Today we’re diving into the psychology of scams. Specifically, we want to examine one thing scammers depend on when trying to get your money: authority.

Trust me, I’m in charge (not!)

Scammers often pose as people in authority, like a member of the government, foreign consulate or your financial institution. Doing so takes advantage of our trained respect for authority figures and our natural inclination not to rock the boat. But there is a way to disrupt their game!

Slow down

The best defense you have against scammers is time. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They know their story doesn’t hold up, but if they can get you to move fast, they can cause you to make critical mistakes that gives them the information or access they want.

So what do you do if someone calls you and tells you your worst financial fear is happening right now? Hang up. Disrupt the game. Give yourself a chance to think things through (exactly what the scammers don’t want you to do).

While you don’t owe a scammer politeness, it’s easy enough to say you’re having connection issues or that someone is at the door. Get off the phone. And then we come to the next part of our game plan.

Verify, verify, verify!

Scammers rely on ascribed authority to scare you into submission. Here’s where we put that authority to the test. If your scammer says they’re from your financial institution, then let’s find out. Hang up, call the real number on the back of your debit card and ask to be connected to someone in the Fraud department. If the call really was from a credit union employee, they won’t mind that you’re being extra cautious.

Verifying the information yourself can help break the perceived authority of the scammers. Remember, a legitimate caller will not mind you doing your due diligence. A scammer will try to dissuade you from checking, or they could be sneaky and give you a fake number or website that they control.

Get a gut-check

Scammers rely on fear and secrecy to get you to comply. Sometimes, telling someone you trust about the situation can break the spell and help you see how far-fetched the story actually is.

Game plan summary

In conclusion, you can take control and disrupt the scammer’s game:

1. Don’t rush to comply with what you’re told. Take time to think!
2. Challenge the authority by verifying information for yourself.
3. Talk things through with someone you trust.

We don’t want anyone to be the victim of these scammers. If you think you’ve been targeted, call us immediately at 888.723.7328. We’re here to help!