Inside Social Engineering: Why Smart People Get Scammed

Why do smart people fall for scams? Because social engineering exploits human psychology more than technology. In this Unlocked 403 episode (S2E6), host Becks talks with ESET software engineer Alena Košinárová about the mental triggers attackers use—and how to recognize and resist them.

What you’ll learn:

• The psychology of persuasion: authority, urgency, reciprocity, scarcity, fear, and curiosity
• How oversharing on social media and other public data fuels phishing, vishing, and smishing
• Real-world pretexting and spear-phishing that feels personal—and why it works
• Practical steps to harden your defenses at home and at work

Protect yourself checklist:

• Slow down: verify requests via a second channel before acting
• Validate identity: inspect domains, caller IDs, and URLs—don’t trust display names
• Limit data exposure: review privacy settings; think before you post
• Least privilege: separate accounts and limit access/payment methods
• Security hygiene: use a password manager, enable MFA, update devices, and run reputable security software
• Default to deny: treat unexpected requests as suspicious until proven safe
• Practice makes prepared: run phishing simulations and family drills

Why it matters: Social engineering sidesteps technical controls by targeting people. Understanding how attackers manipulate trust helps you spot red flags early and protect your data.

Connect: Follow Unlocked 403 and ESET on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Source: WeLiveSecurity