This website looks like a scam (but probably isn’t)

Website credibility starts with demonstrating you are an expert, an authority in your field, and a thought leader.

Image by Aitoff on Pixabay.

I just had a weird experience that reminded me of a “back to basics” principle: being seen as a credible expert.

A few days ago I was feeling a little under the weather. I was being lazy, scrolling through YouTube, when I came across a bunch of videos about people who attack scammers.

Every year hundreds (maybe thousands) of lonely people post a profile to a dating site, or even to Facebook or TikTok. One day they get a message from a good-looking stranger: “I think you’re beautiful. I want to get to know you better. I was drawn to you because you seem nice and kind.”

One YouTube channel, Catfishes, investigates on behalf of people who wonder if they’ve been scammed.

Frankly, the episodes soon become redundant. The red flags are all the same. The flattering messages are impersonal, cookie-cutter, and/or bizarre (“I’m working undercover so I can’t call my bank”).

All this, of course, leads up to a request for money…and the rest is history.

So what does this have to do with business?