Sometimes a conversation comes along that feels especially timely.
Recently, I had the opportunity to join Ben McKenzie, director of Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, for a discussion following a screening of the documentary. Many people may remember Ben from his acting career, but in recent years he has become deeply involved in examining the promises, risks, and realities of cryptocurrency.
As I prepared for the event, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences researching fraud and financial deception. The technology may change, but many of the underlying questions remain remarkably familiar.
The Same Questions in New Forms
Throughout my career, I’ve studied how people make decisions, whom they trust, and why they sometimes ignore warning signs.
Cryptocurrency has introduced new terminology, new platforms, and new opportunities. Yet many of the issues surrounding crypto echo challenges we’ve seen throughout financial history: information asymmetry, hype, fear of missing out, misplaced trust, and the difficulty of separating legitimate innovation from speculation.
The tools may be different, but human behaviour often follows familiar patterns.
Is Crypto a Scam?
It’s a question that comes up frequently, and it’s usually framed in simple terms.
But the reality is more nuanced.
Not every cryptocurrency project is fraudulent. At the same time, the crypto ecosystem has produced its share of scams, collapses, misleading claims, and financial losses. The challenge is not finding a simple yes-or-no answer. The challenge is asking better questions.
Who benefits?
What incentives exist?
What evidence supports the claims being made?
What risks are being overlooked?
And perhaps most importantly: what assumptions are we making because we want something to be true?
The Human Side of Financial Innovation
One reason I was excited about this conversation is that discussions about cryptocurrency are ultimately discussions about people.
Technology often receives most of the attention, but behind every investment decision, every fraud scheme, and every financial trend are individuals making choices. Understanding those choices requires more than technical expertise. It requires understanding psychology, ethics, trust, and decision-making.
These are the same themes that have guided much of my work in fraud research and education.
Continuing the Conversation
Events like this remind me why public conversations about financial literacy and fraud awareness matter so much.
Whether we’re discussing traditional fraud schemes, emerging technologies, or the future of finance, curiosity remains one of our most valuable tools. The willingness to ask difficult questions—and to keep asking them—often matters more than having immediate answers.
Perhaps the most important takeaway from the evening wasn’t whether crypto is a scam.
It was the reminder that informed skepticism, critical thinking, and thoughtful dialogue remain essential in any financial landscape.
And those conversations are worth having.