Criminals know exactly what buttons to push to get what they want. It doesn’t matter if they’re turning up on your doorstep, in your social media feeds or in the games you play online. Here are some of the psychological tactics they use (sometimes called ‘social engineering’) to get you to act fast without having time to stop and think.
Being aware of them will help you stay alert to fraud.
Video transcript
[00:00] On screen: UK Government logo and STOP! THINK FRAUD logo with the words ‘Can you recognise fraudsters’ tactics?
[00:02] Voiceover: Can you recognise fraudsters’ tactics? Fraud is getting more sophisticated and it comes in all shapes and forms.
[00:08] On screen: a green bank card, showing the front and back of the card appears followed by three emojis and then a pair of tickets for a festival.
[00:12] On screen: a young woman with long blonde hair and wearing a green top is checking something on her mobile phone. She looks confused.
[00:12] Voiceover: But if you know some of the psychological tactics fraudsters use, it can help you stay ahead of scams.
[00:19] Voiceover: Here are some of the common tactics to look out for.
On screen: a magnifying glass zooms into the same words on screen.
[00:23] On screen: a list of tactics appears:
TACTIC 1 A TRUSTED VOICE
TACTIC 2 FALSE URGENCY
TACTIC 3 EMOTION
TACTIC 4 SCARCITY
TACTIC 5 CURRENT EVENTS
TACTIC 6 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
The focus moves to TACTIC 1 A TRUSTED VOICE and the green bank card appears.
[00:26] Voiceover: Tactic 1. A trusted voice.
[00:30] A man with grey hair and a beard wearing a teal jumper and blue trousers is sitting on an orange sofa, using his tablet. A text notification from ‘acct@onlinebank’ appears to the right of his head. It says: ‘Account Security: VERIFY NOW!’.
[00:34] Voiceover: Is the message claiming to be from someone official like your bank or a well-known brand?
[00:40] On screen: an orange icon of a magnifying glass with a tick appears.
[00:40] Voiceover: Criminals often pretend to be trusted organisations to trick you into doing what they want.
[00:47] On screen: the list of tactics reappears, this time zooming in on ‘TACTIC 2 FALSE URGENCY’. A stopwatch appears on screen.
[00:48] Voiceover: Tactic 2 False urgency.
[00:51] On screen: A man with short dark hair, wearing a green jacket, is sitting at a small table using his laptop. An orange cup and saucer and his mobile phone are beside his laptop. He looks a bit concerned. A ‘Delivery’ message notification appears near his head. It says: ‘FINAL WARNING: Delivery pending…’
[00:55] Voiceover: Are you being told you have a limited time to respond?
[00:59] On screen: an orange icon of a stopwatch appears.
[00:59] Voiceover: Fraudsters use false urgency to get you to act fast without having time to stop and think.
[01:05] On screen: an orange icon of a warning triangle appears.
[01:05] Voiceover: They may threaten you with fines or negative consequences…
[01:08] On screen: an orange icon of a banknote with a pound sign in the centre appears.
[01:08] Voiceover: …or promise a reward for a limited time only to get a quick reaction.
[01:13] On screen: the list of tactics reappears, this time zooming in on ‘TACTIC 3 EMOTION’. Three emojis appear on screen.
[01:13] Voiceover: Tactic 3 Emotion.
[01:17] On screen: a middle-aged woman with short dark hair, wearing a mid-blue cardigan and darker blue trousers, is sitting on an orange sofa with her mobile phone in her hand. She looks a bit confused and concerned. A message notification from ‘Unknown Number’ appears next to her head. It says: ‘Mum, I’ve had an accident! Send money…’. She shakes her head.
[01:21] Voiceover: Does the message provoke an emotional response? Like panic, fear, hope or curiosity?
[01:28] On screen: a series of different emojis appear.
[01:28] Voiceover: Criminals know what emotional buttons to push to grab your attention. They may use threatening language, tug on your heartstrings or just make you want to find out more.
[01:39] On screen: the list of tactics reappears, this time zooming in on ‘TACTIC 4 SCARCITY’. Two festival tickets appear on screen.
[01:39] Voiceover: Tactic 4 Scarcity.
[01:42] On screen: a young woman with long blonde hair and wearing a green top is checking something on her mobile phone. Two message notifications appear near her head. One is from ‘TRAVELDEALS’ and says: ‘Last few half-price holiday deals!’. The other is from ‘GIGTIX’ and says: 2 x SOLD OUT tickets!…’. She looks confused.
[01:49] Voiceover: Are you being offered something that’s in short supply? Like sold-out gig tickets or an amazing holiday deal?
[01:56] On screen: an orange icon of a swing ticket with a pound sign on it appears.
[01:56] Voiceover: Criminals will often use fear of missing out on a good deal or opportunity to make you respond quickly.
[02:02] On screen: the list of tactics reappears, this time zooming in on ‘TACTIC 5 CURRENT EVENTS’. A calendar appears on screen.
