Scam Prevention and the Risk of “Feeling Smarter”
Have you ever read a scam report and wondered, “How could a person fall for that?” ‘Feeling ‘smarter’ than those fooled by such a scheme propels you…
The Mirage of a Massive Windfall
Have you ever fantasized about winning the grand prize of a massive lottery? Imagine the life changes…
Your Own Fraud Fighting Squad
High-risk enterprises rely on a simple premise: they never leave the best results to chance. To see how this mindset looks in practice…
The Disciplined Approach to a Scammer – Lessons From The Control Room
It is the middle of the night. A Nuclear Control Room Operator monitors the chart displays. Suddenly…
There Goes the Neighbourhood – Preparing for Reality.
You prepare for a trip to an exotic destination with care, maximizing your safety in a foreign culture. Why, then, do we…
There Goes the Neighbourhood – Who Are the New Cons?
We are hardwired to trust the person on the other end of the line. While this is a beautiful human trait…
There Goes the Neighbourhood – You’ve Moved Without Leaving Your Chair
Your front door is locked, your alarm is set, and you feel perfectly safe. In reality, you are …
Why Your Brain Quits – The Scammer’s Secret Leverage
In a world of endless choices, have you ever felt so exasperated that you thought, “I just don’t care anymore?” This sense of overwhelm stems from …
Why Do We Obey? Understanding the Authority Bias
Have you ever done something then wondered why you made that choice? Many human traits …
The Brain ‘Glitch’ That Scammers Count On.
Have you ever felt your mind blank out when the element of surprise breaks you from your immediate train of thought? Unexpected and stressful circumstances…
Internal Conviction – The False Security of Information.
Why does an aspiring driver avoid the license exam immediately after reading the manual? You likely know…
Internal Conviction – The Law of the Failsafe
How does a nuclear reactor stay safe when things move too fast for human thought? It relies on…
Internal Conviction – Mastering Your Operating Standards
How do you ensure your self-improvement ambitions actually succeed? Most New Year’s Resolutions fail because…
Internal Conviction – The Sentry Never Sleeps
When you commit to a personal improvement, how does one maintain momentum? We know that…
Internal Conviction – The Promise To Yourself
In a world of rules, have you wondered why some laws protect us while others fail? It comes down to…
Proactive Control Versus Reactive Hope
In a world where new scams pop up every day, how do you learn to protect yourself?…
Reclaiming Recognition: The Art of War Against Deceit
In a world where scams reach us through every screen and phone line, how do you learn to protect yourself? You begin with…
Incomplete Situational Awareness – Adopting the High Risk Mindset
Our world has indeed changed. We may feel secure in our homes and familiar neighbourhoods, but online …
A Strategy from the 5th Century BC on Scam Avoidance
An ancient text describing winning battle strategy contains fundamental concepts that are as true today as ever. The book …
The Best Perspective Gives the Wisest Choice
An article on the FBI website describes the important work of a forensic engineer. This engineer helps courts …
The More We Look, The Less We See.
There is a very strange, counter-intuitive reality of a scam situation discovered by the University of Exeter. In their study …
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Scammer?
Essentially, this bias describes two strange relationships related to a person’s competence. First, people who are …
Have you ever felt completely trapped inside a stressful moment, unable to think clearly? That feeling is…
When a Decision Must Be Made – 3 – The Scammer’s Dream: Why Rushing is Dangerous
Why is it so easy to spot a scam later? You read the story and wonder, “How could anyone fall for that?”…
When a Decision Must Be Made – 2 – The Freedom of Flexibility
You will never know less than you do about a situation the moment you make the decision…
When we discuss gathering information for a wiser decision, you must understand one thing: we do not mean to put off a decision that needs to be made…
Can You Escape the Emotional Trap?
Emotions surge up fast. If we blurt out a response or act immediately on an urge driven by emotion, our best intentions can be lost.
