Combating the conmen

With scams netting large sums of money in the UK each, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is funding researchers at the University of Exeter to look into the psychological techniques used by scammers with the aim of using this understanding to counter them in future.

The OFT feels research into this is important as Mike Haley, Head of Consumer Protection, OFT, explains: ‘A massive £3.5 billion is lost each year by consumers to mass marketed scams, such as bogus lotteries, misleading sweepstakes, fake clairvoyants and deceptive health claims – money that could be more usefully spent with legitimate businesses. Many people wonder why, “if it sounds too good to be true”, that so many people respond to scams, often blaming those who respond as foolish or greedy – however, we suspect that scammers are increasingly sophisticated and manipulative and we need to know more about what techniques scammers use to combat them.’

It is interesting that, although most people now are regularly exposed through mailshots or e-mails to these scam attempts, only some of them will fall for them while others see them for what they are and ignore them. The Exeter study will try and find out why, as University of Exeter psychologist Dr Peter Fischer explains: ‘Scammers seem to be tapping into particular emotions to lure their victims into parting with their money. By looking at the techniques scammers use and understanding the psychological processes taking place in these transactions, we hope to help protect people from this rapidly-growing crime in future.’

The team hopes to build on earlier research into the psychology of fraud to see whether, as it is a relatively new phenomenon, mass marketed fraud is using new techniques or simply re-working centuries-old approaches.

To find out more about this and the other work of the University of Exeter’s School of Psychology, go to the School’s website.

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