christians etc etc. Lots of hypocrisy. Kind regards from UK
I've been looking for a decent socially awae video on these kinds of scams for so long, absolutely stunned to see it here- but delighted !! Everything I needed and more
Your investigative videos are some of my favorite RUclips content. I always seem to learn a little bit about something really interesting from them that I probably would have never encountered otherwise, and I appreciate it. Thanks!
I can't even begin with how much I love this channel. Now your combining my other love (and career) which is anthropology with music. Thank you for this
You seem like you've really found your groove producing your videos. Your informative doc style videos are amazing. I really love to hear your experiences (good and bad) of your time in the music industry and hope to see more of them, specifically on representation as an artist, when and where to seek it (are bigger companies really better). Gigs and what should be expected from both sides in a "professional" environment as opposed to what we face in clubs and parties would be a good one. Honestly, anything you make will be great but the more you can share about how get yourself out there without being exploited is probably the best wisdom you could share. You are a mentor to many and I really appreciate what you do. Thanks!
Hey Ben. It is utterly surreal to me that your channel is not one of the greats on youtube. Im well aware that the ... well everything-system is not a meritocracy, but god damn man. You are an excellent entertainer, musician, dripping with authenticity and your videos have this quality that .... really nothing else seems to match. Yes i'm a musician but i feel your channel goes beyond the topics related to music and can easily break into mainstream audiences -- im not sure why it hasn't. I hope it does some day. I've also said this before in comments but youre also just an amazing human being. I wish you nothing but health and good fortune and good days, youre just a great dude. Love from Cairo x p.s: im going to join your patreon the second i have disposable income. Musicians / producers in cairo earn jack shit but things are looking up.
""I had no idea...the level of deception, the extent of the lie." Christopher Boyce (Falcon and the Snowman). Bravo, Benn. What an intricate and entangled weave was this! I've been waiting for one to top WHAT WE SOUND LIKE TO ANIMALS. You did it with this one!
I am reminded of the "Techno-Religosity" In William Gibson's "Count Zero" with the difference being The Gods are actually AIs. Imagine AI as a scammer. Thanks for this post-- it gives a context to why the scammers do what they do. As for the way the word is pronounced I would say the differences are because of the various dialects used in West Africa like Gullah and Geechee in Costal South Carolina and Coastal Georgia.
This truly was a wild ride. Nothing else to do but thank you for another quality piece and engage in comment section to support the bloody gins magic in blowing this vid up.
you’re just great, Benn, period. absolutely loved this one. have heard of this type of scams from different music-production-focused youtube channels before, but ohboi this video dives into the subject on a different-hitting level.
Only learned of your existence after the Bitwig Spectralgate incident. Then I bumped into this video, and it was really interesting, so I subscribed. The Juju is flowing for sure.
A great blend of history, cultural study of the outlandish and strange, insight into the insanity of social media and the music industry. Worthy of Vice!
I've never seen anyone so open minded about scammers. Ghana has a life expectancy of 64 years and the average daily income is 14.88 cedi (a little over $1.00 USD). It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that people in harsh living environments don't mind scamming us more well-off westerners, especially if they themselves were afflicted by others in some way. Thank you for unbiasedly bringing awareness regarding the whole issue. Great work!
I get the empathy, but I still can't approve, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor. They may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. Starving artists that need money for mixing, mastering, videos, legit promo + food, housing, that may have a college loan to pay off, etc., and it's a time of inflation. I have pals now in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it. I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more.
THis is fascinating. I know some Canadian folks who went to Ghana to work as a doctor/nurse team in rural Ghana. They told me a lot about the culture, but I had not heard about Sakawa.
The sad thing is I know some musicians who have fallen for scams like this. They believe in their dreams so much that they're not at all skeptical when someone they've never met messages out of the blue to tell them how great they are. The musician sees it as someone finally recognizing his value. That credulity, coupled with the "do whatever it takes" mentality of true believers, makes musicians especially prone to scams like this.
