The Smoke, Mirrors, and Mind Games Behind Cyberscams

Cyberscams can be incredibly well-crafted and dangerous, and a significant portion of this danger stems from the scammer’s ability to effectively utilize the psychological triggers that we all possess to some degree. Modern security training tends to focus on what signs we all need to keep an eye out for—and for good reason—but it does little to explore why modern scams are as effective as they are.

Let’s fix that by taking a moment to examine the tricks the scammers play so you can be that much more prepared to stop them by understanding how they work.

The Scams are the Same… It’s the Technology That’s Changed

Chances are, you’re familiar with the “Nigerian Prince” email scam—some royal is facing danger and needs help to escape, after which you will be handsomely rewarded for your financial assistance. This scam is well-known enough that it’s effectively the punchline whenever a joke about cybersecurity is told. Still, there’s a reason for that: the building blocks of the scam are centuries old and have quite successfully brought in millions of dollars for scammers.

The Nigerian Price scam is one variation of an advance-fee scam, which has been seen in action since the late 1800s. Back then, the scammer claimed that a wealthy prisoner needed money to bribe the guards holding them hostage, and that the target would share in a substantial reward for their assistance.

This scam has changed relatively little over time. Just replace the written letter that was once used with an email, and change the bribe money to money to escape a country, and you see how timeless greed and urgency remain in scams.

What is Commonly in a Scammer’s Bag of Tricks?

Unfortunately, there are a variety of tools that modern scams can use to manipulate and influence their targets. Try to keep an eye out for the following in all forms of business correspondence… scams aren’t restricted to email, after all.

A few warning signs that a scam may be afoot include:

Urgency

Take a moment to consider whether a message is intended to make you afraid of an outcome and panic, often subjecting you to a ticking clock. If it is, this is likely intentional. The remnants of an ancient survival system, fear bypasses rationality and allows us to act before we think. Perhaps helpful when hiding from a competing tribe in the earliest days of humanity, this tendency works against us when we encounter threats such as account suspension or similar issues.

Authority

Generally speaking, humanity operates under a hierarchical understanding of society: certain individuals are considered more authoritative than others, and their words are often given more weight, regardless of their content. Modern scammers exploit this by posing as someone with authority over another, such as a higher-level executive at a company or a representative of a government agency. Frequently, people will take such requests at face value and comply, simply because they have been conditioned to adhere to a superior’s requests.

Helpfulness

On the other hand, humanity has only progressed as far as it has through our capacity for collaboration. We generally like being helpful, so if an opportunity arises to help someone, we’re inclined to take it. The trouble is, if this help is being requested by someone who shouldn’t receive it, complying could be directly detrimental to your business. It’s too easy just to resort to being helpful and share more than you should.

Curiosity

“Hey, you missed a really awesome time, look who showed up!” The fear of missing out might tempt you to click on a file that came with that message, which could very easily deliver a payload of malware instead of a candid shot of a surprise VIP. Of course, this isn’t the only way that curiosity can be weaponized, so be vigilant and keep an eye out for attempts to entice you.

You Need to Know a Scam When You See It

Unfortunately, scammers are becoming quite skilled at hiding their actions, which makes it critical that there’s someone on your side who is able and ready to stop them. We can be that someone for you.

In addition to doing everything we can to keep threats out of your systems, we’ll also be there to consult your team members and answer any questions they may have. You want to ensure that your team is prepared to deal with threats while minimizing the number they’ll encounter. Reach out to us at (603) 889-0800 to learn more about how we can help.