MSRI
Multidimensional Scam Risk Index

Data sources

Where each indicator's evidence will come from, reviewed in October 2026. Of the 14 indicators, 10 can be scored from public evidence at launch. 4 are not yet sourced and will be shown that way rather than estimated.

Approach

Scam compounds are local: a casino strip, an economic zone, a border town. Most data that can be collected automatically is country-level. So location scores are set by analysts applying a fixed rubric to cited evidence. Automated feeds supply country baselines and candidate evidence for review. Nothing is published automatically.

Every score records its sources, as-of date, and confidence. Sources are checked for license terms before use, and data that can't be redistributed is never shown in raw form.

Analyst-scoredNot yet sourced

Indicators

Governance & rule of law

SEZ oversight gap
UNODC and USIP reports, SEZ and casino license records, investigative journalismGrain: Zone
Analyst-scored
Armed / elite control
UCDP georeferenced conflict events (monthly), sanctions designations of armed groupsGrain: Geocoded events
Analyst-scored
Gray-market finance history
Gambling license records, FATF mutual evaluations, US/UK sanctions, FinCEN actionsGrain: Location
Analyst-scored

Labor & migration

Irregular migration inflow
IOM DTM (limited coverage), migrant labor statistics, repatriation countsGrain: Country / corridor
Not yet sourced
Recruitment pipeline activity
Embassy advisories naming locations, INTERPOL operation reports, NGO and academic studiesGrain: Location
Analyst-scored
Worker grievance access
US TIP Report, ILO country reports, NGO field reportsGrain: Country, adjusted per location
Analyst-scored

Financial flows

Cross-border micro-transaction volume
Requires aggregate data from financial institution or FIU partnersGrain: —
Not yet sourced
Shell company / nominee density
Front companies named in sanctions and investigations; registries are patchyGrain: Registered address
Not yet sourced
Crypto on-ramp exposure
OFAC designations with digital-currency addresses, FinCEN findings; volume needs a partnerGrain: Network → location
Analyst-scored

Digital platform

Scam IP / domain density
Spamhaus, phishing feeds; VPNs and satellite internet defeat sub-national attributionGrain: Country at best
Not yet sourced
Platform enforcement actions
Platform threat and transparency reports (Meta, OpenAI, Google)Grain: Country, sometimes location
Analyst-scored

Protection capacity

Survivor referral network access
US TIP Report (protection), IOM, UNODC referral mechanism data, IJMGrain: Country + known referral points
Analyst-scored
Non-criminalizing enforcement
US TIP Report, OHCHR, Fortify Rights, reporting on treatment of rescued workersGrain: Country, adjusted per location
Analyst-scored
Displacement-safe response
MSRI's verified incident timeline, UNODC reporting, investigative journalismGrain: Location
Analyst-scored

Country baselines

Country-level context shown alongside location scores. These are not scored as indicators.

SourceUsed forUpdatedLicense
World Bank Worldwide Governance IndicatorsGovernance contextAnnualCC BY 4.0
Transparency International CPICorruption contextAnnualCC BY 4.0
World Bank income classificationLabor vulnerability contextAnnualCC BY 4.0
US Trafficking in Persons ReportTier ranking, protection contextAnnualPublic domain
FATF grey and black listsAML context3× per yearPublic