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Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology (page 4)


April 2, 2021

In the Media: Los Angeles Times Discusses Scam Victims’ Complex Emotional Reactions with Stacey Wood

The Los Angeles Times discussed the range of complex emotions people may feel after falling victim to fraud with Stacey Wood, Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology and professor of psychology.

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February 8, 2021

In the Media: Stacey Wood Discusses COVID-19 Vaccination Cards, Social Media and Identity Theft in New York Times

In the New York Times, Stacey Wood, Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology and professor of psychology, discussed how posting a photo of one’s COVID-19 vaccination card to social media increases the risk of identity theft and other scams. “The typical consumer would not think scammers must have curated information about my life and used it to target me,” she said.

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September 23, 2020

In the Media: Stacey Wood Discusses Consumer Fraud and COVID-19 in the New York Times

Stacey Wood, professor of psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology, discussed the increase in coronavirus-related consumer fraud with the New York Times. “Disruption and fast-moving events create good conditions to target consumers,” she told the Times.

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August 21, 2020

In the Media: Stacey Wood Describes Common Financial Elder Abuse Trends to Newsweek

Stacey Wood, professor of psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology, described common financial elder abuse trends in a Newsweek article about the alleged financial abuse of Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols. While Woods did not speak specifically about the Nichols case, she likened abusers’ tactics, such as isolation and dependency, to a “siege mentality, us against them.”

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June 12, 2020

In the Media: Stacey Wood Explains the Psychological Techniques Behind Coronavirus Scams to AARP

Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology and Professor of Psychology Stacey Wood explained some of the psychological techniques behind coronavirus scams to AARP. One of these tactics involves pressuring people to act quickly, which can exacerbate pandemic-related anxieties about employment and supply scarcity.

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April 17, 2020

In the Media: New York Times Discusses the Increase in Coronavirus Scams with Stacey Wood

In the New York Times, Professor of Psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology Stacey Wood explained why coronavirus-related scams, such as false vaccines and phishing emails that masquerade as important information from the government, have proliferated during the pandemic. She told the Times that heightened boredom, isolation, and fear may increase credulity among people who are seeking reassurance.

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March 20, 2020

In the Media: Stacey Wood Explains How to Avoid Coronavirus-Related Scams for Salon

In Salon, Professor of Psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology Stacey Wood, along with a team of researchers, explains how to avoid scams that exploit coronavirus fears. These scams currently include fake cures or treatments, bogus ads and products, price gouging, and phishing emails, but Wood warns that scammers will expand their scope as the coronavirus continues to impact the world.

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October 23, 2019

In the Media: Professor Stacey Wood Discusses Chinese-Language Robocalls with Marketplace

Professor of Psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology Stacey Wood spoke to Marketplace about the reasons why Chinese-language robocall scams have successfully targeted so many victims.

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September 19, 2019

In the Media: Professor Stacey Wood Discusses Britney Spears’s Conservatorship with the Los Angeles Times

Professor of Psychology and Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology Stacey Wood spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the renewed turmoil surrounding Britney Spears’s conservatorship.

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February 1, 2019

Awards and Honors: Professor Stacey Wood Earns Borchard Grant to Study Role of Emotional Appeals in Mass Marketing Scams

When Vivian Murphy wrote out the check for an $890 processing fee, it seemed like nothing in comparison to the $1.5 million she would get in return from the well-known direct marketing and sweepstakes company Publisher’s Clearinghouse.

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