I don't know why, but there's this one person that always asks a pretty probing and rather creepy question. The question in question goes like this: "I'm making artwork for a client and I was wondering if you can let me draw one of your artworks for them? Don't worry, I promise you'll get credit and cash if you agree." Yeah, something tells me this person is lying about his quote-unquote "work." In fact, it's more likely that I'll lose money, and I'd be lucky if the art was painted at all. To top it all off, I don't know who this client is, which makes it even more suspect. So unless this scam artist is actually going to do some art, as well as be fair about it, I'm willing to believe that this may be a scam, created for the sole purpose of ripping people off.



So what is a scam? I don't think I need to tell you, but for the newcomers, a scam is when you use dishonest, illegal means in order to be paid. I'm not talking robbing money from a bank vault, because scams are more indirect attacks. Scams fall under the racketeering section of the legal umbrella because of their tactics which can include things like fearmongering, bribery, forgery, and other things that can get the average person thrown in prison. There are multiple types of scams, but all of them seem to share the same things, some of them may not be what you think.



You might think that scams are based entirely on money. After all, they are hoping to make some moolah from their schemes. Well, you're half-right and half-wrong. The main thing that scams are based on is manipulation. You see, the worst subject you can ever lie about isn't about someone else or their actions. The worst lies we can tell are about ourselves. By pretending to be something they're not, scam artists can lure gullible people into their trap and coerce them into victimhood. In turn, it can be difficult for victims to rebuild trust, let alone their finances. Worst case scenario, the victims would be the ones that would face jailtime, whereas the scammer would suffer no consequences at all. In other words, they're just as fabricated as the get-rich-quick schemes they make.



Here are some types of scams that you may have heard of; the infamous Nigerian prince. They claim to be someone wealthy and promise to "pay" you lots of money. Too bad you may never receive the money and you'd be forced into a life of servitude and tretchary. Another famous one is the grandfather scheme. The scammer claim to be someone's "long lost child," but they make up a story just for the moolah, and behave like spoiled brats, even if they did get what they want. The lottery scam, well, let's just say that you're more likely to be killed on the way to get a lottery ticket than your going to end up with the winning numbers.



Unfortunately, direct victims aren't the only ones affected by their actions. In fact, the biggest thing that defines a criminal mastermind is that they blur the truth for everyone. If they really wanted to, they could have someone back up their claims for them. In other words, they create liars who have the nerve to call the victims liars. Still, all scams begin and end with lies, and scammers will do anything to keep their victims locked in victimhood. This can range from things from preventing them from seeing their friends and family, forcing them into sexual conduct, getting them thrown in prison and even violence. But no matter the method, the sole purpose of any scam is control. As long as they're the ones that have it, they can get away with anything, regardless as to how terrible their actions are.



Not helping the fact is that some people with their biases aren't any help. Some people with more left-leaning ideologies tend to be a bit more sympathetic than those with lean more to the right, but they can be a little naïve when it comes to their advice. Meanwhile, the more conservative folk would tell them that it was their own fault because they're just as weak-minded as the criminal is. It's like both sides are unfortunately missing something. Something that would help either side see justice.



So how do we combat these scams? Well, blocking them does sound like a good start. After all, the best way to fight these people really is with your wallet, right? But ultimately, the one thing that I think that'll defeat them in the end is to be a better judge of character. Again, the main thing that scammers are after is to claim and, more importantly, maintain superiority. If you're gullible to fall for their trap, it may be more than just your money that may be taken away. It can be your freedom, your home, even your very life. Sometimes, the best way to fall for someone's trap is to look for signs that may be a giveaway. Things like wording, body language, presentation and desperate retentiveness should be clues that may not have your best interests in mind, let alone anyone else's. The sooner you see them for whom they truly are, the more likely we'll have justice. Besides, they may just as bad a character judge as you are.



So to summarize scams, there's a lot of misgivings, but I hope I've cleared things up with this journal. Scam artists go after what they can take away with reciprocation or empathy, and the reason as to why they rarely get what they deserve is because the don't just manipulate the victims, but the general public as well. In turn, it leads to people developing trust issues, and an inability to talk to people because they've been played with so much, that they're broken and beyond repair. That's the one thing that scammers are truly after: playing with people's trust. As long as they can deceive anyone and everyone that they can, and as long as they get away with their trickery, no one will be safe. Only by seeing these fraudsters for who they truly are can anyone get true justice.