Great deep dive! Now I'm really curious if the "Free Grand Piano from my recently deceased husband that is waiting to be delivered to me (1,300 miles away) from a moving company in Ohio once I pay the shipping fee" originates in West Africa as well.
This was super interesting and informative, and I really appreciate the nuanced take you gave the subject of scammers in developing countries. The popular "scambait" content where people try to expose scammers have never sat right with me. Sure, scamming people is wrong, but when you consider the wealth gap between places where scamming is prevalent, and that most of them are just trying to provide for their families, it's all just a big moral grey area at that point. Not like western industry has never done anything to exploit developing nations 🤷
The concept of scambaiting is to waste as much of a scammer's time as possible so they don't have a chance to scam vulnerable people. I recommend watching a few Kitboga videos. He explains the goal of the scammer, and what he's doing. He regularly gets banking info from scammers that's used to reverse transactions and he reports the information to the FTC as well. Other scambaiters go further, using the remote connection the scammers themselves asked to establish in order to retrieve all of the information scammers have collected on targets, then deleting all of that information and as many other useful things on that computer. This gives them a chance to contact victims and hopefully help them, and forces the scammer to restart their scam from absolute zero. (Wasting their precious time in the process.)
The main problem is identifying individuals with their nationality. In this case is not America, the exploitative first world country, being scammed, it's musicians trying to make it in a ruthless industry. If anything it takes away accountability from the ruling class. It's not "re establishing the equilibrium" if 3rd world low class scams 1st world low class
@@8thlvlMage I've seen Kitboga's videos and streams before, as well as other scambaiting content. I don't think he's necessarily doing anything wrong, and I do think it's commendable to help victims and prevent future scams. The content just feels gross, and the genuine anger/frustration that the scammers express isn't entertaining to me. I imagine a lot of the individuals working in scamming call centers are being exploited as well. I think the audience of people who salivate over scambait content and dehumanize the scammers bothers me more than the content itself, it feels like a lot of the people are more interested in schadenfreude than justice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to excuse the scams in any way. The people who set up these scam operations and/or make the majority of the profit are absolutely scum and nobody deserves to be scammed.
@@biggsly I get it; I get the empathy. I get the empathy for people assumedly living in dire conditions looking to make a buck for food. But still, I don’t approve no matter how poor they may be, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor. They may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. Starving artists that need money for mixing, mastering, videos, legit promo + food, housing, that may have a college loan to pay off, etc. I have pals in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it. Indies are already losing money on some legit submission sites (many curators are not giving most submissions a fair chance)… Losing dollars on pure, total scams (whether it’s impersonators or fake promo/PR services) in this current inflation at that is only causing harm to those artists. I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more.
There's a difference between understanding why they do it, and allowing them to scam others. Personally old Gertrude with dementia needs AND DESERVES her money a lot more than a. Guy who makes their money scamming vulnerable people.
Just wanted to say thank you for the david elsewhere shirt. I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who actually knows who he is. It's a very appreciated reference =)
In the realm of 'truth is stranger than fiction', this video had more twists and turns than a few seasons of a major HBO fantasy snuff-series. Great work here, Benn, and I sincerely applaud your tenacity and your dedication to your own curiosity. I wish the rest of the world had that.
My Ghanaian friends told me that Scammers and Tricksters are are admired there. One day they were celebrating the event that their Sports Minister had ripped off the funds donated to their Olympic Games Committee. “Haha he really scammed Ol’ Whitey” they laughed. I pointed out to them that Mr Whitey had given that money to their country to enable their athletes to be able to afford to travel to compete. Therefore this robber had robbed those athletes and not the donors. One of the guys actually had a cousin who was hoping to compete. They stopped laughing after that. It’s one thing to support the antics of Robin Hood type scammers but … well y’know Historically I guess you could say it’s much like the French with their predilection for Bank Robbers and Bank Robber Movies. But it’s a fine line between Robin Hood and Robin B@st@rd ...
