Contraband Connections: Crime Networks Inside Prison Walls w/ Travis Cox - Part 2

In this eye-opening episode of Banking on Fraudology, host Hailey Widham sits down with Travis Cox, investigator with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, to uncover the dark world of prison based fraud and organized crime. Cox shares a rare inside look at how inmates use contraband cell phones to run sophisticated fraud, extortion, and money laundering schemes from behind bars often mirroring the tactics of external fraud rings and cybercriminal networks. Through cases like “Iron Pipeline,” “Flash,” and “Clean Sweep,” Hailey and Travis reveal how prisoners leverage technology, manipulation, and underground communication tools to traffic drugs, exploit victims, and move millions through cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer apps, and even online gaming platforms. The conversation highlights the growing threat these crimes pose to financial institutions, law enforcement, and local communities, calling for stronger collaboration, tougher sentencing, and smarter fraud detection strategies. Roy E. Cox District of South Carolina | Two Men Charged With Illegally Trafficking Almost 60 Guns Into Philadelphia From South Carolina | United States Department of Justice State Grand Jurors issue rare report on continued problem of organized crime run from within state prisons using contraband cellphones - South Carolina Attorney General FCC approves cell phone jamming against SC prison inmates | The State Man accused of setting fire at home of South Carolina corrections officer in suspected retaliation | WBTW Ex-prison guard, shot six times, hails FCC push to allow cellphone jamming behind bars Nine SCDC inmates, six others indicted in $5M fraud scheme | WCBD News 2