Responsible Social Media Episode 13 with scam survivor Gillian Goldman-Bentley

Because our online environment is not secure, identity theft is rife. Victims of identity theft’s profiles can be copied and used to create over 3000 different profiles at a time, that is staggering!

Deception, manipulation and theft are weaved into elaborate cyber crimes of which scam is just one segment. Scam is successful because their power and ability to deceive and manipulate is underestimated. They are experts at developing trust over a period of time and alienating unsuspecting victims from their circle of influence and trust. 

Then there is the myth that only stupid people get scammed. There are all kinds of intelligence, but be that as it may, we forget that we are all members of the human race, first and foremost and that makes us vulnerable because we are all wired for connection and we want to feel acknowledged. Scammers know this and they know how to exploit it. Contrary to popular belief, the scam king pins are highly educated individuals  which is why their scam success rate is so high.  Economically active people are removed from society costing countries millions in lost income tax. 

 More staggering is the fact that scammers have the ability to electronically alter and manipulate voices. They use video recorded clips in video calls to convince victims they are talking to the victim of the identity theft!  And perhaps even more damning is that scam syndicates are underestimated and that is why they are so successful.

People and especially those who are active on the internet, must DEMAND that social media networks provide a secure online environment through verified accounts.