Scam Dollars
A small site about how money gets separated from people.
GLOSSARY
A working vocabulary for recurring patterns.
This glossary documents terms used throughout ScamDollars to describe common structures, behaviors, and dynamics found in scams.
These are not official definitions. They are tools — language meant to make certain patterns easier to notice, talk about, and recognize over time.
The goal is not memorization. The goal is familiarity.
Administrative Theater
The appearance of bureaucracy — forms, steps, confirmations — designed to feel legitimate without performing a real function. The process exists to be trusted, not to work.
Authority Borrowing
The act of presenting a message, interface, or process in a way that mimics a trusted institution in order to inherit its credibility. Authority is not claimed outright — it is implied through tone, layout, language, or familiarity.
Completion Loop
A psychological pattern where a user feels compelled to finish a process once it has started. Scams exploit this by making the “dangerous” step feel like the final, necessary action to resolve uncertainty.
Diagnostic Trap
A structure that frames risk as something that can be safely checked by providing information. The act of diagnosis becomes the mechanism of extraction.
False Resolution
The sensation that a problem has been solved simply because an action was taken. Often occurs immediately after submitting data, before any meaningful outcome exists.
Input Pressure
The subtle force that encourages users to provide information “just to proceed.” Often paired with language that minimizes risk (“quick check,” “one more step”).
Interface Confidence
The sense that something is safe because it looks polished, orderly, or familiar. Often mistaken for actual security.
Isolation
Additional instructions discourage consultation or verification. The request may specify discretion, speed, or a desire to avoid involving others.
Legitimacy Drift
The gradual increase in perceived trust as a user progresses through steps. Each completed action reinforces the belief that the system is real.
Output Illusion
When results, confirmations, or dashboards are presented to suggest analysis occurred — even when no real evaluation took place.
Phishing
A form of fraud in which a message impersonates a legitimate organization or routine process to induce the recipient to reveal sensitive information or perform an unauthorized action. Phishing relies on familiarity and mild urgency rather than technical sophistication, prompting compliance before verification occurs. Common outcomes include credential capture, unauthorized payments, or account access.
Silent Handoff
The moment when sensitive information changes control without visible consequence. Nothing appears to happen — which is precisely why it works.
Trust Inversion
A situation where the party asking for protection requires the very thing being protected. Common in identity, fraud, and security-themed scams.
Urgency Without a Clock
A feeling that action must be taken soon, without specifying a deadline. This keeps users moving without triggering skepticism tied to obvious countdowns.