Consumer Safety & Awareness Part 3

Who Scammers Target

All types of people are subject to being scammed. They attack the rich and poor, men and women, young and old. Scammers do not discriminate – they do not care about your race, religion, or nationality. It makes no difference where you live. They even try to con other scammers.

There are, though, specific groups of people that are more susceptible to scammers simply because of their background, culture, age, or knowledge. There used to be a commercial that stated, “A well informed consumer is our best customer.” A knowledgeable consumer is less susceptible to a scam. This has nothing to do with education or intelligence.

The more you know about any aspect of life, the better you do at it. I am a teacher by trade, and was fairly successful. But do not ask me to build a bookshelf, work with plumbing, or drive a truck. Since the 1980s I have been researching scams. During that time I have been exposed, through reading and actual active participation as a supposedly unsuspecting mark . I may still fall for one of these cons, but it’s very unlikely.

So, to protect yourself, you need to be aware of the main scams, those you are most likely to come across. This includes knowing who the scammers go after, what they are seeking, how they study their intended targets, and generally how they operate. In each case you should look at a variety of examples of actually successful scams. Just reading about a few in the newspaper and wondering how anyone can be taken in, is not going to do it.

The absolutely perfect victim for a scam is an elderly religious person, living alone with few outside contacts. This takes into account several factors. Scammers use psychology, sociology, human traits, reactions, and tendencies. Like a gambler, they play the odds. Older people were brought up in a more trusting environment. Their childhood and younger lives were protected from fraudulent activities. In many cases they cannot conceive of anyone wanting to take advantage of them.

A person who lives alone, even by choice, is subject to feelings of loneliness. People have a desire to belong, to be needed and liked. Thus an elderly person who does not have constant human companionship, is more likely to believe in someone who demonstrates a concern. Elder abuse is almost always caused by a relative, a friend, a caretaker, or someone the person has put trust in, such as a lawyer or financial advisor.

Religions teach people to trust others, especially those who have nearly the same beliefs. Add this factor to living alone and being elderly, and you have a perfect mark.

Other human traits scammers count on include the desire to have the best possessions and the willingness to take risks to obtain them. Some call it the greed factor. Others blame advertising companies who bombard us with the latest and greatest, displayed in perfectly clean homes with wonderful furnishings. Everyone in ads is healthy, beautiful, young, and can afford anything they want.

It makes no difference if you are already wealthy, or are just making it from day to day. There are scams created to appeal to the greed in all of us. Although poorer people have less available money, they can be conned over and over simply because they have a greater desire for the wealth they see around them. Those who already have plenty are conned less frequently, but for bigger prizes.

Each of the scams, frauds, and other illegal practices we will be looking at has been tailored to meet the susceptibility in all of us. No one is immune. You may never see it coming, or it may be staring you in the face so blatantly that you can’t recognize it for what it is. On the other hand, you may be so absolutely certain that it’s a scam that you feel you can beat it. Yet again, you’re falling for their deceptions.

Scammers are not smarter than you, but they have more experience. They know when a scam is worth pursuing and when it’s time to run. And they run so fast, and hide so well, that they are almost never caught.