508 - Would you fall for fraudsters?

It is sickening to read how much money people lose to scams/fraud each year.

Fraudsters, also known as scammers, almost always want to lure you from Linkedin to WhatsApp where they can talk to you on the phone.

Why WhatsApp? Because they aren't in this country.

They don't show their faces because that would reveal the truth, and yet, they're brilliant at gaining people's trust with the promise of making lots of money.

The problem lies in our dangerously ignorant society. FYI, even intelligent people can be ignorant.

For example, many people don't realize that in Nigeria, and other African countries, English is the official language.

Many foreigners have beautiful English accents, so you would never know where they're from. They can be from anywhere.

And, they are highly intelligent! They know much more about our culture and society than we do.

However, fraudsters also have a misconception that all Americans and Europeans are wealthy.

Many Americans and Europeans claim to be intuitive and believe they could never be scammed. Then they get lured in, either emotionally or with the promise of money.

Do these victims ever ask for virtual meetings to confirm who they are talking to? They don't mention whether the victim ever had a face to face meeting with the fraudster.

Evidently not.

The promise of money seems to dull the little common sense some people have.

Why would you ever send money to someone you haven't seen in a face to face meeting?

Many money transfer services, such as Western Union, ban transfers to certain countries for this very reason. They are protecting us.

But thousands of people fall for these unseen fraudsters every year.

Why did the woman in the article stop using a well known site (crypto.com) to transfer blindly to a person she has never seen before and knew little about?

We must stop talking about the atrocities of the fraudsters and start educating on how to recognize, report and block them!

Fake profiles are almost always immediately recognizable. Very few are professionally done.

It's the reason I wish women would stop posting provocative pictures of themselves.

LADIES, the whole world is not as emancipated as you think they are. You don't think your picture is provocative, but this isn't about YOU.

They see it as an open invitation and that you must be desperate for a man's attention. Don't be surprised when you get it.

It's about their perception of you, which is not good.

There are sleazy men drooling to see the next picture of you in a tight sweater...Your short skirt...Your pursed lips, and read your sad story so they can pounce!

They don't find you attractive. They find you sleazy.

They have no intention of helping you. They want to lure you in so they can get your phone number and, ultimately, your wallet.

How can you stop it?

Post professional shots only. Shoulders and above.

Stick with your gut feeling.

The woman in the article should have trusted her instincts. She chose not to. She had money eyes!

Don't rush over to WhatsApp the minute someone asks you to.

Get them on a virtual meeting and, if they refuse, end the communication.

If you want a second opinion on a profile, ASK ME!! I'll be happy to take a look.

Here is the full article I referenced - https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/06/17/fbi-says-fraud-on-linkedin-a-significant-threat-to-platform-and-consumers.html

Do you agree that we don't put enough emphasis on educating people about fraudsters?