ABSTRACT
Would you be able to recognise a scam? This chapter offers practical advice on how to spot different frauds and scam situations. Vulnerability to fraud is often down to several factors: an individual’s circumstances, their behaviours or their individual characteristics, such as level of vigilance or self-control. However, some are also down to persuasion or scam techniques that fraudsters often use, and, often, it is a combination of several factors. In this chapter, case studies, based on real scam situations, are offered to illustrate different vulnerability factors, which contribute to each situation. Additionally, several examples of different phishing emails, from miracle cures, free prizes and refunds, to abundant ‘your account has been suspended’ scam emails are also given, broken down into components, in order to illustrate how scammers use persuasion to encourage compliance.