Benn this is one of your best videos, the sudden turn from the scam to actually interview the guy and do a sociological review of the current state of Ghana leading to it is just amazing. Keep on!
I couldn't have said it better!
Must be all that juju!
My priest told me to watch this video 1.3 million times to have success in scamming a New York Times author that shall not be named. Seems like a win win win to me.
No other youtuber could turn a random scam message into a video like this, thank you Ben
This is also infinitely more interesting than the scam busting content that seems to dominate RUclips
when I think about it, Max Fosh does kind of the same, but not to that level
no other musician defenetely
How about James Veitch? ruclips.net/video/4o5hSxvN_-s/видео.html
Right? This was both hilarious and enlightening
The fact that Outlaw Ocean is getting awards deserves its own dedicated investigative video and is the most enraging part of this video to me.
Hell yeah
Holy shit dude I appreciate you not being super click-baity but your title SERIOUSLY undersells this video. Thanks for another crazy in-depth rabbit hole exploration.
Sharing this with everyone I know so I can see the "My reality has fractured" followup.
The amount of humanity and empathy you framed this with is dope af. The opening of the video that frames the scams in terms of post-colonial struggling is great.
This was fun and a nice contrast to the "scammer payback" videos you typically see
Visionary empathy in establishing a relationship with the individual AND a brilliant delivery of what relationship can provide! Thank you Benn.
On one hand, I get it; I get the empathy. I get the empathy for people assumedly living in dire conditions looking to make a buck for food. But on the other hand, I don’t approve no matter how poor they may be, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor.
I get they may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. I have pals in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it.
It’s bad enough indies lose money on some legit submission sites (many curators are not giving most submissions a fair chance)… Losing dollars on pure, total scams (whether it’s impersonators or fake promo/PR services) in this current inflation at that is only causing harm to those artists.
I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more. The music industry as a whole is kinda scammish, true, but I still can’t back those fraudsters. I can't even count how many fake DMs I've recently got.
This is the craziest "I am a musician youtuber" video I've seen so far and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it. Totally awesome.
this is one of the best contents in youtube keep up the good work mate
Benn’s general knowledge and ability to function at such a high level never fails to amaze me.
I'm sorry if you sometimes feel down about your channel not gaining as much traction as it should. For what it's worth - you're the first person whose patreon I've become, and I don't even care about any of the bonuses you provide there, haha. Godspeed!
Oh my god I can't believe the Voodoo Boys in cyberpunk is literally just based off of this.
Your diligence. Yes yes a thousand times yes.
5 and a half minutes in and this has been one HELL OF A rollercoaster so far! O_O
You make for a good investigative youtube journalist. Not that you are uncovering specifically huge things, but videos like this one are really compelling. Your ability to state your thoughts clearly and on simple terms is definitely above the average of people I follow on youtube. I hope you keep doing these kinds of explorations in the future.
Ah yes, the logical follow-up to a drum machine review. Man, I love this channel so much!
Absolutely loved this video. I just wrapped up a situation where I was being targeted for a LinkedIn graphic design job scam yesterday so the timing was eerie and on point. Thanks Benn. Have a good one!
I really hope Psuedo-Andy Greene does start a youtube channel; I'd watch it. I also hope that you continue to sprinkle in these 'off the beaten path' videos, because they're great.
Would love to see the whole interview! I've no interest in scamming people but the ways in which people scam are so fascinating.
Man I wasn't expecting that to be so much fun. Brilliant!
16:36 is that guy wearing a bunch of cellphone and tablet cases? I swear that's a razor flip phone case on his hat
I receive from time to time, Instagram messages from "management" or "agent agencies" to hire me, in exchange of an small fee.
