Scamming the poor: fraudulent loans in Mexico

Abstract

This article examines the practice of fraudulent informal loans given to vulnerable groups in Mexico, and connects these malpractices to the structural (re)production of poverty. The scams resolve around fake credit companies offering loans to people in need on the condition that they pay a deposit, after which contact is broken. After locating scams within broader discussions on vulnerability, poverty and credit, an empirical study is presented based on 35 interviews with victims. Results are presented regarding the reasons why people fall in these traps, how they are cause and consequence of vulnerability, and the difficulties of prosecution. The conclusions reflect on the role of such traps within the production of poverty, the relative invisibility of these crimes, and the topic of legal protection and prosecution.