From fraudsters bilking the elderly by posing as their cash-strapped grandkids, to fake lawyers defrauding immigrants in need of legal help, we’ve covered a wide range of scams on Consumerist. But while there are countless variations on these crimes, they are all based on the same few ideas.
And knowing the underlying science of scams can make it easier for consumers to spot and avoid the cons, according to our colleagues at Consumer Reports.
An examination of hundreds of recorded scam pitches by FINRA Investor Education Foundation found that most fraudsters use the same “hard-sell” techniques on their targets. But unlike pushy sales people at the mall who you can simply walk away from, scammers have other tools in their arsenal, such as being masters of persuasion and having the ability to appeal to one’s emotions.
So, while scams may evolve over time — taking on different targets and appealing to different emotions — most fraudsters subscribe to the same core strategies to lure in victims:
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1 comment:
My personal favorite attempts are the letters from overseas that often find their way into my email box. You know the ones.
"Hi, I'm Ambassador Huchimadoo and I am stuck in Nigeria. Please let me send a check for $15,000.00 US Currency and you keep a finders fee of $5,000.00 and send the rest to me here so I can escape the country."
Those are the best and, sadly, many people fall prey to them, even though they're clearly fraudulent.
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