About this episode
The episode explores the emotional manipulation involved in romance scams through the lens of behavioral science.
When Anola returns home from a picture-perfect trip to France, she finds an unexpected flirtation with a man who reaches out to her on LinkedIn. He showers her with love and attention, and over time, he steals thousands from her. When she discovers the deception, Anola reaches out to the real man behind the photo the scammer used, drawing her into a second betrayal. Criminals have figured out how to hack our brains, bypassing the rational and going directly for the emotional response. Austin Cusak, an expert in behavioral science at the FDIC, joins host Bob Sullivan to discuss the phenomenon known as "amygdala hijacking."
People in this episode
Host: Bob Sullivan
Guest: Austin Cusak
Topics covered
- romance scams
- behavioral science
- amygdala hijacking
- deception
- emotional manipulation
Keywords
- romance scams
- behavioral science
- amygdala hijacking
- deception
- emotional response
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: FDIC
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