Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
We speak criminal hackers, scammers and crooks as if they are mysterious creatures of the Twilight Zone. But while they are certainly interesting, basically it's people. People who lie, and do it better than anyone.
If only our nose grew every time we lied. Life would be so transparent.
Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing certain actions or divulging confidential information. While similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, the term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud or computer system access. In most cases, the attacker never comes face to face with the victim. But many times, scammers will come into personal contact with victims. And when they do, there are some warning signs to watch for.
A study by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of participants lied at least once during a conversation observed ten minutes. body language expert Carolyn Finch, one of my colleagues in the New England, and was a consultant during the OJ Simpson trial and appeared on many media. It highlights what to look for:
Face: Finch said when people lie, they smile with only the lower muscles of their face. A liar can try to simulate a smile to look genuine or at ease. But a real smile uses the entire face, including the eyes.
Address: A liar will speak hesitantly and frequent breaks in response to a question. A liar might also repeat words or stutter. "A person who is in pause is to think," said Finch. "The eyes go up and around and down to think about what they will say next."
Nerves: Other indicators that the person is uncomfortable include rubbing the nose or touch under the nose. And watch the hands closely, which are an easy way to spot nervousness. "Sometimes there are tremors, certainly in the hands," said Finch, who also noted the jaw can shake, as
. Eyes: Liars will make a concerted effort to keep your eyes so as not to arouse suspicion. However, Finch advises to study where the eyes go if and when they break the look.
If you ask someone to remember that they ate it an hour ago, and they could look to their left, indicating "visual reminder" which means they have access to part of their brain to remember a fact. so if you ask them think of what it must be to live on the moon, they turn to the upper right, which is called indicates "visual construction," which means they have access to part of their brain to create a scenario . this is also what someone does when they are.
Become an observer of the human condition. Study what motivates people and what motivates them. Determine which is true and living a lie. The bad guys that want to lie to you in general. Whether in person, online or by phone, you can feel a lie if you are listening. And that should help protect against scammers and identity thieves.
In the meantime, protect your identity by obtaining a credit freeze or investing in protection against identity theft.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses Bernie Madoff, liar, CBS Boston.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.