The key to liberating yourself from a regrettable action is…
What if we could change the rationalization behind changing our minds? Instead of being a sign of weakness or a blow to the ego, what if we could…
Our world is profoundly complex, yet we tend to break things down into simple ideas. As…
Imagine observing someone in a black hoodie with a backpack walk around your neighbour’s side yard and open a window. You check the driveway…
The Rainbow Reflection: Your Tool Against Deception
Our minds are constantly processing a flood of information. To make sense of the world, our brains quickly sift through these details, picking out what is considered important for the circumstances. Then…
Why Fixating on the Details Keeps You in a Scam
You’ve likely been the target of a scammer, or you know someone who has. In a world where scams are becoming more and more common, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the truth is…
Your Personal Compass: Navigating Real-World Decisions
Even critical decisions seem to boil down to simple considerations when a more thorough deliberation should take place. Major decisions can be much more complex…
Sculpting Your Needs into Your North Star
When you take the time to reflect on your needs, many things that were likely bubbling around in your mind become much more clear and apparent…
Your Personal Compass: The Rainbow Reflection
Have you ever felt conflicted in deciding which option is the best way to deal with a situation? I remember when…
What are the words you use to define yourself? We all have an inner dialogue, and what you hear from that inner self is profoundly important…
The Hidden Price of Inaction – Understanding Opportunity Cost
We’ve all heard the saying: choosing not to decide about an issue is a decision in itself. This strategy, often passive, comes with its own set of consequences. Some believe that by simply letting fate take its course, the results were ‘meant to happen.’ However…
The “Random Walk” of Life – Are You Just Letting It Happen?
When you step back to look at your life, do you get the sense you are in control, or instead, is life happening to you? In other words, are you acting with purpose, or are you reacting after an event?
There’s a math-based concept …
Navigating Responsibility in the Age of Scams: Where Does the Buck Stop?
Scams are indeed becoming more sophisticated with each passing day. The statistics are staggering. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, in its 2024 report, states that losses reported to the FBI that year totaled over $16 billion. That represents…
Your Opinion Matters Less Than You Think – Part 3: The Power of “It Depends” Thinking
How do we break free from the pervasive categorization that our opinions trigger, preventing us from being truly listened to? Or the aggressive, antisocial behaviour we constantly encounter in online interactions…
Have you noticed how social media often feels saturated with wildly diverse, intensely polarized opinions? On almost any issue, it seems as if there are two diametrically opposed camps, with little to no middle ground where differing points of view can find common merit…
Your Opinion Matters Less Than You Think: Part 1 – The Hidden Cost of Taking a Stand
Scams are designed to bypass our usual wisdom, often preying on our natural tendencies and the pressure to be ‘right.’ We’ve laid the groundwork for wiser decision-making in earlier posts, but now it’s time to see our framework in action…
The Fight Against Scams: How ‘It Depends’ Unlocks Your Wisest Defence
Scams are designed to bypass our usual wisdom, often preying on our natural tendencies and the pressure to be ‘right.’ We’ve laid the groundwork for wiser decision-making in earlier posts, but now it’s time to see our framework in action…
It Depends: Wisdom Beyond Certainty
Think about this: we all know that person who, once they’ve stated their opinion, won’t budge from that position. They ‘stick to their guns,’ even in the face of new, contrary evidence. Why do many people fall into this trap? …
Your Decision, Your Power: Embracing Ownership for Wiser Choices
In a world of information overload and endless opinions and advice, remembering you are truly in charge of your actions can be empowering.
This post explores a fundamental truth of decision-making: your decision is always yours …
Beyond the First Impulse: Building Your Possibility Network
In my career as a training consultant, I was once hired by a corporation who suggested I use a specific company they were familiar with for liability insurance. I was informed this company understood the needs of the type of work I was doing and also provided a great price…
Introducing Rainbow Reflection: A Key to Wiser Decisions
In my career as a training consultant, I was once hired by a corporation who suggested I use a specific company they were familiar with for liability insurance. I was informed this company understood the needs of the type of work I was doing and also provided a great price…
