Victims Are Not "Gullible People"
When people hear "phone scam victim," they often picture "an elderly person with declining judgment" or "someone naive about the world." However, the actual victim profile differs significantly from this image. According to a National Police Agency victim survey, approximately 30% of victims responded that "they believed they would never fall for a scam." Furthermore, among victims are people who held high-status positions such as former bankers, teachers, and doctors.
A 2019 paper published by a criminology research team at the University of Exeter in the UK reported that the IQ of fraud victims showed no significant difference from the general population. In other words, being "smart" or "not smart" is not a risk factor for fraud victimization. So what traits do victims actually share?
Five Psychological Traits Shared by Victims
1. Overconfidence Bias - "It Won't Happen to Me"
The most dangerous psychological trait is the overconfidence that "I would never fall for a scam." Known in psychology as "optimism bias," this tendency causes people to underestimate the probability of unfavorable events happening to them. As explained in the psychology of senior fraud victims, people who strongly believe "I would never be deceived" tend to conclude "this must be real" when they actually receive a scam call.
People with strong overconfidence bias dismiss opportunities to learn about scam tactics as "irrelevant to me." As a result, when they actually receive a scam call, they lack coping strategies and get swept along by the scammer's script.
2. Obedience to Authority - "If the Police or Government Says So"
Humans have a psychological tendency to comply with instructions from authoritative figures. As social psychologist Stanley Milgram's famous experiment (1963) demonstrated, people can take actions they would normally never consider simply because they are "instructions from an authority figure."
Phone scam criminals skillfully exploit this psychology. By identifying themselves as "Detective So-and-so from the police," "So-and-so from the city office," or "the bank's fraud prevention department," they trigger obedience to authority. The persistence of scams impersonating government agencies is because this psychological mechanism is extremely effective.
3. Social Isolation - No One to Consult
Many fraud victims consulted no one between receiving the call and sending money. This applies not only to seniors living alone but also to those living with family who do not consult due to "not wanting to worry them" or "feeling embarrassed." The reasons victims stay silent are complex, but the absence of someone to consult is one of the biggest factors that amplifies damage.
4. Vulnerability to Time Pressure - Weak Against "Right Now"
"If you don't complete the procedure today, your account will be frozen." "If you don't transfer within 30 minutes, you'll be arrested." Scam calls almost always include a time limit. This is a psychological technique exploiting "time pressure."
Under time pressure, humans tend to rely on intuitive judgment without thoroughly evaluating information. Contradictions that would normally trigger a "something's wrong" response are overlooked in the rush of "I need to hurry." Scammers intentionally create this state.
5. Goodness and Sense of Responsibility - "I Don't Want to Cause Trouble"
It may seem counterintuitive, but people who are kind and have a strong sense of responsibility are more susceptible to fraud. When told "Your account is being used for criminal activity," someone who thinks "This is terrible, I must not cause trouble" is more likely to follow the scammer's instructions. The parental instinct of "I must help" when told "Your son caused an accident" works the same way.
Scammers exploit victims' goodness by constructing a narrative where "terrible things will happen if you don't act." Introductory books on criminal psychology Reading about these psychological manipulation mechanisms provides deeper understanding.
Questioning "It Won't Happen to Me" Is the Best Defense
The most effective way to protect yourself from phone scams is to acknowledge that "I too could be deceived." Simply being aware of overconfidence bias dramatically heightens your vigilance against suspicious calls.
- Make "hang up and verify" a habit: No matter how urgent a call seems, hang up and call back using the official number. Scammers say "Please don't hang up," but real police and banks never refuse a callback
- Establish a family code word: Prepare for "calls impersonating your child" by agreeing on a code word only family members know
- Keep voicemail always on: Scammers dislike being recorded, making voicemail your first line of defense
- Call #9110 if something feels off: The police consultation hotline is not 24-hour but accepts consultations about suspicious calls
Being scammed is not shameful. Scammers are professionals who weaponize psychology, and anyone can become a victim. Abandoning the assumption "It won't happen to me" is the greatest defense.
Toward a Society That Does Not Blame Victims
The suffering phone scam victims face goes beyond financial loss. The "secondary victimization" of being blamed by those around them - "Why did you fall for it?" "Weren't you careless?" - wounds victims even more deeply. As explained in why victims stay silent, the fear of this secondary victimization is the biggest factor that discourages reporting.
Television fraud specials where commentators say "I can't believe anyone would fall for this" reinforce victims' fear of being viewed the same way. However, as this article has explained, fraud victimization is not a matter of intelligence or judgment - it is the result of an attack by professional criminals who exploit human psychological weaknesses. Blaming victims is tantamount to siding with the criminals.
What Families Can Do
If an elderly family member falls victim to fraud, the most important thing is to communicate "It's not your fault." The victim already carries deep self-blame, and criticism from family can lead to depression or social withdrawal. First establish psychological safety, then work together on concrete steps such as filing a police report and contacting financial institutions.
As a daily preventive measure, making scam tactics a regular topic of family conversation is effective. Casually sharing "I saw this in the news" creates an atmosphere where consulting is easier if something happens. Making weekly phone calls a habit and naturally asking "Have you gotten any strange calls lately?" also helps with early detection of victimization.
The Current State of Victim Support
Japan has several public systems in place to support phone scam victims. The police consultation hotline (#9110) accepts damage consultations, the consumer hotline (188) connects to specialist counselors at consumer affairs centers, and the Legal Support Center (0570-078374) provides free legal consultations for those with limited financial means.
However, support for psychological care remains insufficient. Some victims develop PTSD-like symptoms (fear of phone ringtones, insomnia, loss of appetite) after being scammed, but specialized psychological counseling services are limited. Some municipalities have established consultation services in partnership with victim support organizations, but nationwide coverage has not yet been achieved. Victims and their families should first consult #9110 and consider visiting a psychosomatic medicine clinic if needed.
As a society, moving away from the attitude that "the person who gets deceived is at fault" and creating an environment where victims can safely speak up will lead to a reduction in fraud damage. When someone close to you becomes a victim, making your first words "Thank you for telling me" rather than "Why did you fall for it?" is the first step toward their recovery.