Learn here the different methods that can be used by hackers to trap us and how we can prevent ourselves from those traps. The scammer profession has existed since time immemorial, but the Internet has opened the floodgates to a whole new level of fraud.
The scammer profession has existed since time immemorial, but the Internet has opened the floodgates to a whole new level of fraud. It has allowed fraudsters to attack an infinite number of victims and a range of victims they would never have reached before. And with the wide range of our personal information accessible on the Internet, everything falls more easily into the hands of a crook than before.
In a sense, however, nothing can replace the good old methods of scamming. The success of an online scam, including phishing (the most common of these scams), is largely based on human psychology. More specifically, it all comes down to how the scammer can exploit some of the very things that make us human. And it's something that hasn't changed much for quite some time.
Rather than developing a special code and laboriously overcoming technical defences, "hacking into humans" is generally recognized as the easiest way to steal personal data or money online. Let's take a look at the psychology behind these scams, revealing which errors in judgment and which emotional or cognitive biases can blind our thinking. After all, the more we are aware of our own weaknesses, the more likely we are not to be tricked.
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So close, and yet so far
Despite - or perhaps thanks to - some obvious limitations in terms of physical proximity when talking about the digital world, romantic scammers are able to establish relationships with victims almost at their (ill) will. As in the case of a real online relationship, it will probably not be love at first sight and polishing its “trademark” may take some time. However, once this fictitious romance is finally established, it is quite easy to take the next step - to separate the victims of this seduction from their money.
A number of forces influence or contribute to the vulnerability of a potential victim to this fraud. On the one hand, we are flocking to dating sites in search of a romantic relationship. This can leave us somewhat predisposed to bond with other people and take the good faith of the potential partner for granted. Of course, scammers also prey on social media users, where users find themselves in the first place for social interaction.
The feeling of an interpersonal link (perceived or real) also leads to a certain degree of dependence, as does the need to approve our love interest (whether real or fake). And it is also when our soul mate pulls on our sensitive cords with an urgent request for help to pay the bill for the treatment of their child, which suddenly turns out to be linked to a hospital monitor that our empathy and our sympathy come into play.
Unavoidable
Other projects aim to satisfy certain appetites which are less noble than eternal love, but which inhabit us. We have probably all had the "extraordinary chance" to receive an e-mail promising us to receive a fortune, in exchange for what is generally akin to initial costs which, when you think about it, may seem quite tiny compared to the promised wealth. This message can take a number of forms, including the Nigerian Prince scam and the lottery scam. However, all of these ultimately aim to profit from our desire to enrich ourselves.
If you're like most people, you've probably thought at least once about what these promised astronomical sums would buy you. It can be argued that it is not always easy to think clearly when one has the opportunity to escape once and for all from daily school. This is all the more true when the offer adds other ingredients to the mixture. These key ingredients of cybercriminals are uniqueness (it is you, not your neighbour or your mother-in-law, who received the offer), rarity (the offer is limited) and urgency (the best time to act is yesterday).
And, perhaps just as important, what would happen if, despite all the red flags that make you turn around, the opportunity really did present it? Do you still feel this stubborn feeling?
“A number of forces influence or contribute to the vulnerability of a potential victim to this fraud.”
What further complicates things is that if you succumb, the story doesn't end there for you - and certainly not for the scammer. Instead, you will likely face more and more requests for ever higher additional "processing fees", bribes, etc. You may find it increasingly difficult to resist these pleas, for which you can blame your reluctance to admit a bad decision and give up hope, or a cognitive prejudice known as sunk cost error. Or, as an unlucky player, you will continue to "invest" money to recover your losses. But the house always wins.
Quick quick
The need to "act now to avoid disaster" is a fundamental part of phishing campaigns, which aim to trick us into revealing our credentials, and other scams that push us to install malware. Knowing that by rushing to act immediately, they risk blurring your judgment, fraudsters do everything they can to try to invoke a false sense of urgency.
It is natural that we feel compelled to act quickly: we do not want someone to attack your bank account or your email, which is exactly the purpose of the alert or notification. The feeling of apprehension can be enough to distract us from the warning signs of a problem that otherwise would not escape our attention.
Greet (and bite the bait)
We are above all conditioned to obey the authorities, and it is this respect and this perception of authority that the scammers turn against us in their attacks. In fact, they let the evidence of authority and our adherence to social norms do the heavy lifting for them.
By usurping the identity of the police, tax authorities, or other trusted authority or entity such as a bank, online payment provider, or email service provider, phishers will try to ask us to act under penalty of undesirable and generally terrible consequences. Just like the feeling of immediacy, when we are gripped by fear or panic, our ability to think critically can give way to impulsive actions.
Are we too confident?
While this (excessive) confidence can be useful in many situations, it can also distort our perception of our own strengths and weaknesses, leaving us vulnerable and convinced that "it only happens to others". Ultimately, this can also help explain why some people fall into the trap of phishing campaigns and why they do it repeatedly. Verizon's data breach investigation report recently stated that "the higher the number of phishing emails someone clicked on before, the more likely they are to click on other links to the future.”
The same report also found that 4% of people participating in a phishing campaign bite the hook. It is true that these campaigns have been simulated and that they may vary to the extent that they reflect actual campaigns. But other campaigns will be real, and we must be ready to protect ourselves.
