HOW SCAMS OCCUR
Scams are no longer simply awkward emails from distant princes asking for your bank details. They are now highly sophisticated operations run by individuals and organized groups who leverage technology, psychology and timing to exploit their victims. To protect yourself and others, it’s crucial to understand how scams occur — how they start, how they manipulate and how they succeed.
THE SETUP: TARGETING THE VICTIM
Criminals often begin by identifying potential targets. This can happen in various ways:
- Random targeting: Mass emails, robocalls and text messages are sent out in bulk, hoping someone will bite.
- Selective targeting: Criminals use data breaches, social media or public records to zero in on specific individuals who are the most likely to respond, such as the elderly, job seekers or those looking to invest.
- Phishing and social engineering: Criminals may gather information from public profiles to personalize the scam, increasing its credibility.
During this phase, criminals’ goals are to establish contact and build a foundation for manipulation.
BUILDING TRUST
Once the initial contact is made, criminals use psychological techniques to weaken their potential victim’s defenses.
- Emotional pleas: Romance scams generate a sense of affection and companionship. Charity scams tug on your heartstrings. Investment scams excite you with visions of wealth.
- Fear and urgency: Threatening calls from “government officials,” fake tech support people claiming your computer is infected, or bogus messages from your bank demanding immediate action are designed to quickly induce fear and panic.
- Authority impersonation: To gain credibility, many criminals pose as trusted individuals, such as public figures, employers, friends or relatives.
The goal is always to exploit basic human emotional responses: trust, fear, greed and love.
THE HOOK: ASKING FOR SOMETHING
Once criminals have built enough trust or fear, they make a request. This is the critical point where the scam turns into theft.
- Money: Traditional money transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards or donations.
- Information: Personal details, passwords, bank account numbers or Social Security numbers.
- Access: Granting remote access to your computer, installing malicious apps or clicking on infected links.
The initial “ask” is often small, just enough to test the waters before scaling up to larger requests.
THE EXIT: VANISHING ACT
Once criminals get what they want, they disappear:
- Phone numbers go dead.
- Email addresses bounce back.
- Websites vanish or become inactive.
- Social media profiles are deleted or blocked.
Often, victims don’t even realize they’ve been scammed until much later — when a package never arrives, money is gone or identity theft surfaces.
REPETITION OR RETARGETING
Some criminals don’t stop after one incident. They may:
- Re-target the same victim, pretending to be someone else (e.g., offering “recovery” services for the initial scam).
- Sell victims’ information on the dark web, leading to more scams down the line.
- Use successful scams as templates, refining their tactics and updating them for different platforms or regions.
COMMON CHANNELS USED BY CRIMINALS
- Phone calls (vishing)
- Text messages (smishing)
- Emails (phishing)
- Social media messages
- Fake websites or pop-ups
- Online marketplaces or dating apps
No matter the medium, the method remains the same: contact, build trust or fear, extract value and disappear.
Scams happen because they work. They exploit our human vulnerabilities. Knowledge continues to be your best defense. By understanding the methods criminals use, you can identify the red flags, better resist manipulation and help stop the cycle of scams.
To learn about other scams, and ways to protect yourself, visit https://netcreditunion.com/no-more-fraud/.
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