How Mafias, Gangsters and Scammers Profit from a Pandemic

By Correspondent 

COVID-19 is reshaping and challenging governments, social order and the world economy in previously unimaginable ways–including changes to the illegal flow of goods and services.

Livelihoods are shrinking or disappearing altogether, and mafias, gangsters and profiteers are adapting to find new routes for illegal commodities, from counterfeit drugs to trafficked wildlife and people.

Shortages, lockdowns and citizen responses have brought the underworld and upper world into greater convergence, as criminals strive to meet needs, maximize opportunities and fill governance vacuums. Unscrupulous fraudsters are touting fake remedies to desperate people: counterfeit drugs and illicit wildlife used in traditional medicine.

Social distancing and lockdowns have seen online financial transactions and cyber-communication and -operations replacing or supplementing physical shipments and interactions, again affording new opportunities for fraudsters and cyber-criminals. Heavy-handed state responses have also, quite literally, created new illicit markets by prohibiting the sale of particular goods and services, while some elites have capitalized on the pandemic for personal or political gain.

The pandemic has cast a long shadow over the rule of law. Criminal Contagion uncovers its impacts on the global illicit economy, and unpacks the long-term implications of these extraordinary developments.
Review

“Once again, Reitano and Shaw are ahead of the pack. While criminals were initially wrong-footed by Covid-19, within weeks they were readjusting their strategies to profit from the unprecedented government funds entering the economy.

Criminal Contagion explains what has been happening in the world of organised crime, what we must do about it and what will happen if we don’t. Clear, pithy and satisfyingly comprehensive, it should be read by everyone concerned about the consequential threats we will face post-pandemic. A gem of a book.”– Misha Glenny, author of

McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime

“Not all have suffered from Covid-19. This well-illustrated analysis explains that criminals, by exploiting human vulnerability, have been major beneficiaries of the pandemic. Critical reading for those seeking to understand and address the diverse and costly human consequences of Covid-19.”– Louise Shelley, University Professor, George Mason University, and Director, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center

“It’s a truism that of all entrepreneurs, criminals are the fastest to spot new opportunities. This timely, readable and thoroughly shocking book demonstrates how even a global pandemic can be good for (criminal) business.’ — Mark Galeotti, author of The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia

” Criminal Contagion is a tour de force, combining meticulous research with a global perspective, and highlighting how the pandemic created novel opportunities for expanding illicit markets and enriching criminal organizations. Congratulations to the authors on this timely and important book.”– Phil Williams, Professor of International Security, University of Pittsburgh

“A timely book that rigorously assesses how criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic to boost their illicit businesses. A must read and an indispensable reference for policy-makers, analysts and academics.”– Moiss Nam, Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and author of Illicit and The End of Power