Scams in Lusaka have been an everyday topic for many people. Scammers are people who have been using people's vulnerability to steal. Most people are vulnerable and it depends on personal circumstances.
Scammers are good at identifying the weakness of a victim within minutes and can design a trap.
You can be surprised to learn that most people have been scammed at a certain point in their lifetime.
It does not really mean that people who get scammed are foolish or dull but it's because the tactics applied by the swindlers can be as advanced as rocket science.
A scam is using deception to get money or anything valuable from a person.
Scammers are called by other names such as swindlers, conmen, fraudsters, cheaters, defrauders, and so on.
At least 55% of people globally encountered at least one type of scam according to a 2020 research.
In this article I will describe the tactics scammers use to swindle people, the ways to prevent scams, and the most common scams existing.
Weaknesses Lusaka scammers look for in victims.
For a scam to succeed it takes advantage of a victim's situation.
Our situations make us vulnerable to scams because we are more likely to agree to an offer that matches our needs.
Here are common weaknesses that scammers want to exploit:
- Greediness
- Being sick
- Wanting to be famous
- Being unemployed
- Looking for love or marriage.
Tricks Lusaka scammers use to fool you.
scammers use techniques to trick you into falling into their trap. They do it quickly and tactfully so you are unable to notice.
Scams may come in different ways but they are common because they employ techniques that act as a foundation for concuring a victim psychologically.
The following are some of the common tricks scammers use to dupe their victims:
Social proof.
Scammers take advantage of social influence in two different ways. These include making up evaluations and testimonials, or even going as far as to make up phony social media profiles in order to do so.
Phishing emails posing as correspondence from persons who have profited from a specific good or service is another tactic used to target individuals.
Targeting groups of people who share a trait, such as coworkers or friends, is another technique they make use of social proof.
In these cases, a fraudster usually convinces one member of the group to support a purchase or investment, and then other members of the group follow suit after witnessing a trusted group member endorsing the investment. This is typically how pyramid schemes operate.
Imposed situation.
Scammers can induce many unpleasant feelings or needs that would make us act impulsively without thinking. For example, they can create a painful, fearful situation, or exploit your sexual desire, hunger, thirst or anything.
Urgency
It appears swiftly and fades fast. This is the reason con artists usually combine urgency cues with influence.
Usually, deadlines like "You have 24 hours to recover your account" or "Hurry, as only the first 100 people can claim this offer" are used to incite urgency.
However, it can sometimes be more subtle, such in the example that follows.
Here, the con artist has set up a scenario that will probably force the prospective victim to take immediate action (i.e., renewing a subscription until it is turned off).
Scarcity
We desire something more when it is difficult to obtain. Because of the distortion of quality caused by difficulties in obtaining it, we also tend to place a higher value on it.
Scammers are fully aware of this since it makes us more inclined to act foolishly in order to obtain it. Limiting offers, like a "one-day offer," creates a sense of scarcity.
This promotes quick decisions so we don't pass on a fantastic chance. A well-known persuasive strategy that's frequently applied in sales is scarcity.
Authority
By posing as police, doctors, lawyers, bank employees, or other representatives of authoritative organizations, scammers invoke authority. This is due to a number of factors.
First of all, we learn early on to defer to and obey those in positions of authority. As a result, requests from those in positions of authority will probably encounter less opposition.
Second, because these individuals instill confidence and trust, we have also been raised to trust those in particular professions.
Generally speaking, we assume that professionals like doctors, lawyers, and even religious leaders like clergy have our best interests at heart.
This implies that we might not be as inclined to scrutinize their motivations as we might be others'.
How to identify a scam.
If you have been scammed at a certain point you can happily list down the signs that almost made you identify it as a scam.
However, scammers are so tactical that they can change a situation quickly just to win a victim's trust.
To tell whether or not a situation is a scam you will surely notice the following claims:
Help. Honestly, no single person would say they don't want help from others. No man is an island but some help may come from a toxic person such as a scammer.
Whenever a stranger says they want to help you gain or have something important or nice question it.
You do not get assistance from any person anyhow, it comes with a price.
A scammer wants to gain your trust and get whatever they want from you.
By claiming to help you the swindler knows that you will give in and later they ask you for the target item.
Money. Anything that mentions money needs to be questioned. Money is a keyword most scammers use.
They can use other terms like cryptocurrency or anything referring to money.
Promise. Any promise that looks too good to be true is most likely to be a scam.
Investment. Once you hear the word investment coming from a stranger just run for your life.
There are few honest people in this world who can share ways to make money for free. They usually promise an imaginable profit if you invest with them.
Common scams in Lusaka
Mobile money scams.
You receive a call or a text telling you that you have won money or you can make money. Where the hell did that money come from?
Most people are receiving messages claiming to have money credited to their mobile accounts by mistake.
Then a scammer calls to claim the money back in which they have not sent any money.
Genuine transactions come from a telecommunication account directly not from a person’s mobile number.
Romance scams.
Money multiplication scam.
Commonly played by a purported witch doctor who claims to have supernatural powers to change small notes into bigger ones. For example, they claim to multiply k10,000 by k100,000.
Honestly, if the person claiming to offer that service really doesn’t would they have time to start posting those cheap-looking posts on social media?
And there is no such a thing as money multiplication it’s bullshit.
Bring back lost lovers scam.
Lol. Seriously your partner went back to America and the idiot says he is coming in 2 hours?
He is just up to chopping your kwacha. Wake up! there is no such thing as charms to bring back lost lovers.
All the claims are fake and you may end up losing all your money.
Investment.
A scammer will promise huge profits if you invest in a certain business and most of the time it will be an online business. A scammer claims that if you invest for example a k1000 you will get k5000 in 2 weeks. Like seriously who gives money to people in such a manner? Everyone would be rich, isn’t it? A Ponzi scheme is one of the common types of investment scams.
A Ponzi scheme is a scam in which the operators pay the early investors using the money invested by the later victims to create an impression of genuine huge profits. They can even come up with an advertising company to make things look legit.
How to avoid financial scams
Avoiding financial scams in Zambia, like in many parts of the world, requires vigilance and awareness. Scammers use various methods, both online and offline, to trick people into giving away money or personal information. Below are some practical steps to avoid falling victim to financial scams in Zambia:
Summary \\
Scams can happen at work, at home, online, or anywhere. Scammers are those people who do not have pity for humanity and can happen to be your best friends, relatives, neighbors, or anyone within or outside your country.
The rule of thumb to avoid scams is to question anything you hear, see, or feel.
Abort a deal that sounds too good to be true. Share this post about scammers in Lusaka for awareness. Help your friends.
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