Most losses aren't bad luck. They're a handful of playbooks run over and over. Learn the tells:
- The fresh reset.
A brand-new handle with no history, often after a default on an old one. Cross-check aliases.
- The urgency squeeze.
Emergency framing meant to rush you past your own checklist. Real emergencies survive a lookup.
- The trust ladder.
Small loans repaid perfectly to build standing, then a large ask they never intend to repay.
- The channel switch.
Insisting on Friends & Family, gift cards, or crypto (payment rails with no recourse). That insistence is the tell.