Just How Stupid Are We? Why Do We Fall For Bull Shit Lottery Scams?

The More You Use Your Brain, the Better it Works

Is there something in our brains that make us gullible, or are we just stupid? A better question would be, “What is the difference between gullible and stupid?” Well, let’s look at the definitions.

• Stupid – lacking intelligence or common sense
• Gullible – easily persuaded to believe something

For me, the two are synonymous, especially when it comes to lottery scams. My mom always told me you could never get anything for nothing. So when it comes to the lottery, you have to play to win. There is no way you are going to win millions of dollars without playing. There is just no way. Unfortunately, not everyone has this same kind of reasoning. I’m not sure if people think they are entitled to win big, by either karma, divine intervention, or they are just ever the optimist. Who knows?

Who Are the Potential Lottery Scam Victims?

So why exactly do people fall for scams that are bogus? Well, the first thing you should know is that not everyone falls for them. There are certain kinds of people who are willing to believe anything, and these people are more prone to falling for them, and these people generally are:

1. Risk-takers who react to unsolicited emails, phone calls, texts, and mailing notifications saying they’ve won XYZ.

2. People who are grieving either due to death, personal tragedy, divorce, or some other misfortune.

3. People who are in debt and they are looking for a way to get out from under the financial woes they currently are in.

When you look at some of the situations you can picture any of these people in; you can easily see why they would be prone to believe that they have won any sum of money. It would almost seem like a Godsend, and they are on the receiving end of a miracle. If only that were true…

Well, surely the blame doesn’t rest solely on the victims, right? Yes and no. You can’t blame people for being hopeful, so I guess I can see how people could fall for the scams. These scams are getting more and more intricate. Not only do the scams appeal to our emotions (if your neck deep in debt, you may be more inclined to believe you’ve won some lottery), but the documentation is becoming more authentic. Many of the scams that arrive in your mailbox fall under the Nigerian Prince or the 419 scam. These scams use forged legal documents, and they are convincing.

Scammers have technology on their side, and this is extremely dangerous for the rest of us. Like I previously mentioned, they can forge documents that look very real. Not only that, with the internet and the ability to find out a lot of information on someone, it is easy for them to send out personalized scams. They can send you notices that have information that pertains only to you, and this would make you more inclined to believe it’s real.

We want to think that we are smart and we would never fall for these scams—and most of the population, they don’t. There are some people who, for whatever their situation, do fall for them though. It is very easy to say the victims are stupid or gullible, but that is only victimizing them even more. Instead of placing blame on them, we should turn to the people behind the scams and dissect why they prey on others. Be smart and educate yourself on scams and what to look for. Don’t be another victim.