ABSTRACT
This chapter examines why victims fall for scams. It examines the wide range of techniques used by fraudsters to perpetrate their frauds. The chapter considers how fraudsters reduce the risk of getting caught and ended with a brief exploration of the darkweb and how that is being used to share information and sell information and tools to help perpetrate fraud. Given the huge cost of fraud to society and the large numbers of victims affected, it is surprising to note there has been limited research exploring the reasons how and why people become victims. In the UK, the Office of Fair Trading commissioned research into this issue undertaken by psychologists at the University of Exeter. This study also identified a series of error-inducing triggers and some of the most significant were: scarcity cues; induction of behavioural commitment; disproportionate size of reward; and a lack of emotional control.
