Imagine you’re in a play. You’ve memorized your lines, rehearsed your part, and you’re ready for the big moment. But then, whoops!…you forget a key detail. Now the audience is staring, waiting for you to recover. Awkward, right?
Now, imagine you’re a scammer. You’re pretending to be a bank manager, an IT specialist, or a relative who just “needs a little financial boost as someone has stolen their rucksack.” At first, you sound convincing, but here’s the catch: people playing roles can forget details. And that’s your opportunity to expose them.
Scammers rely on a simple trick: pressure and urgency. They want you to act fast before you stop to think. But if you slow things down and throw in a curveball, they’ll start to stumble. Try these out:
The “Forgotten Detail” Test
Try this next time you get a suspicious call, email, or message:
🔹 Ask a specific question only a real person in that role would know.
“Hey, didn’t we set up two-factor authentication last time? Which method did we use?”
(Watch them fumble.)
🔹 Pretend to forget something and make them explain.
“Remind me again—what branch did I open my account at?”
(If they’re guessing, you’ve got them; and you’re also eating into their daily targets for scamming)
🔹 Act confused and see how they react.
“Wait, which computer are you talking about again? I have five.”
(A real IT person will clarify. A scammer may panic and try to change the subject.)
Once you’ve exposed them, scammers do one of three things:
- Get frustrated and hang up. (Dramatic exit!)
- Try to change the subject. (Classic distraction move!)
- Double down with vague nonsense. (“Just trust me” – Nope!)
- Get angry and try to bully you (Gotcha!)
Scammers rely on people trusting without questioning. The more we test them, the harder their job becomes. So, next time someone calls, emails, or DMs you with a too-good-to-be-true or urgent request, put them to the test.
The best part? When they fail, you get the satisfaction of knowing you’ve outsmarted them—no standing ovation needed.
Please talk about this with others or share this post with friends and family. The less people scammed, the better!
#StaySharp #ScamProof
Photo by rc.xyz NFT gallery
