Scam Simulator / The 6 tactics
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Emotional manipulation: fear, anger and greed
Tactic 2 of 6 · badge: Button-pusher · by Trusterity
Posts that trigger strong emotions travel further and get checked less. Scammers write for that.
How it works
- Fear: “Banks will freeze your savings”, “Your account will be closed”.
- Greed: “This app pays €40,000 a month”, “Last chance to double your money”.
- Anger and outrage: “They don't want you to know this”, which pushes people to share without reading.
- Unverifiable sources: “secret insiders” who can't be named.
How to spot it
- A sudden rush of fear, anger or excitement is your cue to pause.
- Check whether trusted news outlets report the same thing.
- “Share before they delete this” is a request to stop thinking, not a fact.
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: 🎬 Fake proof: deepfakes, fake screenshots and AI reviews