Charlatans play on our weaknesses and skillfully scam us out of money. But this can be resisted.
Do you think that only narrow-minded people fall into the clutches of scammers, and you are not in danger? Who would now believe that they won an iPhone or received an inheritance from a rich stranger? But scammers earn their bread and butter for a reason: they can find an approach to almost anyone.
Children, unfortunately, really suffer from serious illnesses, including cancer, and their relatives raise funds for treatment. By the beginning of 2018, 25,000 children were registered in medical institutions. Therefore, the authors of advertisements on the Internet may indeed be desperate parents.
But there is a good chance that behind such posts are scammers who simply stole other people’s photographs and scans of documents, perhaps changed the data in graphic editors and use this for profit. Sometimes they even create clones of charity websites.
Then for some reason he needs not only your card number, but also the date of issue, the owner’s first and last name and, most importantly, the three-digit CVC code. The explanations are usually quite vague: supposedly the funds are transferred from the organization’s account, there is a more complex procedure, and so on. This data may already be enough to leave you without money, but sometimes scammers also ask you to tell them the code from the SMS.
Often all this happens in a hurry and nervousness, because an irritated taxi driver or courier is already standing nearby. Once they have the code, scammers can use your card to pay for purchases or transfer money to another account.
The victim backs up or drives slowly through yards. Suddenly someone falls to the ground screaming in front of the car. The driver jumps out of the car in horror and sees a crumpled man who declares that he was hit and that he is going to contact the police.
Very conveniently, there is a “random” witness nearby who, of course, filmed everything on video and agrees to help the victim. They demand money from the driver for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, he agrees, because otherwise he will at least be deprived of his license and required to pay a fine.
There is no registrar, but are you sure you are not at fault? Insist on calling the police yourself: the scammers will retreat after that. If possible, look for witnesses and ask for surveillance camera footage from security guards, sellers, management company employees - depending on where the incident occurred.
There are many such tricks: they can puncture a tire, throw a bag of kefir on the windshield. And all with one goal: for the driver to come out to see what’s going on and leave the door unlocked.
Fraudsters can put pressure, manipulate, and intimidate . For example, they claim that without a special device, a gas leak may occur in the near future, which threatens an explosion and collapse - as during the tragedy in Magnitogorsk.
If residents nevertheless agree to install the device, it later turns out that it is completely useless. And this, one might say, is another positive outcome of a meeting with such swindlers. In some cases, the case may end in an apartment robbery.
Mailing to friends begins. Anyone who responded to a request for help and sent some amount soon finds out that they helped scammers make money: the page was hacked, and images of documents were stolen from other sources and changed in graphic editors.
There is another, more dramatic version of the same divorce. Fraudsters call or write to the victim, saying that her loved one is in trouble and in order to help him out, she needs to transfer money. The options can be different: caught on drugs, hit a person, killed someone, got into a fight. Now he is detained and cannot speak for himself. The most advanced adventurers call as if from the personal phone number of the “culprit” - using programs that replace numbers.
Then the scammer offers to delete the post - for a fee, of course. The victim, although he knows that this is a lie, is afraid for his reputation and transfers money.
Further events can develop differently. For example, the call will be paid and money will be debited from you. Or you will end up with a “bank employee” who will try to extract full information about the card from you, including CVC and confirmation code from SMS. And then, you know, the score can noticeably drop.
By the way, such messages and calls do not always come from unfamiliar numbers. Sometimes scammers use programs that imitate real bank numbers.
When people refuse, they are asked to pay at least a little for the tasting. They press for pity: supposedly the manager is fined if the client does not buy anything. During tea drinking, manipulative techniques are used: they chatter in patter, touch the person, and often call him by name. And in this way - through blackmail, threats, requests and complaints - they still lure money out of the victim.
Beauty salons use a similar scheme. They invite people to supposedly free cosmetic procedures and, using psychological influence, force them to buy a whole suitcase of “unique” and “very effective” cosmetics worth a month’s salary. Often on credit.
And here the scammer seems to offer help, acts as a savior, a support in a critical situation. A person is told what needs to be done to save himself from problems with the law, big waste, or, conversely, to make a profit. Our threshold of criticality decreases, sympathy and unconscious trust in the interlocutor arises.
What fears do scammers most often exploit?
What should I do?
(с) https://lifehacker.ru/moshennicheskie-sxemy/
Do you think that only narrow-minded people fall into the clutches of scammers, and you are not in danger? Who would now believe that they won an iPhone or received an inheritance from a rich stranger? But scammers earn their bread and butter for a reason: they can find an approach to almost anyone.
How are they most often scammed?
1. Treatment fees
Fraudulent scheme
Information is posted on the Internet about a seriously ill child who urgently needs expensive treatment, medication, equipment or something else. The ad contains photographs and even medical documents, but often the images are unclear and the medical history is incomplete. And, of course, the card number to which you need to transfer money.Children, unfortunately, really suffer from serious illnesses, including cancer, and their relatives raise funds for treatment. By the beginning of 2018, 25,000 children were registered in medical institutions. Therefore, the authors of advertisements on the Internet may indeed be desperate parents.
