Scam Simulator / The 6 tactics
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Discrediting warnings: when scammers attack the truth
Tactic 6 of 6 · badge: Smear artist · by Trusterity
The last defence of a scam is to make the warnings look like part of the conspiracy.
How it works
- Turn denials into proof: “Of course the bank says we're fake. They don't want you to escape.”
- Attack the messenger: journalists and fact-checkers are called “paid”, often with faked screenshots.
- Cry censorship: after a takedown, a backup account says “they're silencing us, follow the new one”.
How to spot it
- When an official warning is attacked, believe the warning and check the organisation's own website.
- Personal attacks are not evidence.
- “They're censoring us” after a takedown is a classic way to keep followers.
Try it from the other side
Use this tactic yourself in a 10-minute game — and see how it fools people.
Practise spotting it
Next tactic: 🎭 Impersonation: fake accounts that borrow trust