Why do people succumb to these scams? What do the scams have in common?
When the caller says they are from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, law enforcement, or the court system – any entity we perceive as an agency of authority – we pay attention.
What power do we believe them to hold? They can cart us off in handcuffs, audit our taxes until we’re 125 years old, block our Social Security number and/or Medicare number, and embarrass us in the community. There is that moment that all this runs through our mind, and we can fall for the scam that is unfolding.
The caller says they are your loved one or they are representing your loved one. Your loved one is in trouble or is ill. What goes through your mind? What power does this caller have? They may have threatened our loved one or they may hold the key to where our loved one is or any number of horrible stories our minds can conjure.
These types of calls strike fear in our hearts. Our brain glitches for a moment. Our breathing quickens. We get that “deer in the headlights” look. We start to think about our tax returns, our accountants, our benefits, our civic responsibilities. What did we miss? Where is our child / grandchild / spouse? Our thoughts are in overdrive. These are natural fear responses.
The person on your social media page is EVERYTHING you’ve ever dreamed of. That person is your happy ever after, the one who will be the yin to your yang, the soul mate you’ve always known was out there. The only problem is – they aren’t real. You won’t believe that, at least not for a while. They hold the power of your happiness. They are all you ever hoped for. They’ve promised you love and security. You know it’s love. But, it’s not. It’s a scam.
One author notes that there are two possible responses to power – submission and revolt. Respect for authority (or submission) is deeply rooted in many people. Scammers count on submission. Scammers count on those people who won’t question them when they are TOLD to buy gift cards and provide numbers, or offer their Social Security number or Medicare number. These are the folks that scammers can manipulate into giving up personal information or money.
Think about it. The common element among scams is emotion. Scammers prey on our emotions. They prey on our response to power or authority. They prey on our response to fear. They prey on our ties to our family. They prey on our need for love. When you answer that call or reply to an email, they create that emotional storm for you.
Don’t respond. Stop. Take time to think this through logically. Don’t act rashly or quickly. It’s the scammer’s job to rev you up so you don’t think logically. Don’t help them do their job.
