Welcome to the age of hustle — where almost everything’s a scheme, and everyone’s either getting scammed or side-eying their inbox wondering if that toll fee text is real. If you’ve got a phone and Wi-Fi, you’ve probably already dodged two fake AI calls and a “mystery parcel” SMS today. The scam economy is booming, and let’s be honest — it’s a lot.

But guess what? People aren’t just tired — they’re also curious. Why? Because scams are like modern-day storytelling. From Elizabeth Holmes to cult exposés to the double Fyre Festival documentaries, we love watching the mask come off.

Enter Alex Falcone, a comedian based in Los Angeles who’s turning TikTok into his own scam-slaying theatre. With his hit series “Is it a scam? Yep.”, Falcone is using wit and rapid-fire facts to peel back the shiny wrapping on everyday deceptions — from shady AI hype to white chocolate fraud. And people love it. Over half a million followers are tuning in for his spicy two-minute takedowns.

Falcone isn’t calling himself a journalist, but the man has the instincts. “I’m not here to ruin your day,” he says. “Just to show you that the party trick is fake — and why that matters.”

In a recent convo with WafricNews, Falcone unpacked his scam obsession. His roots? A grandfather who sold kitchen gadgets at carnivals and a dad who was part of the act. “I met a con man at 16,” he laughs, “He taught me card tricks and pool hustles. It wasn’t about scamming people, it was about seeing the gears turning.”

It’s that magician’s-eye-view that powers his content — a mix of comedy, caution, and calling out corporate shadiness.

So why does his content slap so hard? Falcone thinks it’s because we all feel like we’re living in a haunted funfair. “You know the hoop is rigged, the odds are off — but it’s still satisfying to find out how they’re doing it.”

But he’s not trying to depress you. When AI and crypto talk gets too heavy, he’ll pivot to white chocolate — which, by the way, he calls a scam “invented to coat medicine and now sold as candy.” Ew. But hilarious.

It’s part of his mental survival plan. “You have to keep it fun or you’ll burn out,” Falcone explains. One trick he swears by? Running multiple TikTok accounts with different algorithm vibes. One is just bunnies. “In 15 minutes, I trained the feed to show me only rabbits.”

Falcone’s also digging into the marketing myths. Like the Oscars. “Someone told me they were started to stop actors from unionizing. I thought nah… but then I checked. It’s true. Louis B. Mayer literally said that.”

And then there’s Costco. “I was nervous about that one,” he admits. “But it’s a ‘nope.’ Not a scam. It’s a scheme though — you’re paying just to enter the shop. But that doesn’t make it evil.”

Now, his inbox is a flood of scam tips — 100 to 150 messages a day across platforms. “People are sending me stuff like ‘Is this protein shake a scam?’ ‘Is sunscreen fake?’” he says. “Some I can clear quickly. Others go into the vault.”

For Falcone, the biggest scams aren’t just petty frauds — they’re systems, trends, and marketing spin. “Scam” can mean many things. A trick. A trap. A trend with no clothes.

And he’s here for all of it.