Why Smart People Fall for Lies Why Do People Fall for Scams? Scammers don’t just trick those who are ‘gullible’—they exploit how the human brain works. Your brain is wired to seek comfort over truth by taking mental shortcuts to save energy. Scammers use these shortcuts against you , keeping you emotionally invested before logic can take over. How Your Brain Creates Shortcuts Instead of analyzing everything logically, the brain defaults to the easiest explanation. When faced with uncertainty, we often: → Ignore red flags – Overlooking warning signs because they disrupt our emotions. → Rationalize choices – Justifying bad decisions instead of admitting a mistake. → Downplay concerns – Convincing ourselves that “it’s probably nothing.” How Scammers Exploit This Scammers manipulate emotions first, logic second. They build trust quickly, create false urgency, and isolate their targets to force emotional decisions before logic can set in...