To achieve their goals, scammers use a huge number of different methods, most of which are based on technical vulnerabilities, but social engineering specifically targets human psychology. The main goal of such attacks is to persuade the victim to voluntarily provide the necessary information or perform some action. This makes social engineering-based fraud particularly dangerous, as people often do not realize they have become victims.
The Principle of Social Engineering
Malicious actors use this scheme based on trust, ignorance, haste, or even fear. There is no need to infiltrate the system or hack anything — it is enough to achieve behavior that is suitable for the scammer. During the communication with a potential victim, an illusion of urgency is created, for example, by reporting issues with a financial account, suspicious transactions, or security threats.
In some cases, a completely opposite method is used — a sense of benefit, support, or business trust is instilled. As a result, the person themselves provides access data, SMS codes, and transfers money to the so-called “safe account.” Such psychological tricks by scammers are particularly successful in stressful situations or when there is a lack of awareness about modern deception schemes.
The Most Common Scammer Techniques
Types of social engineering fraud may differ in form, but they often work according to a similar scenario. Scammers conduct preliminary preparation — they gather the necessary information and study the behavior of the potential victim. The main task is to evoke an emotional reaction and act quickly before the person has doubts. The main signs of social engineering are:
- spontaneous calls from the bank's “security service”;
- messages about suspicious activity and subsequent account blocking;
- any requests to provide bank card details;
- pressure, intimidation, constant repetition that urgent action is needed;
- attempts to evoke sympathy;
- refusal to provide any official contacts and data.
These methods are effectively used in phone calls, messengers, emails. At the same time, the platforms and systems themselves can be very well protected, but the attack is not directed at them, but directly at the person. In cases of encountering such tricks, it is important to remain calm and not respond to the psychological tricks of scammers.
Main Ways to Protect Against Social Engineering
For the prevention of this type of fraud, awareness and attention to the security of one's own data are necessary. Using antivirus and strong passwords does not guarantee complete security if a person is willing to share any data themselves. To protect against scams, it is necessary to perform a number of such actions:
- be sure to check with whom the dialogue is conducted through the official website, service number, or through a callback;
- do not share personal data with third parties, even if they claim to be employees of a particular organization;
- ignore unknown links, especially if they are received through messengers;
- use two-factor authentication whenever possible;
- in case of an attempted fraud, be sure to report it to the bank or support service.
Even if a message, call, or letter seems very important and urgent, the main thing is to remember that panic and rash actions are exactly what the fraudster seeks to achieve. If such an incident could not be avoided, it is necessary not only to eliminate the consequences but also to analyze the entire situation to understand which actions led to this. Increasing one's own knowledge can prevent another social manipulation.
Why Social Engineering is Still Relevant and Works
Criminals do not need to spend time and resources hacking another system; they focus on simple persuasion, intimidation, or involvement. In most cases, such attacks are successful because people do not expect deception from a supposedly “official” representative, while the psychological tricks of scammers become more diverse and effective. Very often, the victims are elderly people, teenagers, and just those who have never encountered fraud. However, even experienced people in this matter can be deceived due to fatigue, stress, or other factors.
That is why social engineering is a type of fraud capable of bypassing all technical difficulties. And the effective protection against such scams is primarily the ability to recognize psychological manipulations. Thanks to this skill, combined with other preventive actions, you can keep your personal data and funds safe.