🔹 Slide 1: Cover
Title:
How Scammers Choose Their Victims
Subtitle:
They study you. Profile you. Target you.
🧠 It’s not luck or chance. It’s strategy.
🔹 Slide 2: Real Story – “They Knew Too Much About Me”
Bryan, 37, an engineer in Malaysia, received a job offer via LinkedIn from a “project manager” at a legit company.
“It looked real. They had my resume, my university, even knew I worked at Petronas.”
They offered RM12,000/month for remote part-time contract work.
He did some small “recruitment tasks.” Then came the request:
“We need you to front RM5,000 for client onboarding—you’ll be reimbursed.”
He paid. Then again. Then again.
The company vanished.
“They targeted me like a headhunter. I still don’t know how they got my info.”
🔹 Slide 3: You Are NOT Random
Scammers don’t just spray messages into the void.
They:
- Study social media
- Scrape job boards
- Buy leaked databases
- Search forums and marketplaces
🧠 They look for patterns:
Who’s distracted?
Who wants more money?
Who’s lonely?
Who’s aging?
Who’s trusting?
They select victims like marketers choose customers.
🔹 Slide 4: 5 Main Victim Profiles Scammers Target
1. The Desperate Jobseeker
o Found on job portals, LinkedIn, WhatsApp
o Gets hit with “quick job” or “simple task” scams
o Often new grads, housewives, or part-time seekers
2. The Busy Professional
o Doesn’t read fine print
o Clicks fast on urgent SMS/email from “bank” or “boss”
o Targeted with phishing or business email compromise scams
3. The Lonely Heart
o Found on dating apps, Facebook, Telegram, WeChat
o Groomed slowly with love scams or crypto “opportunities”
4. The Curious Investor
o Follows finance pages or crypto influencers
o Approached via “private Telegram groups” or fake trading apps
5. The Elderly/Non-Tech Savvy
o Found through robocalls or spoofed SMS
o Pressured by fake “police”, “customs”, or “grandchildren in danger” scams
🔍 Which one are you—or could be?
🔹 Slide 5: Tools Scammers Use to Profile You
Scammers have tech, tactics, and time.
Here’s how they collect your info:
🧰 1. Social Engineering
- Stalk your Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok
- See who you follow, what you comment on, and what mood you’re in
🧰 2. Data Breaches
- Buy leaked databases of emails, phone numbers, and job applications
- A 2024 breach in Southeast Asia exposed 11M job seekers
🧰 3. Dark Web Scanning
- Get your bank, travel, or delivery history
- Use that to create ultra-specific scams
🧰 4. Bot Crawlers
- Automated programs that gather names, emails, and bios from open websites
🔹 Slide 6: Example – They Know You Just Ordered Something
“You have a parcel from J&T that couldn’t be delivered. Click to reschedule: [fake link]”
You DID just order online. So you click.
🧠 That’s not coincidence—it’s algorithmic targeting + stolen eCommerce data.
This is how “personalized scams” are made.
🔹 Slide 7: Example – They Know You Want a Job
If you:
- Just updated your LinkedIn
- Posted “open to work”
- Uploaded your resume to a portal
They’ll message:
“Hi, we found your profile perfect for a flexible role. $300/day. Remote.”
Looks helpful. But it’s bait.
🚨 Scammers love job seekers because they’re hopeful and fast to reply.
🔹 Slide 8: Real Quotes from Victims
🎯 “They used my old resume to reference my university and even a part-time job I forgot I had.”
🎯 “The scammer knew I just bought something from Shopee—down to the exact time of delivery.”
🎯 “I posted about being lonely on X. Days later, a beautiful woman DMed me offering emotional support.”
➡️ This is targeted manipulation, not chance.
🔹 Slide 9: Why You Might Be Chosen (Even If You’re Smart)
✅ You’re human
✅ You’re busy
✅ You have emotions
✅ You trust too quickly
✅ You want to believe people are good
Scammers exploit trust, urgency, and emotion—not intelligence.
🔹 Slide 10: 6 Scammer “Green Flags” That Make You a Target
1. 💬 You reply to unknown messages quickly
2. 📤 You overshare on social media (location, purchases, family)
3. 💰 You’ve joined investment or trading groups
4. 🧑💼 Your job is listed as “freelancer” or “open to work”
5. 🤳 You post often about struggles (bills, jobs, dating)
6. 😕 You hesitate to verify messages with others
If you check 3+ of these, scammers see you as a “prime fish”.
🔹 Slide 11: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Visibility to Scammers
✅ Limit what you post publicly
- Hide email/phone from profiles
- Set posts to “friends only”
✅ Don’t list your job-seeking status openly
- Use “open to recruiters only” on LinkedIn
- Avoid tagging brands or companies if possible
✅ Don’t join random Telegram groups
- Especially ones promising fast money or referrals
✅ Turn off link previews and suspicious app permissions
- Apps like Telegram, WeChat can leak your number
✅ Google your own name/email once a month
- See what’s public—and remove what’s unnecessary
🔹 Slide 12: What to Do If You’ve Been Targeted
🎣 If you’ve received a suspicious message recently, here’s what to do:
1. Don’t reply, don’t click, don’t engage
2. Screenshot and report to your local anti-scam agency
3. Search keywords from the message to see if it’s a known scam
4. Share with friends and family—it’s likely others got it too
5. Change passwords if you clicked anything
Remember: scammers cast a wide net, but focus harder on those who bite.
🔹 Slide 13: A Message from a Former Scammer (Yes, Really)
“We don’t waste time on people who ask too many questions.
We go for those who respond fast, who trust links, and who are desperate for something.”
— Anonymous ex-scammer interview, 2023
Let that sink in.
Your questions = resistance.
Your slowness = protection.
🔹 Slide 14: Final Thought – You Have More Power Than You Think
Scammers pick their victims. But you can disqualify yourself from the list by:
- Delaying replies
- Questioning everything
- Sharing less online
- Warning others early
🧠 You don’t have to live in fear. Just stay aware.
🔹 Slide 15: What You Can Do Today
✅ Google your name and phone number—see what comes up
✅ Check your LinkedIn visibility settings
✅ Think before posting anything that reveals mood, money, or need
✅ Remove yourself from inactive groups or forums
✅ Share this with someone who’s job hunting or lonely online
🎯 Awareness = Armor.
🔹 Slide 16: Coming Tomorrow…
🕵️ Week 2, Day 2:
The Psychology of the Scam Message – Why It Works on Smart People
It’s not your brain. It’s how they use it against you.
