Fell for it
‘Fell for it’ suggests the scam was easily avoidable and puts blame on victims
Duped/Tricked
‘Duped/Tricked’ makes it sound like a victim could have easily avoided the scam. Does not put blame on the criminal at all
Lost Money
Saying 'lost money' implies that the financial detriment was the victim's fault, and does not put any blame on the criminal
Too Good to be True
The phrase 'too good to be true’ implies the victim was greedy for wanting something unrealistic, but the blame needs to go onto the criminal who socially engineered the victim
Become a Victim of
Using ‘become a victim of’ shows that the victim was coerced into giving away money or personal information to dishonest people
Manipulated
‘Manipulated’ shows that the victim was influenced to do what the criminal wants by controlling information or emotions
Had Money Stolen/Stole Money
Always use 'had money stolen/stole money' when talking about financial detriment, as it places the blame on the criminal, not the victim
Added Pressure and Urgency
This is a tactic used to cause a feeling of panic and urgency in a victim's mind, manipulating them into acts of impulse.