Gift cards and the fraud supply chain
26 December 2025

Gift cards and the fraud supply chain

Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11)

About

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?