# Gift cards and the fraud supply chain

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11-6944962/gift-cards-and-the-fraud-supply-chain
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11-6944962/gift-cards-and-the-fraud-supply-chain.md
Podcast: [Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11-6944962)
Published: 2025-12-26T09:42:07+00:00
Episode link: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/gift-cards-and-the-fraud-supply-chain/
Audio file: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/media.transistor.fm/f900b660/e8a00478.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11-6944962/episodes/gift-cards-and-the-fraud-supply-chain
Duration seconds: 827

## Resource

For this week's holiday-inspired Complex Systems, Patrick reads his essay from Bits about Money on the gift card paradox: a legitimate payments rail, yet also a primary vector for fraud that leaves victims without recourse. – Full transcript available here: www.complexsystemspodcast.com/gift-cards-and-the-fraud-supply-chain/ – Sponsors: Givewell & Framer Support proven charities that deliver measurable results and learn how to maximize your charitable impact with GiveWell . Go to givewell.org , pick “Podcast” and enter Complex Systems at checkout. Framer is a design and publishing platform that collapses the toolchain between wireframes and production-ready websites. Design, iterate, and publish in one workspace. Start free at framer.com/design with code COMPLEXSYSTEMS for a free month of Framer Pro. – Links: Bits about Money, Gift cards accountability sink https://www.bitsaboutmoney.com/archive/gift-card-accountability-sink/ Global China Puise, Moving Bricks https://globalchinapulse.net/moving-bricks-money-laundering-practices-in-the-online-scam-industry/ – Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (04:02) Most businesses do not run their own gift card programs (06:40) Sponsors: Givewell and Framer (09:00) Most businesses do not run their own gift card programs (part 2) (10:27) Gift cards are not regulated like other electronic payments instruments (12:07) Why do we choose this difference in regulation?

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## Transcript

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