Mate, I have no idea why in the world you are struggling with music - this piece is absolutely brilliant! Its like reading an investigative report from the Atlantic or the New Yorker. Kudos to you, Sir! And your immense talent!
Haha wow more scams right here ^ very hilarious
Maybe because making a innovative RUclips video isn’t the same skill as making popular music. . .
He's struggling with making music? Can you elaborate
Ben, you are a fucking treasure. I mean, you are like a musician/journalist/documentarian/polymath. And you are more than all that. And you are living proof that you should just do your thing. Forge your own path. You are an inspiration. And you defy definition. I bow to you sir. Thank you for being
This is one of the most insane videos I have ever seen on RUclips. Massive respect haha
Yeah dude, running this like Pleasant Green does. "Hey, quit lying to me, and I'll pay you for honest work and information."
This... this was probably my favorite video of yours so far. Outstanding trip down a very interesting and obscure rabbit hole.
RUclips keeps dropping your channel off my suggestions list. Heaps to catch up on now, which is a bonus. 👍🏼
Keep doing what you do man, this is the pinnacle of journalism.
If you get a chance, do go to Ghana. I (a South African) visited in 1999. But since then the country has absolutely boomed economically. As such it's a fascinating place where a long-moribund economy supporting a people who were just _brutalised_ beyond comprehension by colonialism, is waking up. This kind of scam-industry for young men makes perfect sense in a situation of wild change like that.
There are also many contradictions between following Islam and Christianity (and Ghanaian cities make the US Bible belt seem like Denmark for vocal religiosity) and traditional religions. Religious leaders will denounce traditional religion, but a fair proportion of believers still dabble (a lot like how belief in fairies and charms and such persisted in Europe despite Catholicism).
I 100% agree though that the claims of ritual murders are so exaggerated by the followers of Abrahamic religions as to be questionable whether they even exist beyond the effects of serial killers, or gangs, or many things that could be attributed to ritual murder by people eager to paint traditional religion as dangerous. Also, Ghana is no a dangerous country crime-wise overall. I say that coming from one of the few African countries that is genuinely beset by very high (Central American style) levels of violent crime.
This was SUPER cool. Great way to take something annoying and instead of approaching it as "ugh what a pain" and turning it into a learning opportunity is so cool. Not enough people do that. Also appreciate the informative dive in Ghanian culture and the technoreligiosity. And now, to brush up on my pidgin.
Hi I started watching your channel recently, and although we may come from different worlds musically (I love sonic experimentation but don't do software - I'm used to Moogs and hardware multi FX etc. Presently I have no recording system, when I do get one I will likely orient towards old 8 track digital machines..or may find that a laptop makes better sense, we'll see) ..you do your drum n bass electric drums - I also enjoy complex rhythms but would like to find an amazing real drummer...(are you familiar with King Crimsons material circa '90s to present day). Your product reviews are truly excellent so I am a big fan. And you have a cool wryness about you. You are self possessed and intelligent.
8:50 Someone's professed religious faith is not necessarily an indication of what they do or do not get up to in real life. I lived in Egypt for fourteen months. There are a lot of Muslims there. There are some real sweethearts, some lovely genuine selfless people. There are also those who will opportune for sex, for money...who will behave completely immorally yet at the same time swear they are a good Muslim...and the same goes for Christians etc etc. Lots of hypocrisy.
Kind regards from UK
Dude. Thank you for bringing us along on your rabbit hole explorations. What an amazing category of things I wasn't expecting to learn today!
spooky season delivered 😤
One Love!
Always forward, never ever backward!!
☀️☀️☀️
💚💛❤️
🙏🏿🙏🙏🏼
I've been looking for a decent socially awae video on these kinds of scams for so long, absolutely stunned to see it here- but delighted !! Everything I needed and more
Oh man, I loved every minute of this, thank you for making it!
No one peeks behind the curtain quite like you Benn! Fascinating stuff 😮
As a first time viewer of your channel, this is not what I expected AT ALL!!! But goddammit was such a good video, you’ve earned a new sub
Your run of videos this past year has been insanely engaging.
