7 most common ways to take money from you

[Tomcat]

Fraud appeared long before the emergence of money - back in the days of natural exchange. Some schemes are so well thought out that they have been working for several decades and even millennia, still allowing scammers to profit from human stupidity or naivety. To prevent you from falling for these old tricks, we will describe the most popular ones.

1. Spanish prisoner​

The scam supposedly originated in Spain and is connected to a romantic story. In short: a noble lord received a message saying that kidnappers had captured a beautiful noblewoman, and if he paid a ransom, the girl would agree to marry him. The offer was more than tempting, and for a rich man the ransom amount seemed insignificant compared to the benefits being acquired. He paid but received nothing in return.
The idea of the scam is that a person is promised a win for a small reward, which looks much more substantial than his expenses. In this case, the victim loses his vigilance (especially against the backdrop of romantic feelings) and is ready to pay any amount for potential gain.
This is used, for example, on dating sites, where a beautiful young girl meets an ordinary man, gains his trust, and then asks for money for a ticket to his city, to cover a debt, or anything else. In return, she promises a hot meeting, a strong family or other romantic feelings. A payment of 20–30 thousand rubles seems to a lover to be a small amount for which he can “buy” the feelings of his lady love, and he calmly parted with the money. As a result, the girl evaporates immediately after receiving the money.

2. Ponzi scheme​

This is a classic pyramid, named after its inventor, Charles Ponzi. The essence of this scheme, created in the 20s of the last century, is that the organizer motivates people to invest in a financial pyramid, promising multiple profits. Investors contribute, for example, one hundred rubles, and soon receive two hundred. In this case, the organizer incurs only small costs.
Then where does the money for payments come from? First, the organizer incurs losses by paying money out of his own pocket. Then the money comes from the deposits of new participants who come to the pyramid on the recommendation of those investors who were paid by the organizer. Invitation of new investors is also encouraged, for which existing ones receive additional bonuses. As a result, payments are possible only at the expense of newcomers, and when their flow dries up, the pyramid collapses.
This scheme is still practiced today, and there are no winners except the organizer and his inner circle. The last investors to join the financial pyramid suffer the most.

3. "Nigerian Letters"​

This scheme has become so memetic that it is often played out in popular culture. It consists of putting pressure on people’s greed, promising them significant profits for seemingly completely dust-free work.
The point is this. The victim receives an email from a supposedly wealthy crown prince, billionaire, or government official of an African country, usually Nigeria, which is how the scheme gets its name. In it, the author complains about the unstable situation in the country and says that due to the actions of the authorities, rebels or competitors, he is in prison. The scammer asks to pay a “bribe” to the police, and when he is released from prison, he promises to immediately transfer a huge amount to the victim’s account.
Another scheme is a letter from a bank employee. It states that the victim's namesake recently died in another country and that he had no heirs. But the employee can make sure that all the millionaire’s money goes to the victim with the same last name, and he gets 10% of the amount. To implement the plan, the employee asks for a small amount of bribes in order to conceal these actions.
There are a lot of “Nigerian letter” schemes, but all of them, as a rule, are based on a feeling of pity and thirst for profit. There are similar schemes in Russia, where they have been adapted to our realities. Thus, a scammer can pretend to be a lawyer for a distant deceased relative who left an inheritance to his dear nephew, and all he has to do is pay the specialist fees and fees to transfer the money.

4. Fraud on the highway​

This scam has recently become popular in Russia. The scheme is simple: scammers (usually working in pairs) stand by the road, at a public transport stop, at a train station or in other crowded places and ask for money for the “return trip”. Stories vary, but most often those “in need of help” say that their car was stolen, their bag containing their wallet, phone and tickets was stolen, or that their home burned down and they want to go to relatives, but they do not have enough money for a ticket .
At the same time, scammers try to evoke sympathy among victims using various psychological techniques, for example, pressing for pity, saying kind words and promising that they will be rewarded many times over for their help. The scammers also promise a reward with interest upon returning home.
Seeing that a person is in a difficult situation, and hearing that no one wants to help him, and also trying to clear karma, people give money. In Russia, this scheme is actively practiced at public transport stops and in the metro.

5. Short sales cycle​

Even reputable companies with a good reputation can pull off such a scam. The essence of the scheme is that the buyer of a product or service is offered to sign an agreement as quickly as possible, preferably right now, so as not to miss out on a profitable offer. The benefit could be a significant discount, cashback, additional gifts or premium conditions for the regular fee.
The victim, who is not given time to think, agrees to the terms for fear of missing out. Unlike most types of fraud, here a person actually purchases a product or service, but does so with a large overpayment. This method of fraud does not allow the victim to consider the offer, as well as study competitors.
The same scheme is practiced by network managers who offer vacuum cleaners, sets of dishes and other goods supposedly from the manufacturer at an exclusive price. In fact, they sell victims ordinary goods or cheap counterfeits at ten or more times their real value.
This type of fraud is dangerous because the victim voluntarily agrees to the transaction and secures it in an agreement. Attempts to challenge it are futile, since contracts usually include a disclaimer of liability and familiarization of the client with the terms.

6. Charity scam​

Fraudsters usually operate on the street, pretending to be employees of a well-known charitable organization, and ask for donations to treat children, raise funds for a veteran, or other good cause. Moreover, such “employees” may have clothes with the symbols of a charitable foundation, special cases with locks and other attributes that indicate the legality of the organization.
In this scheme, swindlers put pressure on people’s pity and sometimes even greed, reproaching them for their lack of sympathy. For greater effect, seeing that the victim is ready to contribute a small amount, the scammer can begin to put pressure on his pride, highlight his positive aspects and, importantly, his generosity. After this, the victim can no longer get away with a couple of coins and is ready to shell out a few bills to maintain the image of a philanthropist.

7. Phishing​

The essence of the method is to obtain confidential user data by sending fake emails or creating copies of public pages and websites.
Most often, scammers fake government websites and send out newsletters about payments due to the victim. She, seeing that the letter supposedly came from a government service, follows the link, enters her data - and it goes into the scammers’ database.
To lure information, scammers usually rely on greed, offering potential benefits without any costs. Sometimes scammers put pressure on fear, for example, by sending a letter from the “tax service” about the debt. Even a simple transition to a fake site can lead to the theft of logins and passwords saved in the browser.

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