Have you ever been scammed or come across scammers?
How do you identify a con artist? How do you avoid being a victim?
In this article we delve in the many ways people have been swindled large sums of cash , by con artists both online and in the real world.
Politicians, lawyer, religious leaders and con men have one thing in common, they use rhetoric which is the art of persuasion in communication. They use techniques such as the logical appeal, emotional appeal and ethical appeal, making them great orators to influence a person's beliefs or actions. They are able to overcome any anticipated counterarguments or any reasonable critic.
Con artists use deception to create a reality for other people to live in. They use manipulation to gain trust in order to exploit victims financially.
Public trust is the confidence that individuals place in institutions , leaders or systems. Trust is built on transparency, accountability and consistent ethical behaviors. When con artists exploit this trust it can lead to a significant consequences, eroding faith in institutions and causing financial or emotional harm to individuals.
Today it is much easier to con people since technology breaches crime. Con artists rely on the human brain assuming that most people are telling the truth which is contrary to the reality.
In the past when Mpesa was just launched many people lost a lot of money and many years that have followed. The con men were traced and mostly found in Kamiti Maximum Prison.
How did they get phones in a prison?
A former con artist , tells Citizen Tv ( video on YouTube, confessions of a con man) how this is achieved.
“ The prisoners, put the phone in a condom and since it's lubricated , they would push it in the anus. A technique called ‘kusunda’, making it hard for police to track them”.
Frank Abagnale , a former con artist and security consultant who gained notoriety of his criminal activities in the 1960s. His life story was depicted in the film “Catch Me If You Can ”, starring Leonard DiCaprio claims that all con artists have two common red flags . One , they have an urgent need for money and secondly they will ask their victims about their personal information. Personal information may be ones date of birth, social security number,mpesa pin and passwords.
Con artists may come up with sob stories, superficial hopes to double up your money to oblige you into their biding. Skilled manipulators can use social engineering, a phycological technique to gain trust, appealing to a person's desire for connection or desire.
This is common with romance scammers . They usually find their victims on social media apps. They do research on how to lure victims and they have been so prevalent in dating apps and online chats , by making fake compliments to build trust
Secondly, may be overconfident but one should remember that they are not immune to deception, regardless of ones intelligence.
Nowadays, there has been sophistication of spams and scam links. Con artists are constantly evolving their tactics making it challenging for individuals to keep up with the latest schemes.
Technological vulnerabilities make it easy for cybercriminals to find new ways to exploit vulnerabilities as technology advances.
Lastly desperation or financial strain which can lead to greed by the victim. That urgency for money can cloud ones judgement and one being prone to manipulation.
That being sad here are some ways to avoid being a victim of scammers both online and in the real world.
First, one must stay vigilant and practice good cyber security habits to avoid phishing and spam emails by being cautious.
Verifying the legitimacy of websites is very crucial and using strong and unique passwords. Creating awareness and education about online scams play a significant role in preventing falling victim of these scams.
In conclusion, due your due diligence, ask many questions and your research since knowledge is power.
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