But there is a good chance that behind such posts are scammers who simply stole other people’s photographs and scans of documents, perhaps changed the data in graphic editors and use this for profit. Sometimes they even create clones of charity websites.
How to avoid getting caught
Check information: ask for a complete package of documents and reports on funds received and spent, run pictures and scans through a photo search on Google. You can find out the number of the hospital where the person is being treated and call them to check if they really have such a patient. If the collection is carried out on behalf of a charitable foundation, it is worth finding official contacts and clarifying whether the organization really has anything to do with it.2. False buyer
Fraudulent scheme
You display goods on Avito, Yula or other online platforms for selling used items. A potential buyer calls you and asks a couple of questions. Sometimes even at this stage you can suspect something is wrong: the questions are very superficial and reveal that the interlocutor does not understand at all what he wants to buy. Then the “buyer” begins to lament that he lives far away or is currently away. And he offers to send a courier or taxi driver, and transfer the payment to the card.Then for some reason he needs not only your card number, but also the date of issue, the owner’s first and last name and, most importantly, the three-digit CVC code. The explanations are usually quite vague: supposedly the funds are transferred from the organization’s account, there is a more complex procedure, and so on. This data may already be enough to leave you without money, but sometimes scammers also ask you to tell them the code from the SMS.
Often all this happens in a hurry and nervousness, because an irritated taxi driver or courier is already standing nearby. Once they have the code, scammers can use your card to pay for purchases or transfer money to another account.
How to avoid getting caught
Do not tell anyone the CVC, much less the code from SMS; for the transfer you only need a 16- or 18-digit number. If you fall for the scammers’ bait and tell them all your data, urgently call the bank and block the card.3. Pedestrian hit
Fraudulent scheme
The victim backs up or drives slowly through yards. Suddenly someone falls to the ground screaming in front of the car. The driver jumps out of the car in horror and sees a crumpled man who declares that he was hit and that he is going to contact the police.
Very conveniently, there is a “random” witness nearby who, of course, filmed everything on video and agrees to help the victim. They demand money from the driver for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, he agrees, because otherwise he will at least be deprived of his license and required to pay a fine.
How to avoid getting caught
First, install a video recorder, which will show that you did not violate traffic rules, and the pedestrian threw himself under the wheels.There is no registrar, but are you sure you are not at fault? Insist on calling the police yourself: the scammers will retreat after that. If possible, look for witnesses and ask for surveillance camera footage from security guards, sellers, management company employees - depending on where the incident occurred.
4. Bottle under the bumper
Fraudulent scheme
This trick is used to lure a person out of a car. Fraudsters quietly place an empty plastic five-liter bottle under the front bumper. The driver hears crunching and grinding noises, gets out of the car, looks under the bumper. Meanwhile, money and valuables are taken out of the cabin.There are many such tricks: they can puncture a tire, throw a bag of kefir on the windshield. And all with one goal: for the driver to come out to see what’s going on and leave the door unlocked.
How to avoid getting caught
Always lock your car doors, even if you think you're only going out for a second.5. Costumed gas workers, housing office workers and other specialists
Fraudulent scheme
Scammers go door to door, posing as insurers, gas service employees, management companies, and so on. They check stoves, pipes and communications, always find a breakdown and offer to install expensive equipment, for example, meters or a gas analyzer, which will react to a leak and help avoid fire and explosion.Fraudsters can put pressure, manipulate, and intimidate . For example, they claim that without a special device, a gas leak may occur in the near future, which threatens an explosion and collapse - as during the tragedy in Magnitogorsk.
If residents nevertheless agree to install the device, it later turns out that it is completely useless. And this, one might say, is another positive outcome of a meeting with such swindlers. In some cases, the case may end in an apartment robbery.
How to avoid getting caught
Do not open the door until you find out which organization they came to you from and the name of the visitors. Then call the management company or gas service and find out whether such employees have been sent to your house.6. A friend in need
Fraudulent scheme
A post appears on a friend’s page on a social network about his grief. A close relative dies, someone gets into an accident, someone is arrested. I urgently need help, transfer money, here is the card number. Sometimes even photos of medical documents are attached to the post.Mailing to friends begins. Anyone who responded to a request for help and sent some amount soon finds out that they helped scammers make money: the page was hacked, and images of documents were stolen from other sources and changed in graphic editors.
There is another, more dramatic version of the same divorce. Fraudsters call or write to the victim, saying that her loved one is in trouble and in order to help him out, she needs to transfer money. The options can be different: caught on drugs, hit a person, killed someone, got into a fight. Now he is detained and cannot speak for himself. The most advanced adventurers call as if from the personal phone number of the “culprit” - using programs that replace numbers.
How to avoid getting caught
Check the information carefully, ask questions the answers to which only the real owner of the page can know. Contact someone you know or their loved ones by phone, email, or other social network.7. Chickens of the city N.
