People are very trusting by nature. At least, most of them. Moreover, it is common for a decent person to believe that since he himself is like this, then all other people are like this too. By subtly playing on human emotions, unscrupulous individuals can easily make money at their expense. We will look at the main tricks of scammers and give recommendations on how to avoid falling for their traps. WHERE THE FRAUDERS ARE Today, a person’s personal space has narrowed. High-speed mobile Internet has done its job, and people have become accessible - for calls, messages, contextual advertising. The tricks of scammers today are related to the digital world, in which many older people take their first steps and most often become victims of scammers. Direct telephone calls Despite the fact that today, according to etiquette, calls to a personal number without warning are considered an invasion of personal space, and many people do not take phone, when they receive calls to their personal number from unknown numbers, the scammer may call you. It doesn't matter how the person got your number. They call you and, using techniques to lull your vigilance, having passed through the barriers of trust, they offer you something. It is not always the case that an invitation to come to a “free medical procedure” at a medical center occurs through a phone call. Where they will start selling you cosmetic products and asking for the contacts of your friends. Often a direct phone call is associated with the threat of a major fraud, and most often it is associated with your bank card or a fraudulent extortion of money by transferring funds to solve a problem with your relative, most often a child. Messages Today this is not as popular as it used to be, but messages with requests for help, most often involving an urgent transfer of money, allegedly sent by a teenage child from an unfamiliar number, continue to remain popular. What parent's heart won't tremble and send the required amount of money to the number? Free services In today's world, there is little left that is free, except for obvious charity or interest clubs, where you still need to pay membership fees, albeit small ones. Any free service, meeting, presentation is intended to sell you something. A free webinar, live broadcast, or broadcast is intended to sell you a paid course. The purpose of the presentation is to sell you a specific product. A free test aims to either intrigue you and force you to buy access to the result, or again, based on the test results, sell you a course or service. Does the specialist write articles and record videos posted in the public domain? In this way, he either promotes his project, or his personal brand, or his services, or the resources where he so abundantly posts free materials are set for monetization, which directly depends on the number of readings and views. There is nothing wrong with this pattern itself, you just need to understand it. If you came to a free service where you were invited by phone call, then hang in there! Your barrier has already been broken twice, and the manipulation attack will continue in full force. But, in fact, it’s hard to call it fraud. After all, you are offered a real product or a real service for your money. What quality is the second question. Real scammers simply lure money out of you without offering anything in return. BASIC TECHNIQUES AND METHODS OF FRAUDERS Excessive friendliness and “positivity” In our culture, routine smiles and a deliberately friendly tone are not considered a sign of friendliness. We understand that there are sincere smiles, and there is simply politeness, which usually manifests itself calmly, and excited cheerfulness is not always appropriate and in some cases even resembles aggression. However, this is exactly the tone scammers use. They are emphatically positive, very active in this positive, and quite assertive. High speed of communication They speak quickly, give out a lot of information per unit of time. With the flow of their speech they try to capture all your attention. If the communication is face-to-face,they closely follow your gaze and do not allow it to move away from what they obsessively want to show you. They draw your attention to various factors quite harshly, leaving no pause. This presentation of information, combined with the speed of speech, suggests in itself. The pressure in presenting information aims to undermine the criticality of your assessment, to remove information from the field of your analysis, because your task becomes to keep up with the progress of the presentation of information, and there is simply no time left for analysis. If something is presented to you at a too dynamic pace, interrupt communication. Between fear and delight Fraudsters try to push emotions. They provoke, trying not to leave anyone indifferent. They play on different buttons. When they call you, call you by your first name and patronymic and say that your bank card is blocked (and you have all the money on it), this will cause alarm. When a middle-aged woman, first pointedly showing her the flaws of her face, is then enthusiastically told that a set of magical cosmetics will solve everything, it causes a mixture of pain and hope. When a person struggling to make ends meet is first emphatically sympathized with and then enthusiastically told that by making a small investment in the Bananico company he will earn millions and become rich, this also gives piercing hope. And hope, you know... is very tenacious. People in desperate financial straits are ready to grasp at straws, and in this case the real “money scam” begins. Say “yes” three times. This is already a bearded manipulative technique. But it works if a person does not know about it. Moreover, they ask obvious things: “Agree that women feel more confident when they look good,” “Agree that being rich is very pleasant,” “Agree that beauty and health require investment.” These “Agree” words can be different; most likely, they are on an abstract topic. But after that, in automatic mode, you can say “yes” even where it is not very profitable for you. They promise an easy solution to problems. You haven’t been able to sell something for a long time, but they are already buying everything from you, and are not even