Lure Tactics Predators Use
Don’t Fall for It! Five Lure Methods That Predators Use
Protecting yourself from predators in any capacity starts with awareness. In our online course, Predators Among Us, we discuss many aspects of how predators are so successful, along with discussing methods for how to reduce your risk of becoming a victim. Here is an explanation of five of the most effective ways predators, sociopaths, and criminals get victims right where they want them:
- The Forced Pairing
Forced pairing is a lure in which the predator uses words such as “we, our, us” in a sentence to make the victim believe they are in the same situation together. Of course this is not true. If someone sees you have a flat tire and states, “Well, it looks like we’re in a fine mess aren’t we?” you should be very leery!
This is a tactic that is common and a little difficult to dissect. It is possible that a regular Joe speaks this way to everyone, or it could be an attempt to make you let your guard down in order to get close to you. If you hear this and feel it may be a lure, keep listening to the person’s words, pay close attention to their movements, body language and be ready to reject their help.
- The Assistance Lure
This lure plays on the emotions and good will of the victim. This method was often used by Ted Bundy, where he would have a cast on his arm and then pretend to be struggling to load something into his car. When the target of his ruse would see him, he would kindly and charmingly ask for her assistance. “Excuse me, would you mind helping me get this box into my car? I’m a little broken right now.” Then he would give them a big smile and keep eye contact.
This tactic works because most people are genuinely trusting and caring people. If you were to say no to this request, you would feel guilty, wonder what he would think of you, and be embarrassed that you might have offended him. I’m here to tell you, it is OK to not help and to not be nice to everyone.
- Enticement Lure
Used famously by Bernie Madoff, it is the promise of making a fortune “if you only invest…” and then the scam happens. People got so caught up in the thought of having wealth that they allowed themselves to dream of how easy it was, and invested their trust in a man who would bring them a fortune. It worked for a while, but when the payout didn’t happen, everyone became suspicious. At that point however, it was too late. Remember – if it is too good to be true, it probably is.
- Promises, Promises
Just like the Enticement Lure, this one plays on the trusting and good nature of most people. We all want to be accepted, and one way to know if you are accepted is if someone gives you gifts. It could be the promise of a career in acting, the promise of sex, drugs, alcohol or anything else the predator thinks you would want. They look for victims who are naïve, too trusting, young and awkward, loners, etc.
A perfect target for a predator would be a young, socially-awkward teen boy who walks home from school each day alone. The predator could offer some alcohol and maybe video games. This lure is often used with young children too, using puppies, candy, and toys as the bait.
- Flattery
Flattery is an effective luring method when the predator is looking to control and manipulate a shy, young, naïve person, who is likely to fall for compliments easily.
Imagine a young college-aged girl who has always been an outcast, probably bullied, and not very popular with a low self-esteem. Yes – predators can sense a low self-esteem. He greets her at the bus stop with something like, “You have the prettiest brown hair.” She will be embarrassed, but she will also feel very good that someone noticed her at all. She will probably disagree, but thank him. This is the moment he will lay it on thick. “No, I’m serious, most girls put a bunch of stuff in their hair, but yours is so natural and beautiful. What do you do to it?” Now, he is engaged in conversation and he can move in for whatever his plans are.
- Allure of the exotic
Think back to the movie Taken. If you haven’t seen it, the girls in the movie were so enamored with a French guy’s accent, that they let their good sense go out the window. Noticing that one special uniqueness, like beauty, an accent, or fashion sense that makes someone so much different than “ordinary” people, is why this lure is so powerful.
We all want to experience something new and different. However, falling for a sexy accent or a local drink purchased for you by a stranger, is not the way to do it. This is a lure that works on vacations, and is typically employed while people are already in a relaxed state of awareness or in an unfamiliar place.
These are just a few of the hundreds of lures that predators will attempt to use to get their target victim to comply, engage in conversation, or move to a new location with them. Be aware of them, and don’t let yourself fall victim to these tricky methods. They are very powerful and anyone can be susceptible, but just knowing that they exist is the first step to outsmarting a would-be criminal with bad intentions.
If you want to learn more about how predators are successful, inquire about our new course, Predators Among Us.
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