Why do people fall into the traps of phone scams?

[Tomcat]

Surely each of you has heard about cases of fraud using a mobile phone. This type of fraud has become quite popular among swindlers. According to statistics, about a thousand people become victims of telephone scams every year. The most interesting thing is that information about the victims of deception is given everywhere, people are notified through various media that they need to be careful and not fall into the trap of scammers, there are whole lists of tips and tricks, but people still give their money to dishonest hands, and some - and more than once. So why is this happening? How can fraudsters, undoubtedly, people with knowledge in the psychological field and not only mislead and make money on the stupidity or inattention of other people?

In order to answer these questions, we considered the possible options for fraud using cellular communication, and divided the cases of fraud into several groups, the basis for the division was the motive of the person who is being led to deceive the swindlers.

First group is a group of frauds in which people are deceived because their terminal values are affected. This is all that is important to us, for which we are ready to donate money without unnecessary questions (a key moment!), Namely: the health and life of our loved ones, especially children, family ties, a sense of duty and decency , a sense of justice, a desire to justify trust ... This includes schemes "your relative / child is in trouble", a scheme for transferring money to your phone with a subsequent request to return (where, after you transfer money to another subscriber, this amount is also debited from you, since the subscriber wrote an application for a refund). Here we can also include cases when a distant relative calls, notifies of his arrival, and on the way to you he gets into trouble (often traffic police requiring money), the subscriber's request to put money on the phone, since he has big problems, well, and other similar situations. In these cases, fraudsters are well aware that you will not ask unnecessary questions, because often you (especially if you have someone to worry about) are in the emotion of fear, which reduces the criticality of thinking, or it is inconvenient for you to ask a relative that you are already should be known as "a respectable cousin / second cousin / fourth cousin / sister / uncle / aunt." At the same time, scammers use generalized speech, set the installation of HOW you should behave in this situation, and, of course, the principle of lack of time is used, which is necessary for the scheme to work. Here, too, everything is as clear as possible, in a situation of lack of time we cease to rationally weigh decisions,

The next group is a group of frauds, which, in contrast to the first group, relies on our darkest sides and desires, namely on such qualities as greed, greed, love for "free cheese", stupidity, the desire to know the taste of the forbidden fruit. This group includes such schemes as winning a car with a small% left to pay, state duty, etc., drawing prizes with money transfer or activating a payment card, etc.

In this case, our desire and hope for a favorable outcome sometimes does not allow the warning information to reach our consciousness, we do not listen to the arguments of relatives or friends, if they find out about it, we rush to get such a sudden , but such a pleasant gift as soon as possible. Here, attackers also use the principle of scarcity (usually within one day), the principle of consistency, when every action taken at their request is safe, logical and not posing a threat (answer a question, confirm the opponent that it is really you , call phone number, enter a code, or a combination of numbers, etc.). Also, scammers set the frame that as if the prize is already yours, all the formalities have to be completed and you are the happy owner of a valuable prize.

Most of the victims do not go to the police due to the insignificant damage (500 rubles instead of 10-30 rubles), the scammers remain unpunished and continue to deceive citizens. The offer to provide this service is fraudulent, since it can only be provided by mobile operators and in the manner prescribed by law. And the understanding that unauthorized persons will become aware of your "espionage" desires does not increase the number of people who have turned to the police for investigation.

And the third group, which we singled out separately, is a group of frauds based on our basic need and instinct, namely, the desire for security. This includes schemes in which, as if your bank card is blocked, either in order to prevent blocking, you need to dial a special code, or call the number and dictate the card number and pin code, etc. Here our fear of losing our hard-earned money, our ignorance, our faith in authoritative sources and often our unwillingness to carefully understand the situation, because there are people who will do it for us, are taken into circulation. These schemes are based on people's anxiety for the safety of their own funds, since in this state people become more controllable.

So, what leverage do the fraudsters use? The principle of lack of time, the principle of contrast (a car costs 700,000 rubles, and you need to pay only 30,000 rubles to pay the state duty in order to receive it), the principle of consistency (a series of logical actions, where each next one brings the fraudster more and more closer to receiving your hard-earned money from You voluntarily), the principle of authority and reference links (the name of a well-known bank when reporting that the card is blocked), scammers also use the ignorance and low knowledge of some segments of the population in various issues, for example, the knowledge of older people in the field of banking services. It is also necessary to understand that scammers themselves most often have some knowledge in the field of psychology, perhaps in the field of neurolinguistic programming, they know about the principles of calibration, adjustments and maintenance and skillfully use them. It is possible that they have some kind of database, which allows them to get into the "target" audience more accurately and precisely. Although statistics are triggered in the absence of databases, some% of people will still respond and give money.

Understanding all this, we become more secure, since we now have information about what they can use to control and manipulate us, what attackers have tools for this, and where an unpleasant surprise might await us.

Therefore, dear friends, be attentive, double-check the information using new sources, track changes in your emotional state and, if necessary, contact your loved ones for help or advice.

You will succeed!