bargaining, and right now We are ready to transfer money to you, give us your card number. Most often they play on fatigue from a long solution to the issue, on greed and guilt. Don't you need money? Don't you want to be rich? The person in front of you tried for so long, told and showed, but why don’t you buy anything? Only today, only with us Fraudsters strictly limit time. To your answer: “I’ll think about it,” they can insert a transverse one: “Let’s think about it together.” When they try to leave the presentation, they will say: “Well, aren’t you taking advantage of your chance to become young and beautiful (successful and rich)?” They promote you the idea that only what they offer, most often “only today, only with us”, or “7 hours left until the end of the promotion, hurry up to take advantage of favorable conditions”, is the only solution to your problem. Just for fun, try slamming a site like this with a promotion about “7 o’clock.” And open it, say, in a week. And you will again see a call to urgently spend your money, because “there are 7 hours left until the end of the promotion.” Substitution of concepts This is a classic manipulation, which in the science of logic is called “sophistry.” Often used in propaganda, both political and commercial. This is a technique in which an equal sign is placed between obviously unequal things, the incomparable is compared. The manipulator will present you with his installation. In an uncomfortable situation, he takes you away from it with the help of a convenient one, similar in meaning, but leading the reasoning in the other direction, often with a distortion of the meaning. For example, “being a man” is associated with the actions “drinking beer,” “loving fishing,” or “being a fan.” football." Are you not a man, don’t drink beer, don’t you like football? Under this connection, tons of drinks that are not the healthiest, containing phytoestrogens, and therefore not useful specifically for men, are sold to the stronger sex. Where to spend leisure time is a personal matter for everyone, but it would be good if it were not an imposed desire. Another such example would bebe the crab sticks everyone knows. Everyone knows that there are no crabs there, there is crushed pressed pollock pulp, food coloring, salt and monosodium glutamate. Nevertheless, many people buy them, although on the same counter a couple of steps away lies frozen pollock. HOW TO RESIST FRAUDERS The Majesty of Logic I don’t know how it is now, but at one time the subject “logic” was included in the university course. In physics and mathematics school, we were also taught to think logically, compare and connect one thing to another, using appropriate speech patterns for this. When you encounter a data discrepancy, in this place there is either something you don’t know about yet, or an error, or a lie. If the instructions for a bank card say that you cannot tell anyone the CVV code on the back side, and especially not tell anyone the code from an SMS (it always comes with just such a warning!), then the one who asks you for it wants to steal money from your card. Whatever he tells you, he is deceiving you. When transferring money to a card, you need either a card number or bank account details. Interest in any other details should alert you. I have nothing against luxury cosmetics. However, I understand that a woman with an income level at which she can afford a set of cosmetics at a price of about one hundred thousand rubles will not go for free cosmetic procedures to unfamiliar “cosmetologists.” She has her own cosmetologist, and she values ​​her time. To carry out fair sales of luxury cosmetics to this target segment, other advertising channels are needed. And teachers, Pyaterochka saleswomen, pensioners, and cleaners go for free procedures. For them, a set of luxury cosmetics at this price means six months of their work, despite the fact that they will not eat during this entire time. Inviting them for free procedures and, by hook or by crook, making such a purchase for them on credit is pure fraud. As for investments, take an interest in this topic to prevent misunderstandings. You will learn that investment returns are in direct proportion to risks. The safest investments are bank deposits and real estate purchases. The profitability of these assets is low (real estate can quickly increase in price, but this is not necessary; there may also be long-term stagnation in prices). And you need to be able to manage investment portfolios with high risks. You have to learn this. If you are promised to double or triple your invested money in three or four months, there is another financial pyramid somewhere nearby. A little slower, horses, a little slower. Slow down the pace. Take a time out. “I’ll think about it” are the magic words. Business coach Alexander Friedman gives universal advice: “If you are not given even 15 minutes to make a decision, say “no” - you will be happier.” This applies to everything. If they are in a hurry, answer: “No.” Check the information Is this true? If this is the first time you've heard about something, find out what they're talking about from other sources. From independent sources. Those who don’t rush you into a decision and don’t know anything about you at all (we’re talking about media resources). Ask those who are knowledgeable but won't sell you anything. There are forums on the Internet with reviews. If you get a call “from the bank” from an unfamiliar number, say that you have a bad connection, end the conversation and call the bank back, there is a contact number on your card, call the operator, find out how things are going. Go to the bank app on your phone and transfer a small amount to your mobile phone. Is everything okay? Install caller ID on your phones, enter the phone numbers of callers into a search engine, and check. This is additional security. Are the magical cosmetics or dietary supplements that are offered to you exclusive? Go to popular online stores and you will find much cheaper alternatives with the same composition. Alternative solution If you are offered something as the only possible solution to a problem, do not accept it. At least don't do it right away. This is the only way for the interested party to quickly solve their problem, not yours,/