In this video I answer 3 questions: Why are scammers becoming successful? How do I know I’m being scammed? What are some things I can do to protect myself? I talk about the psychological manipulation scammers pull on victims. and the social engineering behind it.
The Scam calls and news articles are in line with fair use and is being used for education purposes
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What if a scammer does know my name and address?
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Its possible, its rare but it does happen. So why do they have my personal information?
This is possible due to a data breach on a website you might be on. The data from these breaches are usually sold over the dark web for scammers to obtain. If they provide personal details, like name or home address always be aware of what the scammer is telling you. Knowing personal details can be scary, rule of the thumb: If they cannot provide you with the credible information about their business, and ask for a form of payment.
Look up their business. A tax call presenting with this information would have your work history information, SIN card and much more. Be skeptical of every call you receive whether they have personal information or not, and tell them you will call them back by the official websites number to confirm everything. A tax agency should not have a problem with this as anyone there can look up your information if you request it, if they threaten police intervention and the latter, be aware that. If they threaten/frighten you and you feel unsafe, contact your local non emergency line and report it.
Scams can spoof legitimate numbers, so if you are ever unsure hang up and call the real business number, but always ask the verification questions and be safe.
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Resources
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Scam Prevention Bible
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great site, talks about the manipulation in depth. I highly recommend looking it over.
Microsoft blog entry talks about the 6 principles of persuasion:
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Almost in F – Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
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Echoes of Time v2 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
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Clean Soul – Calming by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
