Psychologist Angela Duckworth and technology executive Mike Maughan discussed Professor of Psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology Stacey Wood’s research on scams during the latest episode of their podcast No Stupid Questions.
In the broadcast, Duckworth referenced Wood’s work in a 2021 article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, “The Scams Among Us: Who Falls Prey and Why?” and touched on the potential shame victims feel when scammers take advantage of them.
“Scams have several features that distinguish them from most, if not all, other crimes. The perpetrators can be and often are located far away from their potential victims. Also, potential victims must play an active role in the process. They provide personal information, send money, keep the activity secret, and fail to report it to the authorities,” Duckworth quoted from the article. “In fact, without the victim’s involvement, most scams would simply fail. Thus, although there is a large scope for researchers to examine the underlying mechanisms involved in individuals’ engagement with and adherence to scammer’s requests and demands, there is a paucity of data on the topic.”