How Ethical Values Protect You Against Scams
Aligning your actions with high moral values is your first line of defense.
Steadily and inexorably, our world has evolved into one where a few clicks or misclicks can lead to substantial financial losses.
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There have been reports of entire businesses being wiped off because of wrongful or misled clicking.ย
In 2023, an incident in Singapore involving the use of falsified documents and deceptive online financial transactions resulted in significant losses and led to business insolvency.
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ย These types of crimes are possible through Social Engineering.
What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a manipulation technique that exploits human psychology to gain access to confidential information or systems. Instead of relying on technical hacking methods, social engineers trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security.ย
Among other missteps, a victim of social engineering attacks will unknowingly divulge sensitive personal information, part with vast sums of money, or make irrational far-reaching decisions that negatively affect him and others.ย
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Whether they happen online or through person-to-person interactions, in Nigeria, such frauds are known as โ419โ.
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ย โ419โ refers to a specific type of fraud known as an advance-fee scam. The term comes from Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which deals with fraud and the penalties for such offenses.
These scams often involve promising the victim a significant sum of money in return for a small upfront fee, but the promised money never materializes. So, when a Nigerian uses the term "419" with you, it means they suspect you of being involved in a scam or youโre being duped.ย
Social Engineering in live-action
A recent Facebook story reminds me of a similar experience I had over 20 years ago.
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Then, I was jobless and life was a daily push-and-pull grind for me and my family. I could barely pay my taxi fare while pursuing my daily survival hustles.ย
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On that day, I took a taxi to go home. While I was only halfway through my journey, the driver stopped to let another passenger get off.
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Stepping out, he opened the trunk of his car and pretended to unload the passenger's belongings, but it was all part of the scripted act.
Suddenly, he screamed. Then, a barrage of heated questions erupted from the driver towards the passenger.ย
โWhat is this? But you told me you were carrying empty cardboard crates for eggs? Where did you get all this foreign currency?โย
During the entire drama, I remained silent to see how it would unfold.
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The passenger, a willing accomplice in the deceptive 419 scheme, began his reply, designed to elicit pity and sympathy.ย
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According to him, he was a loyal servant to an Alhaji from Northern Nigeria. He had been serving the man for many years, only for the man to renege on his promise to give him the cash he needed to start up his business. As fate would have it, his boss had a stroke and had to be flown to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
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ย While his supposedly paralyzed employer was away to recover, the servant broke into the employer's safe and stole some cash in various currencies.ย
Continuing, the driver pretended to rake on the supposed thief.ย
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ย โWhere are you going with all this cash?โย
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ย โIโm going to Delta State.โย
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โNo, you are not going anywhere. Iโm taking you to the police station.โย
Indeed, a police station was situated within walking distance from our stopping point.ย
โPlease donโt alert the police. Iโm willing to divide the cash with you.โ
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Despite being desperate for even the smallest amount of money, I remained unmoved. I had never heard such a story before, yet the prospect of "free money" did not tempt me.ย
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Upon arriving home, I shared the details of this incident with my friend. Here is his response:
โAh, Brother Chris, you're fortunate that you showed no interest in participating in their "free-money heist." Those people (the driver and the other passengers) are all 419ers. If you had expressed interest, you might have been 'jaazed,' (a Nigerian term referring to being mesmerized by voodoo or charms). They would then switch to different stories. And before you realize it, you might have sold your car and other valuables to gather the funds required to purchase the chemicals needed to "washโ the supposedly free foreign money before "you can receive your share."
The preceding episode gives you an insight into some psychological tactics that Nigerian 419 scammers and other social engineering criminals employ to deceive their victims.
Essentially, fraudsters exploit the full spectrum of human emotions, from the greed for quick profit to the desire for compassion or the longing for love (as seen in romance scams), to manipulate their victims.
You see, โIf your heart is in the right direction, there are many troubles you will save yourself from.โย
I escaped that socially engineered bullet because my heart, as it were, was facing the right direction (and always has been).
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ย But even when your heart is in the right direction and with the best of motives, both the good and the bad can easily fall victim to social engineering scams.
Why?
Because of ignorance.ย
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ย But ignorance is not an excuse.
Social Engineering is effective because it targets human emotions and instincts, such as trust, fear, greed, and curiosity.
To evade the constantly growing array of Social Engineering traps, it's crucial to become familiar with the different shapes these deceptions and pitfalls can take.
As reported by Todd James in Aura, in 2022, cybercriminals used social engineering techniques in 20% of all data breaches.ย
Both IBM and Kaspersky have detailed some outstanding essays on the various forms of social engineering techniques used by cybercriminals to lure unsuspecting users through mobile devices and internet-based software applications.
Some social engineering tactics employed by fraudsters include;
Phishing (impersonating legitimate organizations to trick people into revealing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, personal details).ย
Vishing (using phone calls to trick people).ย
Smishing (attackers use text message to deceive people into exposing personal details).ย
Baiting (Offering something enticing to lure victims into a trap, such as free software that installs malware.)
Pretexting (Creating a fabricated scenario to persuade someone to share information or perform an action.)
Social Engineering tactics are constantly evolving, with new schemes surfacing regularly. To stay ahead of these fraudsters, it's crucial to adopt certain precautions both online and offline.
Stay alert and keep abreast of the latest g tricks and techniques.
Be wary of unexpected requests that come from familiar sources.ย
When in doubt, always verify any online transaction or information exchange. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isnโt.
Donโt fall for any request that may be preying on human psychology like urgency, or fear of missing out (FOMO) inducing you to โact now or miss out forever.โ
Follow your organizationโs policy and where possible wait until youโve had clarifications from others before proceedingย
Parting Words
Always verify all unusual mobile or online interactions, especially those involving financial transactions, or when you have to reveal sensitive personal information.
Itโs not enough to be street smart; you must be even more tech-savvy in online and mobile environments. Be alert and stay open to any new information that has online security implications for your safety.
At all times, use sound judgment and always walk the path of integrity. This is the most reliable way to avoid falling victim to social engineering attacks.ย