What is remarkable is that many people take fraud attempts for granted in hindsight and think: “That would never have happened to me”. But why do we often only recognize fraud when it is too late? The answer often lies in the overwhelming power of emotions, which can influence our rational decisions and critical thinking.
The deception of emotions
Manipulation of emotions: Fraudsters are masters at manipulating our emotions. They play on our fears, hopes and desires to gain trust and mislead us. The deliberate manipulation of our emotions impairs our ability to think logically and make clear decisions.
Trust and social bonds: Another tactic used by fraudsters is to build a relationship of trust. They pose as trustworthy people or organizations in order to create an emotional connection. When we have trust, we have a harder time recognizing the signs of fraud or considering the possibility that we might be deceived.
The effects of cognitive biases
Perceiving selectively: Our perception can be affected by cognitive distortions. Confirmation bias causes us to seek out and interpret information that confirms our existing beliefs. This can lead us to ignore or rationalize signs of cheating.
Loss aversion: The tendency to value losses over gains can make us vulnerable to fraud. Scammers take advantage of this by making us believe that we will lose something if we don't act immediately. The urge to avoid losses is often stronger than our rational thinking.
Time pressure and shame
Artificial time pressure: Scammers often create an atmosphere of urgency by claiming their offer is only available for a limited time. When we are under time pressure, we find it more difficult to think logically and consider all aspects of a situation. Fraudsters exploit this weakness to persuade us to make quick decisions.
Shame and embarrassment: After falling victim to a scam, shame and embarrassment can play a role. Many victims are reluctant to talk about the scam or seek help because they are ashamed of their naivety. These emotions often prevent us from recognizing the fraud in a timely manner and taking action.
Conclusion
Detecting fraud online is a challenge influenced by the overwhelming power of emotions. Scammers cleverly exploit our emotions to manipulate us and interfere with our ability to make rational decisions. To protect yourself from fraud, it is important to be aware of how emotions can influence our perception and to develop healthy skepticism. Through education, critical thinking and the involvement of experts, we can increase our chances of detecting and avoiding fraud in a timely manner.
In line with this topic
- Emotions: How feelings drive the tide of misinformation
- The unethical use of photos of sick and disabled people on Facebook
- The hidden danger in our news feeds: What happens if fake news goes uncommented?
- Facebook: Exploiting compassion for injured dogs to lure users into advance fee fraud
- Dangers of interacting with fake news and fake competitions on Facebook
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

