L150 · Staying safe · 2 min
Staying calm under pressure: the scam playbook
Nearly every scam follows the same playbook of panic, rush, secrecy and a strange payment, so learning to slow down beats them all.
01 · The idea
Scammers do not need you to be foolish. They need you to be scared, excited or ashamed for a few minutes, because strong feelings switch off careful thinking.
The playbook: a shock (your account is locked, your son is hurt, you won a prize), a deadline, an instruction to keep it secret, and a payment method you would not normally use.
Your counter-move is to slow down. Say "I will call you back", end the call, breathe, and check through a number or app you choose. Talk to someone you trust before you pay.
A genuine bank, police officer or relative will accept that you need to check. Anyone who gets angry or pushes harder when you ask for time is giving the scam away.
02 · Think of it like this
It is like a magician hurrying the audience. The trick only works while you are looking where he points, so you step back and look again.
03 · Do it now
04 · Quick check
Words in this lesson
See also
L015Staying safe · 2 min
Spot AI-powered scams
Scammers now use AI to write perfect messages, so good grammar is no longer a sign that a message is real.
L134Staying safe · 2 min
Helping grandparents with AI
Older relatives are prime targets for AI scams, and also stand to gain a lot from AI help, so teach them two or three habits instead of a whole course.
L111Staying safe · 2 min
When a relative's voice is a copy
A few seconds of your child's or parent's voice from a video is enough for AI to make a convincing copy, so a familiar voice on the phone proves nothing by itself.
L016Staying safe · 2 min
Deepfakes and voice clones
AI can now fake a face or a voice from a few seconds of real recording, so seeing and hearing is no longer proof.