Verification Habits
Social engineering
Manipulating a person with trust, fear, urgency, or emotion.
What it means
Social engineering is when scammers focus on influencing your choices instead of hacking technology directly.
Example
A caller says you must keep a payment secret or someone will be in trouble.
Warning signs
- You feel rushed, afraid, flattered, guilty, or excited.
- The request bypasses normal steps.
- They discourage you from checking with others.
Safer next steps
- Pause before acting.
- Talk with a trusted person.
- Verify through a separate official channel.