Todays video contained a hybrid scam that has evolved over time. This new hybrid started out your typical Amazon impersonation scam. They then impersonate the victims bank who passes it off to the FTC.
This tactic is a direct psychological manipulation. It is intended to bewilder the victim and convince them the situation is crucial and time sensitive. It is horrible to see these kinds of tactics being used. Instilling a sense of dread into a person, fear alters the way people behave. We have seen it many times where this psychological attack can give a person a condition much like Stockholm Syndrome. Sometimes even allowing the scammer to manipulate and control the person for an extended period of time. Many long term victims come from scams like Social Security/ IRS which use fear tactics to control the victim. It does not take a psychologist to know fear is a strong emotion that can be used to easily persuade people
As a viewer, we may look at these scams and say to ourselves ‘That’s ridiculous, I would never fall for that’ Of course we wouldn’t. Many of us grew up with a lot of these technologies, we understand how businesses work, what they can and can not do. Regardless of our knowledge, there is a generation that has not used this technology as frequently, and this is where these scams flourish. The fact that I received the call was an indication to me that they sourced their call list from a seniors call list. Possibly from the Medicare scammers, or maybe something else. Even still, It would have been listed as a senior citizen, meaning they are directly targeting the elderly.
Just had to vent a little about this one. Make sure to talk to your loved ones about scams! Awareness is key!
-Boda
GREAT POST BODA!