[02:02] Voiceover: Tactic 5 Current events.
[02:06] On screen: A man with short dark hair, wearing a green jacket, is sitting at a small table using his laptop. An orange cup and saucer and his mobile phone are beside his laptop. He looks a bit concerned. A message notification which appears to have been sent by HMRC appears to the left his head. It says: ‘HMRC: You are eligible for a £567.24 tax refund’. Another message notification appears from ‘Unknown Number’ which says: ‘Earthquake appeal: DONATE NOW’. He looks confused.
[02:14] Voiceover: Criminals exploit current news or specific times of year to make their scam seem relevant to you.
[02:20] On screen: an orange icon of a shield with a verification tick in the centre appears.
[02:20] Voiceover: It’s to make their message seem genuine and appealing.
[02:24] On screen: the list of tactics reappears, this time zooming in on ‘TACTIC 6 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. A red heart-shaped helium balloon appears on screen.
[02:24] Voiceover: Tactic 6 Building relationships.
[02:29] On screen: a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a dark blue blouse, is sitting at a desk, using her laptop. An orange notebook and pen are beside her. Three message notifications from ‘Michael appear near her head. The first one, sent on 3 June, says “You are so beautiful” with a heart-eyes emoji. The second was sent Friday and says “I’ve loved getting to know you, can’t wait to be with you” with starry-eyes emoji. The final message says: ‘Babe. I need £500 for air fare to visit you x’ with a heart emoji. She looks a bit surprised and reaches for her mobile.
[02:33] Voiceover: Is someone you don’t know showing a sudden interest in you?
[02:36] On screen: an orange heart icon with an arrow going through it appears.
[02:36] Voiceover: Fraudsters often try to earn your trust by building relationships…
[02:41] On screen: an orange icon of banknotes with a pound sign in the centre appears.
[02:41] Voiceover: …then ask for money or personal details before you’ve met them in real life.
[02:46] On screen: two festival tickets appear on screen, followed by the green bank card and three emojis.
[02:46] Voiceover: When you know some of the psychological tactics fraudsters use…
[02:50] On screen: the man with grey hair, wearing a teal jumper and blue trousers, appears again, sitting on an orange sofa and using his tablet.
[02:50] Voiceover: …it’s easier to spot fraud and stay ahead of scams.
[02:53] Voiceover: Remember, if something looks suspicious, stop! Think fraud.
[02:57] On screen: the STOP! THINK FRAUD logo with the line ‘National campaign against fraud’ appears, along with the UK Government logo.
Recognise the tactics
Authority or a ‘trusted’ voice
Does the message claim to be from someone official? Your bank, doctor, energy supplier or a government department for instance. Criminals can pretend to be important people or a well-known organisation, often using their logo and branding, because they know you’re more likely to take notice of a name you’re familiar with.
Deepfakes
Fraudsters may use artificial intelligence (AI) to create convincing deepfakes. Deepfakes are digitally created or altered content, often fake images, videos and audio recordings. This content can take on the exact likeness of a real person’s voice and appearance, whether it is a celebrity, someone you know or even you.
False urgency
Are you being told you have a limited time to respond? If this is accompanied by threats of penalties, fines or other negative consequences, you should be suspicious. The same applies if you’re being promised a reward or benefit for a limited time only. Anyone who tries to rush you into a decision should NOT be trusted.
Emotion
Do they use language that makes you feel fearful, hopeful or curious? Perhaps they’ll tug at your heartstrings, or appeal to your generous nature. They may even use AI to create deepfakes of your family and friends. Criminals will often use emotional levers to make you follow your heart not your head.
Scarcity
Are you being offered something that’s in short supply or not widely available? Tickets for a concert? An amazing holiday deal? Criminals will often use fear of missing out on a good deal or opportunity to make you respond quickly.
Current events
Does the message seem timely? Criminals often exploit current news stories, big events or specific times of year (like the tax reporting deadline) to make their approach seem more relevant and genuine.
Building relationships
Is someone showing particular interest in you, your family or your circumstances? They may be asking a lot of questions, or making references to aspects of your life that they may have already learnt about from looking at your online profiles. Fraudsters often try to earn your trust by building rapport and finding shared interests before they ask you for money or personal information – before you’ve even met them in real life.
More warning signs to watch out for
Fraudsters ultimately want to steal your hard-earned money, so their approaches often include a way for you to hand over cash, financial information or security details. If you EVER receive one of these requests, it should be a warning sign. Always take time to stop, think and check if it’s real.
Be wary if anyone:
- asks you to share a one-time-passcode
- asks for your PIN or password in full
- asks for payment before sending a prize or lost delivery
- asks for a direct transfer of cash or cryptocurrency
- asks you to move away from an official payment site to make a direct payment
- asks for money before you’ve met in person
- asks you to click on suspicious links
Stay alert to fraud
Fraud comes in all shapes and forms, with most types of fraud using one or more of the tactics described here. Find out how you can stay alert to fraud.