Ben, whatever success you get is not thanks to drinking your own blood, but due to you motivation, intellect and hard work. Thanks for the video.
Consistently underrated channel. You had me at your custom reverb testing app.
Your investigative videos are some of my favorite RUclips content. I always seem to learn a little bit about something really interesting from them that I probably would have never encountered otherwise, and I appreciate it. Thanks!
Benn is the best RUclipsr
I can't even begin with how much I love this channel. Now your combining my other love (and career) which is anthropology with music. Thank you for this
Did not expect this to take the turns it did. Great JuJu!
Your content is challenging, educational, enjoyable, and perhaps even...gulp...moral. Keep making music, videos, and taking risks. Thank you.
i do enjoy all the music and gear related videos and then these videos of real investigative journalisms just knock it out of the park
Ooh, do a comparison between this and the prevalence of MLM in American non-denominational churches!
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO Always coming through, not with the CONTENT ™️ we seek, but the CONTENT ™️ we deserve.
Sidebar: the Blood was procured, how, exactly?
Man, only 30k views, I saw this thing on my recommendations days ago, but only now have I clicked on it. Good video
awesome coverage of our adventure! Thanks for all of it
BENN !!... just wow... thank you so much for your keen sense of heart and humour on this topic. Such a great video. :)
Finally a breathe of fresh air in the world of music related content. Liked and subscribed. Keep it up!
This is one of the most interesting, informative, hilarious and soulbreaking videos I've ever seen. 10 out of 10.
You seem like you've really found your groove producing your videos. Your informative doc style videos are amazing. I really love to hear your experiences (good and bad) of your time in the music industry and hope to see more of them, specifically on representation as an artist, when and where to seek it (are bigger companies really better). Gigs and what should be expected from both sides in a "professional" environment as opposed to what we face in clubs and parties would be a good one. Honestly, anything you make will be great but the more you can share about how get yourself out there without being exploited is probably the best wisdom you could share. You are a mentor to many and I really appreciate what you do. Thanks!
Hey Ben. It is utterly surreal to me that your channel is not one of the greats on youtube. Im well aware that the ... well everything-system is not a meritocracy, but god damn man. You are an excellent entertainer, musician, dripping with authenticity and your videos have this quality that .... really nothing else seems to match. Yes i'm a musician but i feel your channel goes beyond the topics related to music and can easily break into mainstream audiences -- im not sure why it hasn't. I hope it does some day. I've also said this before in comments but youre also just an amazing human being. I wish you nothing but health and good fortune and good days, youre just a great dude.
Love from Cairo x
p.s: im going to join your patreon the second i have disposable income. Musicians / producers in cairo earn jack shit but things are looking up.
I'm so happy I found your channel at the beginning of the pandemic, you are enthralling and always take me on a funny, insightful journey.
Fock yeah! What a mind.. what a great example of Not being caught up in stereotype ways of thinking! Very refreshing, thank you! 😊
always knew you as the flashbulb but have just discovered these videos yesterday, so impressed , wow!
Fascinating. Also I loved the SocEng in your investigation
""I had no idea...the level of deception, the extent of the lie." Christopher Boyce (Falcon and the Snowman). Bravo, Benn. What an intricate and entangled weave was this! I've been waiting for one to top WHAT WE SOUND LIKE TO ANIMALS. You did it with this one!
I am reminded of the "Techno-Religosity" In William Gibson's "Count Zero" with the difference being The Gods are actually AIs. Imagine AI as a scammer. Thanks for this post-- it gives a context to why the scammers do what they do. As for the way the word is pronounced I would say the differences are because of the various dialects used in West Africa like Gullah and Geechee in Costal South Carolina and Coastal Georgia.
This truly was a wild ride.
