Anyone can fall victim to scams

I don't like victim blaming. You could say I'm a victim of the avo-smash trend, accuse me of being "one of them", tell me I'm a follower not a trend-setter, and ask when I'm going to switch to cale-based foods. Or you could empathise with me and tell a story about when you've fallen victim to a similarly large nation-wide fad to make me feel included and safe whilst I chow down on delicious sour dough bread smothered in pale green goodness. Which of those two paths will you choose?

Now you're in that mindset, let's talk about cyber scams and remember we're all human and we're all unique. That means we all learn differently, we comprehend and process information differently, and we react differently. That's a good thing!  

When (not if!) each of us makes a mistake, it's up to everyone to work together to help recover from the mishap and take steps to reduce the likelihood it'll happen again. Done well, this turns the mistake into a learning experience. The next time we make a mistake, we're more likely to reach out for help if we've had a positive experience recovering from our previous one. There's a lot to be gained in workplaces, personal relationships and society in general from this mode of operation. Even if we overlook the obvious physiological benefits, it's also more likely to foster a culture of reporting mishaps instead of "covering them up", and that's kind of important these days from a regulatory point of view.

I read Troy Hunt's blog last month about his unfortunate experience of falling victim to a scam. Fortunately he chose to use the experience as a teachable moment for the rest of us, and he shared how it came to pass that he, one of the cyber security industry's leading personalities, fell victim to a scam. If he can be tricked, anyone can!

I've personally reached the final stage of an advance payment scam once when I was buying a used car - the image painted by the scammer was very convincing, right up until the last moment when I stopped to think "wait.. why would I have to transfer part of the payment to an 'escrow' account?" Perhaps if the "payment" part of the scam was more convincing, I might have gone ahead!

Over a decade ago, I witnessed a powerful moment at a cybersecurity conference when (then) Detective Superintendent Brian Hay of Queensland's fraud squad introduced Jill Ambrose, a small business owner who had lost $300,000 to a scam. Together, they recounted how a scammer posed as a customer, how police tried to intervene, and how Jill was physically assaulted in an attempt to extort more money. This presentation challenged the audience’s assumptions, showing that even smart, successful individuals like Jill can fall victim to fraud. It was a turning point in how many viewed scam victims.

See what we just did here? We shared real-life stories so others can learn from them. I truly believe we need more of this - sharing teachable moments. While parents do their best to protect us, teachers to educate us, and friends and family to support us, life remains complex, beautiful, dangerous, and uplifting - all at once. So when we share a little hard-earned wisdom for the greater good, we're doing something that truly matters.