Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Aug 11, 2025

Working in the New Scam Economy

On The Time of Monsters: Alexander Sammon on toiling in the grift machine.

The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

Working in the New Scam Economy w/ Alex Sammon
byThe Nation Company LLC

Almost everyone who is on line or even has a cell phone has encountered a familiar and

perplexing nuisance: an email or text with a job offer to make lots of money while working from

home. These messages seem like obvious scams but how do they work? Alexander Sammon, a

feature writer for Slate, conducted a personal experiment to find out by taking one of the jobs

he was offered. The result is a hilarious article detailing not just what it’s like to be ripped off

but also illuminating the new grift economy that flourishes in the internet age as Donald Trump

pursues his agenda of deregulation and the promotion of crypto currency. I had enormous fun

both reading Alex’s article (which I can’t recommend highly enough) and talking to him about

his strange experiences.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

(Yuliya Taba / E+ via Getty Images)

Almost everyone who is online or even has a cell phone has encountered a familiar and perplexing nuisance: an e-mail or text with a job offer to make lots of money while working from home. These messages seem like obvious scams, but how do they work? Alexander Sammon, a feature writer for Slate, conducted a personal experiment to find out by taking one of the jobs he was offered. The result is a hilarious article detailing not just what it’s like to be ripped off but also illuminating the new grift economy that flourishes in the Internet age as Donald Trump pursues his agenda of deregulation and the promotion of cryptocurrency. I had enormous fun both reading Alex’s article (which I can’t recommend highly enough) and talking to him about his strange experiences.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

The Age of Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein w/ Doug Henwood
byThe Nation Company LLC

The famed economist Larry Summers, not for the first time, finds himself the center of a

scandal. He’s had to take a leave from Harvard, where he teaches, because of embarrassing

emails he had with his late friend Jeffrey Epstein.

I talked to economic journalist and Nation contributor Doug Henwood, a long-time Summers

watcher, about the career of this controversial and influential figure. Summers has been one of

the most influential policy makers of his era, serving as Treasury Secretary and President of

Harvard. He has also embodied the major intellectual and political limitations of the ruling class.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

US investor and philanthropist Alexander Soros, son of Hungarian-US investor and philanthropist George Soros, speaks during a ceremony to accept on behalf of his father the 2025 Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma, on October 23, 2025, in Berlin, Germany.

Liberal Philanthropy and the Fight for Democracy, With David Callahan  Liberal Philanthropy and the Fight for Democracy, With David Callahan 

On the latest Nation Podcast.

D.D. Guttenplan and David Callahan

Moses Malone

Moses Malone Gets Biblical Moses Malone Gets Biblical

On Edge of Sports: Paul Knepper on his new book on Moses Malone, and Arya comes back to talk all things NBA.

Dave Zirin

Angelo Herndon.

The Story of One of the Most Important Free Speech Cases of All Time The Story of One of the Most Important Free Speech Cases of All Time

Randall Kennedy talks to The Nation Podcast about the Angelo Herndon case.

D.D. Guttenplan and Randall Kennedy

Jeff Teat #7 of the New York Atlas in action during the Premier Lacrosse League Championship game between the New York Atlas and the Denver Outlaws at Sports Illustrated Stadium on September 14, 2025, in Harrison, New Jersey.

How Lacrosse and Boxing Explain the USA How Lacrosse and Boxing Explain the USA

On the latest episode of Edge of Sports.

Dave Zirin

A protester at the No Kings rally in Venice, Florida, on October 18, 2025.

The Myth of Free Speech The Myth of Free Speech

Historian Fara Dabhoiwala talks to American Prestige about his new book.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Isaac Okoro #35 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on October 12, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Tom Alter is Here—Plus, Our NBA Eastern Conference Preview Tom Alter is Here—Plus, Our NBA Eastern Conference Preview

On Edge of Sports: Dr. Tom Alter on his unjust dismissal from Texas State University, and Arya Shirazi on the upcoming NBA season.

Dave Zirin

x