Nothing else to do but thank you for another quality piece and engage in comment section to support the bloody gins magic in blowing this vid up.
I'm starting to like your videos on a worryingly deep level. Once again, excellent on so many levels... Maybe the Bloody M... Benn worked. Thanks!
you’re just great, Benn, period. absolutely loved this one. have heard of this type of scams from different music-production-focused youtube channels before, but ohboi this video dives into the subject on a different-hitting level.
Only learned of your existence after the Bitwig Spectralgate incident. Then I bumped into this video, and it was really interesting, so I subscribed. The Juju is flowing for sure.
This entire story is cyberpunk as fuck.
A great blend of history, cultural study of the outlandish and strange, insight into the insanity of social media and the music industry. Worthy of Vice!
I've never seen anyone so open minded about scammers. Ghana has a life expectancy of 64 years and the average daily income is 14.88 cedi (a little over $1.00 USD). It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that people in harsh living environments don't mind scamming us more well-off westerners, especially if they themselves were afflicted by others in some way. Thank you for unbiasedly bringing awareness regarding the whole issue. Great work!
I get the empathy, but I still can't approve, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor. They may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. Starving artists that need money for mixing, mastering, videos, legit promo + food, housing, that may have a college loan to pay off, etc., and it's a time of inflation. I have pals now in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it. I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more.
THis is fascinating. I know some Canadian folks who went to Ghana to work as a doctor/nurse team in rural Ghana. They told me a lot about the culture, but I had not heard about Sakawa.
One of my favorites videos from this channel! You're a rare kind of American, Benn ❤
the best music production science random journalism historical content creator there is, and it's not close. brilliant stuff
All good bro. You are awesome for digging for the deeper purpose. Understanding is truly the ticket to human interconnection.
This is like getting a new Reply All episode. Just golden.
David Elsewhere t-shirt brought so many memories man, I never knew the name of the video and it was lost in time until now, thank you so much!
Wow. This video certainly took me for a ride!
The sad thing is I know some musicians who have fallen for scams like this. They believe in their dreams so much that they're not at all skeptical when someone they've never met messages out of the blue to tell them how great they are. The musician sees it as someone finally recognizing his value. That credulity, coupled with the "do whatever it takes" mentality of true believers, makes musicians especially prone to scams like this.
Great deep dive! Now I'm really curious if the "Free Grand Piano from my recently deceased husband that is waiting to be delivered to me (1,300 miles away) from a moving company in Ohio once I pay the shipping fee" originates in West Africa as well.
I love how your channel has become a cornucopia of knowledge. At this point, anything and everything can happen here.
This was genuinely excellent
This is the From Dusk Till Dawn for internet scams. A magical, perfectly edited masterpiece.
This is pure gold.
This was super interesting and informative, and I really appreciate the nuanced take you gave the subject of scammers in developing countries. The popular "scambait" content where people try to expose scammers have never sat right with me. Sure, scamming people is wrong, but when you consider the wealth gap between places where scamming is prevalent, and that most of them are just trying to provide for their families, it's all just a big moral grey area at that point. Not like western industry has never done anything to exploit developing nations 🤷
The concept of scambaiting is to waste as much of a scammer's time as possible so they don't have a chance to scam vulnerable people. I recommend watching a few Kitboga videos. He explains the goal of the scammer, and what he's doing. He regularly gets banking info from scammers that's used to reverse transactions and he reports the information to the FTC as well. Other scambaiters go further, using the remote connection the scammers themselves asked to establish in order to retrieve all of the information scammers have collected on targets, then deleting all of that information and as many other useful things on that computer. This gives them a chance to contact victims and hopefully help them, and forces the scammer to restart their scam from absolute zero. (Wasting their precious time in the process.)
