005: Of Frauds Scams and Conmen | Handling the Sea of Lies in Society

Scammers, frauds, conman. The prevalent disease in society that you love to hate. Perhaps just the mere mention of the word "scammer", it just evokes a feeling of disgust, anger, and frustration in our hearts and minds – especially if you have been a victim of their plots. What do they want? Why do they do it? How do we protect ourselves from the negative consequences of their schemes? What initially seemed like a simple topic about lies and deception, eventually grew deeper profound psychological study about trust, building relationships, our biases and perceptions on people and society, sincerity and the importance of knowledge. Join us in Episode #005 of The Barakah Effect podcast where we examine the illusive world of scammers. In this episode, we cover:  - What is a "scam"? - Some examples & types of scams - What are the characteristics of a con artist? Common characteristics of a conman. - Why do people fall into scams? - What we should do - How to avoid being scammed? Are there ways to protect or cure people from becoming conmen? - If we DO become victims of scammers, what is our attitude as Muslims? What can we learn from that? And how to avoid the trap of taking the WRONG lessons if we have been ripped off.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:27 - A shoemaker leads German Soldier on Robbery 00:10:22 - Definitions 00:11:22 - Origin of the word Conmen 00:16:22 - Characteristics of a Scammers 00:20:05 - Scammer tactics 00:23:40 - Verses from the Quran about scammers 00:27:00 - Frauds in Islamic History 00:31:51 - Don't derive the wrong lessons 00:34:10 - Victims of scams are often unfairly stereotyped 00:35:48 - The often recurring claim of the Mahdi 00:36:26 - Get it while it's hot! 00:38:53 - Bending reality: cognitive dissonance 00:41:28 - Isnad: the authenticity of our deen 00:46:02 - The Sahabah went to great lengths blocking the avenues of scammers in our deen 00:47:49 - Knowledge is key 00:48:44 - 'Get-there-itis’ 00:49:58 - Prevalent paranoia 00:50:47 - Tool #1: How to win friends and influence people 00:52:45 - Tool #2: Role-playing  00:56:37 - Serial killing conman 00:58:08 - What do scammers really want? 00:59:34 - The slippery slope of frauds - once you pop, it's difficult to stop! 01:01:00 - Lying and scamming purely for thrills 01:03:35 - To what extent do you give Husnu Dzon (good thoughts) to a proven liar? 01:05:40 - Fake Charity: Do you get rewarded for your charity? 01:08:45 - Don't get "Traumatized" to the point where you stop giving charity  01:10:40 - How do we protect ourselves from scams? 01:14:00 - Allah curses those who cheat the scales 01:15:12 - Seek knowledge, especially the foundations to filter out truth from fake 01:16:48 - Simply practicing basic religion protects you from a large portion of scams 01:19:05 - Motivation scam -  01:20:23 - Surround ourselves with good company 01:22:32 - Straight Talk: Don't exaggerate or beat around the bush 01:25:36 - Cheating in exams: Haram rizq? 01:26:58 - Upgrade our practical knowledge, e.g. Cybersecurity 01:29:50 - Limit what you share on social media 01:30:00 - Limit the information you share online 01:30:43 - Acknowledge that scammers do exist. 01:31:38 - Understand that scams CAN happen to you! 01:33:20 - Know our own week points - understand our triggers. 01:33:55 - Report scams to authorities - don't let your ego get in the way! 01:36:44 - "Humans like what's familiar to them" 01:38:00 - Scammers in the Grand Mosque in Makkah! 01:38:44 - Don't be deceived by quick wins! 01:39:47 - Don't go around accusing people of scamming others. 01:43:50 - Wilhem Voigt 01:45:30 - Conclusions 01:47:24 - The believer does not fall into the same hole twice 01:49:07 - Seek protection from Allah Ta'ala 01:50:20 - Substance over form 01:51:25 - "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!"