Fraudulent scheme
A stranger writes to a girl on a social network, introducing himself as the administrator of the group “Chickens of the city of such and such”, “Whores of the city of such and such” and similar dubious communities. She says that a post about her was included in the suggested community news. Its author claims that she is not too picky about sexual relations and is generally a woman with reduced social responsibility. To be sure, the scammer shows a screenshot of the same news: there is a photo of a girl and a couple of unflattering epithets.Then the scammer offers to delete the post - for a fee, of course. The victim, although he knows that this is a lie, is afraid for his reputation and transfers money.
How to avoid getting caught
Alas, there is no way, except maybe not using social networks. But if they are trying to blackmail you in this way, the best strategy would be to write a complaint to technical support and block the scammers. Or threaten them with a police report for slander and insults.8. Blocked card
Fraudulent scheme
You receive a message that the card is blocked. To unblock it, you need to call the phone number specified in the SMS.Further events can develop differently. For example, the call will be paid and money will be debited from you. Or you will end up with a “bank employee” who will try to extract full information about the card from you, including CVC and confirmation code from SMS. And then, you know, the score can noticeably drop.
By the way, such messages and calls do not always come from unfamiliar numbers. Sometimes scammers use programs that imitate real bank numbers.
How to avoid getting caught
When you receive a message or call, take your time to follow the instructions. Call the phone number on the back of your card and tell the staff what happened. In addition, no real bank employee will ask you for a code from an SMS.9. Tea shenanigans
Fraudulent scheme
On the street, promoters approach the victim and persistently invite him to a free tea tasting. After the treat, they offer to buy the product at a big discount: “Only today, only now, only for you, you are such a nice customer.” Moreover, the amounts are not cheap - about 2,000 rubles per pack of tea.When people refuse, they are asked to pay at least a little for the tasting. They press for pity: supposedly the manager is fined if the client does not buy anything. During tea drinking, manipulative techniques are used: they chatter in patter, touch the person, and often call him by name. And in this way - through blackmail, threats, requests and complaints - they still lure money out of the victim.
Beauty salons use a similar scheme. They invite people to supposedly free cosmetic procedures and, using psychological influence, force them to buy a whole suitcase of “unique” and “very effective” cosmetics worth a month’s salary. Often on credit.
How to avoid getting caught
Perhaps there is only one piece of advice here. Do not go for any procedures to unfamiliar salons and categorically refuse offers from street barkers. Because if you are nevertheless lured into some kind of promotion or tasting, it will be quite difficult to leave with a full wallet: scammers are well versed in various manipulation techniques. Before you know it, you'll be giving them your money.10. Money or fine
Fraudulent scheme
The fraudster finds a car that is parked in violation of traffic rules. He places a note under the windshield wiper demanding that he transfer money, for example 500 rubles, to a Qiwi wallet. He threatens that if the car owner does not do this, then photographic evidence of the violation will be sent to the traffic police and then he will have to pay a fine of up to 5,000 rubles.How to avoid getting caught
First, park according to the rules. Secondly, throw away the leaflet with the threat: even if you pay the scammers, nothing stops them from fulfilling their promise and sending the pictures. You should accept in advance that you may be fined for parking incorrectly.How to resist the tricks of charlatans
All fraudulent schemes are always based on speculation on our own fears and vices. Scammers first increase tension, cause feelings of anxiety or greed, and excessive excitement appears. In this state, a person feels the need to take actions in order to get what he wants as quickly as possible.And here the scammer seems to offer help, acts as a savior, a support in a critical situation. A person is told what needs to be done to save himself from problems with the law, big waste, or, conversely, to make a profit. Our threshold of criticality decreases, sympathy and unconscious trust in the interlocutor arises.
What fears do scammers most often exploit?
- Fear of saying “no” and, as a result, seeming rude, ill-mannered, insensitive.
- Fear of making a decision. By doing this on our own, we become vulnerable: we are not always sure that we are right, we are not always ready to bear responsibility for the consequences. Scammers offer a ready-made solution.
- Fear of losing freedom, money or familiar comfort.
- Fear of losing loved ones.
- Fear of missing out on opportunities to improve your life.
What should I do?
- Maintain physical and emotional distance from adventurers.
Critically evaluate each intervention and ask yourself the questions: “Why am I going to take this action?”, “What will they gain if I do this?” - Behave contrary to expected reactions. Take the initiative away from the scammers and start directing this performance yourself. For example, the one who set up a traffic incident expects you to be indignant, upset, argue or cry. Instead, sing a song, dance, play dumb - don't be afraid to seem weird. The more unusual your behavior is, the faster you will disarm the scammers.
- Ask questions that don't fit into the script to divert the deceiver's attention to another topic and break the usual pattern. For example, if they are trying to find out your card details and you cannot interrupt the contact (leave, hang up), you can say something like: “Listen, what cool sneakers you have! Where did you get it? Let me try it on, we seem to be the same size. Well, what do you feel sorry for?” And then ask the most ridiculous questions until you discourage your “well-wisher”.
(с) https://lifehacker.ru/moshennicheskie-sxemy/
