Chiff and Fipple Forums

Tor wrote:What's so strange is that some people actually fall for this. And some even if they've been burned once already. Some otherwise intelligent people insist that it can't possibly be a scam.

I think they often represent genuinely exciting opportunities.

benhall.1 wrote:I think they often represent genuinely exciting opportunities.

Add "to be duped" at the end, and your sentence makes much more sense to me.

Tor wrote:What's so strange is that some people actually fall for this. And some even if they've been burned once already. Some otherwise intelligent people insist that it can't possibly be a scam.

People who lack certain mental capabilities or bodies of knowledge often lack the ability to realize that they lack those mental capabilities or bodies of knowledge. They aren’t mentally ill, they simply believe they know more than they do. They firmly believe that they know as much as everyone else but they haven’t yet gotten the “big break” that others got. A scam appears to these folks as that big break and they go for it.

There’s a name for this phenomenon but I lack that piece of knowledge just now. But I know that I lack that piece of knowledge!

It is strange that anyone would fall for this given the amount. I did have the "You owe the taxman. Call and arrange payment, before we put out a warrant for your arrest," scam messages on my landline for years. They used to call and leave messages. I'd save them and play them to my then teenagers to educate them on scams.

benhall.1 wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:Sigh. And I was so looking forward to lunching with Mnuchin...

That phrase keeps making me think of this: [image deleted]
What, you couldn't just come up with Munchin' with Mnuchin?

kkrell wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:Sigh. And I was so looking forward to lunching with Mnuchin...

What, you couldn't just come up with Munchin' with Mnuchin?

Of course not. I wanted to broaden the whiplash.

To my shame, I've been scammed a couple of times recently. Both happened when I was ill, and in a hurry. Obviously my brain isn't working well when I'm ill, and being in a hurry may mean you don't pick up on warning bells. I tell myself I'll be more careful in future, but I'm getting on a bit and domestic matters can take on an urgency that's hard to resist. And to think I've been a computer professional for thirty years and more! So, yes, keep your eyes open, and yes, you CAN sucker an honest man.

walrii wrote:

Tor wrote:There’s a name for this phenomenon but I lack that piece of knowledge just now. But I know that I lack that piece of knowledge!

In case you were serious..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E ... ger_effect