From the author: I am often asked how to avoid falling into the hands of a scammer, how to be vigilant enough to notice him and identify him among those around him? To understand this, let's take a closer look at the phenomenon of fraud and its components. Often, by the word “scammer,” people mean representatives of the criminal world: thieves and swindlers. But in principle, a fraudster can be called any person whose behavior and motives are based on manipulation, the ability to force the victim to believe in something, lose responsibility and voluntarily surrender to the hands of fortune-tellers, healers, horoscope compilers, loving gigolos and even pseudo-psychologists. I am often asked how to avoid falling into the hands of a fraudster, how to be vigilant enough to notice him and identify him among those around him? To understand this, let's take a closer look at the phenomenon of fraud and its components. The plan is the time during which the criminal determines the area of ​​activity, the way to approach the intended victim and the way to evade responsibility. In a word, a complete calculation and scenario. Search for a victim, a client - identifying the weak link, whose capabilities, income, personal qualities meet the scammer's plan. Almost 99 percent of them use a very simple technique for deception - they want to help you, do you good, perform a selfless act, in the word “do you good.” There is also a downside when they “need” help. In this case, we voluntarily, without any moral violence, strive to help them. Especially if a person was brought up on the beliefs of “Love your neighbor.” Organization and establishing contact. At this stage, the scammer is trying to unobtrusively, randomly give information, arouse the victim’s interest and involve him in joint activities and create a situation in which the victim himself will rush things and take the initiative. Receiving money or other funds, benefits - as a rule, at this stage the fraudster prepares an escape route. This is a pre-thought out and organized action, depending on the success and failure of the enterprise. Human qualities from which fraud is born. Fraudsters are considered the elite of the criminal world. As a rule, they have high intelligence and are well versed in the subject of psychology, which allows them to easily meet and establish contact with people. They have empathy and speak, move, listen and act in ways that their victims want. Their well-developed speech can range from literary genre to necessary jargon. The main quality of any fraudster is the ability to predict, wait patiently and carefully calculate everything down to the smallest detail. Psychological traits of a fraudulent consciousness. In general, the psychology of fraud is based on two qualities: thievery and deceit. All other features of fraudulent behavior follow from this: selfishness, cunning, indifference, cynicism, callousness, superiority over weak people. The psychological features of a fraudulent consciousness are, first of all, high anxiety, suspicion, mobilization and dynamism of consciousness, which helps the criminal quickly navigate the situation. They obey the general attitude of getting what they want in any way, satisfying their sick pride, getting profit, feeling superior to the victim, experiencing “adrenaline” and “thrills”. How to recognize a scammer? Despite understanding and studying this phenomenon, we have virtually no chance of avoiding the actions of scammers, because they do not obey healthy human logic. And yet, there are several points that are always worth paying attention to. First of all, you need to give up the illusions that the scammer may be interested in you simply as a person, and not as a resource from which you can get something. Be vigilant and critical, respect only your own benefit and convenience. Pay attention to the peculiarities of their behavior: they try to communicate in uncrowded places, their voice is quiet and insinuating. The fraudster may!