“Rookie Move”: 55 Times Scammers Messed With The Wrong Person, And Hilarity Ensued (New Pics)

One of the questions you may ask when reading or hearing about scammers at work is probably something like, “How could a person be this cruel and cold-hearted towards another human being?” 

According to Florida expungement lawyer and Miami-Dade County Assistant Public Defender Attorney David Weisselberger, financial desperation is the most common reason.

“Most were under financial pressure, and the scheme became the option they reached for,” Weisselberger tells Bored Panda. “A first attempt sometimes worked, and the shame that should have stopped a second attempt had already faded by the time they tried again. Desperation lowers the bar for what someone is willing to try.”

One sinister thing about scammers is that many of them may see no wrong in what they’re doing. According to clinical psychologist and attorney Dr. Lisa Strohman, it is one of the ways they can carry on with their schemes. 

“They rationalize their actions to avoid feeling guilty and justify their behavior because others are scamming also. Some scammers even convince themselves that their victims can afford to lose the money that they are being scammed out of,” she said.

In order for a scam to work, these con artists must play on their victim’s emotions. They exploit trust, fear, authority, and urgency. Dr. Strohman says that while a dark triad personality best fits the role, the impersonal nature of online and telephone scams, in particular, can embolden them.

“The perpetrator is at a distance from the impact of their actions, and the ‘victim’ is anonymous,” Dr. Strohman explained. “There is no personal contact or subsequent face-to-face meeting, which means that the normal constraints on behavior, including the empathic braking that would stop a person from directly harming another in their presence, are removed.”

Many who fall for scams consider themselves street-smart, adding insult to injury. This is why Dr. Strohman’s number-one tip is to make time to think before taking action. 

She also shared some effective responses when something feels off, beginning with calling off the conversation to investigate the claim and using a separate web browser to verify websites.

Dr. Strohman’s second tip is to verify the message through a second channel, like a family member. She strongly discourages using the same contact information provided in the original message. 

“Purchase some time by saying out loud, ‘I need 24 hours,’” she advised. “This gives you time to think through the process and research the other party.”

Dr. Strohman also gave some warning signs that warrant immediate disengagement. Among them are demands for payments via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency; demands for secrecy and for transferring conversations to a private channel; and, most obviously, emotional pressure.