HBCU Alum Lekeith Jones's 'Urgency' Is One Of Youtube's Most Viewed Black Short Films. He Is Now Crowdfunding His Next Project, 'SCAMMERS'

Building on the success of his YouTube short film Urgency, Emerging Writer/Director Lekeith Jones is raising funds for his upcoming social thriller, ‘Scammers.’

The short film follows Ryan Bailey, a young man who loses his savings in a scam and turns to his seemingly successful cousin for assistance, only to discover a deception more complexed than he ever imagined.

The project has been characterized as a grounded cousin of The Matrix and draws inspiration from Hackers (1995) and Training Day (2002). At the heart of the story, the film examines the cycles of exploitation that define American life and asks if the real scammers are those surviving at the margins or the system that created those margins. The film explores modern-day capitalism, systemic inequality, and labor exploitation in America through the lens of the Black experience.

The Indiegogo campaign for Scammers is now live, with the campaign concluding on October 20, 2025. The team is calling on supporters to help bring this powerful story to life.