Psychology explains why scammers are so convincing and it may have more to do with language than technology

Most people imagine online scammers as skilled hackers breaking through digital security systems. But according to a study by researchers at Universitas Kristen Indonesia, the real weapon behind many scam emails and call-center frauds may be something much simpler: carefully engineered language.

The study, "Linguistic Manipulation by Scammer as Cyber Crime: Viewed from Law and Education," authored by Hendrikus Male, Erni Murniarti, Ronny Gunawan, and Masda Surti Simatupang in 2021, argues that cybercriminals often succeed because they know how to persuade, reassure, and psychologically influence potential victims rather than relying solely on sophisticated technology.

Using qualitative content analysis, the researchers examined scam emails to identify recurring linguistic strategies designed to build trust and convince victims to comply with fraudulent requests.

The real attack begins with words

According to the study, scammers deliberately construct messages that appear polite, trustworthy, and authoritative before making any financial request.

"The result of the study is that the language used by the scammer is very much convincing," the researchers wrote. "The scammers persuaded and manipulated the language to deceive their victims."

Rather than beginning with threats or obvious fraud, scam messages frequently start with apologies, friendly greetings, and expressions of concern.

One example analyzed in the paper begins, "Hello! I apologize if this email comes as a surprise to you."

The researchers say this type of introduction is designed to reduce suspicion and establish credibility from the very first interaction.

Why authority and emotion make scams believable

The study found that scammers commonly pretend to be respected public officials, diplomats, or executives while offering unusually generous financial opportunities.

In one email examined by the researchers, the sender claimed to be a British ambassador seeking help investing millions of pounds overseas before promising the recipient a substantial reward. According to the authors, these claims are intended to project legitimacy while appealing to greed and trust simultaneously.

The paper also found that scammers repeatedly reassure victims with statements such as, "There is no risk involved."

Researchers argue that these repeated assurances are examples of linguistic manipulation intended to lower a victim's skepticism and encourage quick decisions.

Urgency is part of the manipulation

Another recurring tactic identified in the study is creating pressure to act immediately. Scammers frequently insist that payments must be made without delay or that special circumstances require urgent action. According to the researchers, these messages attempt to discourage victims from taking time to verify information or seek outside advice.

The researchers concluded, "It is obvious that the scammer fabricated" information and "used convincing expressions or utterances" while making "much effort to reassure his prey."

Education may be one of the strongest defenses

While stronger cybersecurity and law enforcement remain important, the researchers argue that public education is equally critical. "It is highly suggested that academics should also pay a careful attention and educate other people by spreading a clear information to their students or doing socialization to the society in community service program," the study states, adding that such efforts "can also help the police to reveal the crime spread on cyber world."

The authors recommend that educators teach students how phishing and online scams work, encourage people not to respond to suspicious emails, avoid clicking unfamiliar links and never make advance payments for goods or money that have not yet been received.

The takeaway

The researchers conclude that many online scams succeed not because criminals possess extraordinary technical abilities, but because they understand how people respond to authority, reassurance, urgency and emotional language.

As the study concludes, "This study found out the linguistic manipulation used by the cyber criminals or scammers are very convincing and insistence to outsmart their prey."