The main problem is identifying individuals with their nationality. In this case is not America, the exploitative first world country, being scammed, it's musicians trying to make it in a ruthless industry. If anything it takes away accountability from the ruling class. It's not "re establishing the equilibrium" if 3rd world low class scams 1st world low class
@@8thlvlMage
I've seen Kitboga's videos and streams before, as well as other scambaiting content. I don't think he's necessarily doing anything wrong, and I do think it's commendable to help victims and prevent future scams. The content just feels gross, and the genuine anger/frustration that the scammers express isn't entertaining to me. I imagine a lot of the individuals working in scamming call centers are being exploited as well. I think the audience of people who salivate over scambait content and dehumanize the scammers bothers me more than the content itself, it feels like a lot of the people are more interested in schadenfreude than justice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to excuse the scams in any way. The people who set up these scam operations and/or make the majority of the profit are absolutely scum and nobody deserves to be scammed.
@@biggsly I get it; I get the empathy. I get the empathy for people assumedly living in dire conditions looking to make a buck for food. But still, I don’t approve no matter how poor they may be, and I rebuke them. Why is that? I don’t think that scamming is a good (karmic) cause-even if the scammer is poor.
They may be thinking they are scamming “well-off Westerners,” but in reality, it’s starving, struggling artists they are scamming, some of whom have been trying to make it in the biz for years if not decades. Starving artists that need money for mixing, mastering, videos, legit promo + food, housing, that may have a college loan to pay off, etc. I have pals in their late thirties, early forties-fifties even still working hard, trying to make it.
Indies are already losing money on some legit submission sites (many curators are not giving most submissions a fair chance)… Losing dollars on pure, total scams (whether it’s impersonators or fake promo/PR services) in this current inflation at that is only causing harm to those artists. I could empathize with those scammers, but I empathize with fellow indie acts a lot more.
There's a difference between understanding why they do it, and allowing them to scam others.
Personally old Gertrude with dementia needs AND DESERVES her money a lot more than a. Guy who makes their money scamming vulnerable people.
Benn you act like a master of arts and science of yore. And I viscerally admire it.
just stumbled on your channel today and i’ve been binge watching your videos for a couple hours now. great stuff! keep it up
This was an amazing video. Commenting just for entanglement so that hopefully RUclips pushes this to more people.
Just wanted to say thank you for the david elsewhere shirt. I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who actually knows who he is. It's a very appreciated reference =)
I just found your channel from your FL 21 video. This video is amazing 😂
Thank you, Benn! Your excursions from the usual music topics are always surprising and revealing. Sakawa. Learned something new and useful!
Wow! Your breadth is really inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you for this Benn. The most interesting thing I've seen in quite a while! What a very strange world we live in!!
reminds me of the new Saul Williams film "Neptune Frost" ~ a wonderful film that explores techno-religiosity from a non-western lens 🎥🎥🎥
In the realm of 'truth is stranger than fiction', this video had more twists and turns than a few seasons of a major HBO fantasy snuff-series. Great work here, Benn, and I sincerely applaud your tenacity and your dedication to your own curiosity. I wish the rest of the world had that.
This was not the video I was expecting. It was way more interesting. Thanks, Benn!
My Ghanaian friends told me that Scammers and Tricksters are are admired there.
One day they were celebrating the event that their Sports Minister had ripped off the funds donated to their Olympic Games Committee.
“Haha he really scammed Ol’ Whitey” they laughed.
I pointed out to them that Mr Whitey had given that money to their country to enable their athletes to be able to afford to travel to compete. Therefore this robber had robbed those athletes and not the donors.
One of the guys actually had a cousin who was hoping to compete.
They stopped laughing after that.
It’s one thing to support the antics of Robin Hood type scammers but … well y’know
Historically I guess you could say it’s much like the French with their predilection for Bank Robbers and Bank Robber Movies.
But it’s a fine line between Robin Hood and Robin B@st@rd ...
Your videos keep getting better and better. Beautifully done!
I love these videos it’s like you took 10 Ritalins and you went down all the rabbit holes at the same time, keep them coming!