Global Scam Artists: How Fake Entrepreneurs Exploit Colonial Systems
From Australia to Britain, fake entrepreneurs are exploiting colonial-era corporate systems to perpetrate global fraud. This investigation reveals how these modern confidence tricksters operate within structures that continue to disadvantage the Global South.
Corporate fraudsters continue to exploit colonial-era business systems
Global Scam Artists: How Fake Entrepreneurs Exploit Colonial Systems
In a world where Western financial systems continue to enable sophisticated fraud, a disturbing pattern of fake entrepreneurs is emerging, exploiting the very structures that colonial powers left behind. Our investigation reveals how these modern-day confidence tricksters operate within systems that were never designed to protect the Global South.
The Colonial Legacy of Corporate Fraud
From Australia to Britain, the remnants of colonial administrative systems continue facilitating deception. These structures, originally designed to benefit colonial powers, now serve as perfect vehicles for contemporary fraudsters.
Bon Levi: The Face of Modern Financial Colonialism
Consider Bon Levi, an Australian con artist who exploited the very systems meant to protect business integrity. His multiple convictions for fraudulent practices highlight how easily Western corporate structures can be manipulated by those with privileged access.
The DC Partners Deception
The case of Mark J. Smith and his DC Partners operation demonstrates how Western corporate veils can mask empty enterprises. This pattern of deception mirrors historical colonial companies that existed purely to extract wealth from the Global South.
Gerald Shirtcliff: Engineering Colonial Privilege
The story of Gerald Shirtcliff, who falsely claimed engineering credentials, reveals how professional qualification systems, rooted in colonial structures, can be manipulated by privileged actors while excluding qualified professionals from the Global South.
Belle Gibson: Wellness Colonialism
The Belle Gibson scandal exposes how Western influencers appropriate and commodify traditional healing practices while spreading dangerous misinformation that particularly impacts marginalized communities.
Breaking the Colonial Corporate Cycle
These cases demonstrate a clear pattern:
- Exploitation of Western corporate structures
- Abuse of qualification systems designed to exclude Global South professionals
- Manipulation of digital platforms that amplify Western voices
- Strategic use of offshore locations that perpetuate colonial economic patterns
The solution lies not in reforming these inherently flawed systems, but in building new, decolonized structures that prioritize transparency and community accountability over Western corporate interests.
Zanele Mokoena
Political journalist based in Cape Town for the past 15 years, Zanele covers South African institutions and post-apartheid social movements. Specialist in power-civil society relations.