UC Berkeley

Scams have proliferated under digital capitalism; so too have stories of scams and allegations of scamming. In this commentary, we focus on the latter to situate the scam as a “vernacular analytic:” an everyday mode of critique invoked to question the normative systems and institutions that rule our lives, but are experienced as exploitative or rigged. While this vernacular analytic is a powerful and pervasive means to highlight inequality, we argue that it obscures what is unique about scams amid capitalism's digitalization. In response, we develop a systematic approach to study this vernacular analytic as it circulates under digital capitalism. We propose three features of the scam as a vernacular analytic: critique at scale, the fallout of digital mimicry, and the exploitation of affect. This threefold framework provides a common foundation for empowering us to counter inequitable and exploitative systems by reimagining and rebuilding institutions and our trust in them. We argue that recognizing the power and pervasiveness of the scam as a vernacular analytic, and interrogating how scams operate under digital capitalism, are essential steps toward a future less vulnerable to digitally mediated exploitation.