Whether it’s an AI deep-fake video, a phishing email, or a messenger on horseback with a sealed letter, scammers throughout history share these universal red flags:
• Urgency: Creating artificial time pressure to force hasty decisions without proper consideration
• Fear and Intimidation: Using threats of consequences, financial penalties, or legal action
• Unsolicited Contact: Initiating the interaction, often claiming to represent trusted organizations
• Too Good to Be True: Offering implausible rewards, unrealistic investment returns, or unlikely windfalls
• Personal-Information Requests: Fishing for details that legitimate entities wouldn’t ask for in that manner
The technology may change from quill and parchment to sophisticated algorithms, but a scammer’s psychological tactics remain remarkably consistent throughout the ages.