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The stereotype of which people are susceptible to scams and frauds often is wrong.
People who never expected to be victims of scams and frauds often are scammed and really are among the most vulnerable.
The stereotype is that older people with reduced cognitive abilities are the most likely to be scammed. But many other people are vulnerable, and those who don’t fit the stereotype need to stay alert for potential scams.
Self-confidence is one factor that causes people to fall for scams. People of any age who believe they are too smart or well-informed to be tricked are very likely to become victims, especially today when technology is used in many scams.
Well-educated people with their cognitive abilities intact frequently are victims of scams, partly because they were confident they didn’t fit the profile of fraud victims and couldn’t fall for one. That made them less careful.
To avoid being scammed, it’s important to recognize that your personal information probably has been hacked at least once and is available for sale to crooks on the “dark web.” Crooks establish authenticity and authority with their targets by repeating the personal information they obtained.
Realizing that a lot of your personal information is available for sale should help you avoid giving credence to crooks. You’ll be less likely to think, “If he knows that about me, he must be legitimate.”
Most scams depend on a psychological technique…
