About
Hi, I’m Callan Quinn.
I’m a British journalist based in Hong Kong covering scams and fraud. I started my career working as a journalist in China for several years in my late teens and early twenties. After a botched attempt to launch a magazine covering NGOs and humanitarian work in Somaliland (don’t ask), I spent several years covering the education industry before switching to crypto just weeks before Terra collapsed in 2022.
I’ve worked for several crypto industry rags, including CoinDesk. I quit my job there due to the deletion of an article I wrote about Justin Sun buying a banana (apparently I should have taken it more seriously than to call it a “marketing gimmick”).
I founded Scamurai in 2024 due to my growing frustration at how the crypto industry is covered. I felt that sometimes obvious scams and dodgy companies are given a veneer of legitimacy through press coverage.
Meanwhile, retail traders are constantly sold impossible dreams of getting rich by unscrupulous actors in crypto and beyond who rarely face consequences for destroying people’s lives.
Scamurai Research focuses on scams, fraud and consumer rights, not just in crypto but across the digital sphere. It dives into digital snake oil of every flavour, from influencer grifts and scam compounds in Southeast Asia to money laundering networks and shady operations on the dark web.
Scamurai is fiercely independent. No puff pieces. No PR fluff. No sponsored content. It will never take money to shill people’s shitty projects.
Have a tip, suggestion or want to collaborate? Email callan@scamurai.io.
Disclosures
I currently have no significant crypto holdings (defined as $1,000 or above). This section will be updated as and when that changes.
Support investigative journalism
Financing original journalism is not easy. Doing reporting beyond press releases, covering announcements and rehashing what other people have already written takes time and money.
Few people are willing to pay for news anymore and even fewer companies are willing to fund labour-intensive investigations with uncertain results.
If you can, consider supporting Scamurai with a paid subscription.
Contact
Have a tip, suggestion or want to collaborate? Email callan@scamurai.io.
Editorial policy
Scamurai is 100% owned by Scamurai Research Ltd, a Hong Kong-registered company. The sole shareholder is Callan Quinn.
Scamurai is currently funded entirely by reader subscriptions.
In the interest of full transparency:
All articles will include a disclosure if the author holds any crypto assets or stocks tied to subjects or entities mentioned.
If you attempt to bribe Scamurai in exchange for the deletion of an article, your email/DM will be published. Yes, really.
Factual errors will be corrected as swiftly as possible. Corrections will appear at the bottom of the article. In cases where the core premise was wrong, we’ll move the note to the top and share it widely.
Scamurai’s editorial code is strict:
Reporters, including freelancers, may never accept payment for coverage.
Gifts from individuals or companies Scamurai covers are forbidden, except for nominal items (e.g. free pens, stickers, conference swag).
Scamurai protects sources who speak to it under condition of anonymity due to legitimate risk of retaliation. Any story based on anonymous sourcing must be corroborated by at least one other person with direct knowledge, or more if the claims are serious.
Use of AI:
As of 6/6/25, Scamurai has decided not to use AI. (Prior to this date, Scamurai occasionally used AI to generate images. It also used AI software to proofread articles for typos. It has since decided to stop doing this due to concerns about where AI companies get their training data and the fact the results are usually a bit crap.)
Advertising:
Scamurai may in the future accept ads, but only from companies that meet strict ethical standards. That said, we can’t guarantee the honesty of every advertiser.
Quoting someone does not mean we endorse them or their business. Sometimes we just want to hear what nonsense they’ll say next.
