Top Dirty Tricks Scammers Use

Beware the outlandish come-ons and pick-up lines you'll encounter when criminals are on the prowl.

What the average guy might call a con is known in the security world as social engineering. Social engineering is the criminal art of scamming a person into doing something or divulging sensitive information. These days, there are thousands of ways for con artists to pull off their tricks. Here we look at some of the most common lines these people are using to fool their victims.

Social Networking Scams

"I'm traveling in London and I've lost my wallet. Can you wire some money?"
"Someone has a secret crush on you! Download this application to find who it is!"
"Did you see this video of you? Check out this link!"

Office Offenses

"This is Chris from tech services. I've been notified of an infection on your computer."
"Hi, I'm from the rep from Cisco and I'm here to see Nancy."
"Can you hold the door for me? I don't have my key/access card on me."


Phishing Lures

"You have not paid for the item you recently won on eBay. Please click here to pay."
"You've been let go. Click here to register for severance pay.

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