Source article: Mediazona, “The police are already looking for you. I’m a scammer.” How Russians are tricked into attacking military enlistment offices and polling stations
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The stories that scammers tell victims to convince them to commit arson are similar: wrongdoers who rob ordinary people are holed up in a certain place; an operation is being prepared to apprehend them; the security forces need help. The victim is assured that in doing so, they will fulfil their civic duty and do a good deed—help other victims—and, of course, get their savings back
ChatGPT, O1:
To recreate the worldview or gestalt in which these victims operate, we need to reconstruct their mental universe—a space shaped by their cultural, social, and psychological realities. This involves imagining the forces, narratives, and beliefs that make such manipulation plausible.
1. The Foundation: Trust in Authority
- Core Belief: The state, represented by law enforcement, security agencies, and government officials, is a benevolent and protective force.
- Why It Matters: Scammers exploit this ingrained trust by impersonating figures of authority, knowing that victims are predisposed to believe them without question.
- Example: A phone call from someone claiming to be the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) carries immediate weight, even if unsupported by evidence.
2. The Climate of Fear and Control
- Perception: Living in a society characterized by surveillance, state propaganda, and fear of stepping out of line fosters a readiness to comply with authority.
- Impact: Victims are less likely to challenge demands, especially if framed as urgent or involving state security.
- Cultural Context: Decades of authoritarian governance may have normalized obedience over skepticism.
3. The Moral Narrative: Civic Duty and Patriotism
- Worldview: A good citizen supports the state, contributes to national stability, and fights against corruption or external threats.
- How It’s Exploited:
- Victims are told their actions (arson, sabotage) are part of a "special operation" to catch criminals or enemies of the state.
- The notion of civic responsibility becomes weaponized, twisting the desire to do good into a tool for harm.
- Example: A victim believes that throwing a Molotov cocktail at a military enlistment office will disrupt a conspiracy and save innocent people.
4. The Lens of Economic Desperation
- Reality: Financial insecurity is a dominant theme in these victims’ lives. Many live paycheck to paycheck, with little savings and high vulnerability to scams.
- Psychological Impact: Financial desperation heightens susceptibility to promises of recovering stolen money or safeguarding resources.
- Example: A victim, already panicked by claims of fraud, clings to the scammers’ assurances of protection and restitution.
5. Isolation and Psychological Manipulation
- Scammers’ Strategy:
- Victims are isolated from support systems (family, friends) under the guise of confidentiality or urgency.
- Continuous contact reinforces the scammer's narrative and prevents victims from seeking outside advice.
- Victim’s Experience: Cut off from external validation, victims operate in a bubble where the scammers’ reality feels more credible than their own doubts.
6. The Meta-Narrative: War as a Backdrop
- Framing: The war between Ukraine and Russia provides a ready-made context for moral urgency and heightened stakes.
- Psychological Effect:
- Patriotic themes (e.g., defending the nation) are woven into the scammer’s narrative, tapping into a collective identity.
- The conflict normalizes extreme measures, making it plausible for victims to accept actions like arson as "necessary evils."
7. The Promise of Redemption
- Hope Amid Chaos:
- Victims are told they are part of something bigger—a heroic effort to right wrongs or protect others.
- This narrative offers emotional solace, even as victims are manipulated into self-destructive acts.
- Example: A scammer convinces a victim that their sabotage will bring justice to corrupt officials, transforming fear into a sense of purpose.
The Reconstructed Worldview
In this universe:
- Authority is unquestionable, and compliance is a virtue.
- Fear and urgency dominate, leaving little room for critical thought.
- Patriotism and moral righteousness justify extreme actions.
- Economic insecurity makes promises of financial recovery irresistible.
- Isolation ensures victims are trapped in the scammers’ narrative, unable to escape the web of deception.
This worldview is a fragile construct, one that preys on a mix of cultural conditioning, economic vulnerability, and psychological manipulation. It’s a carefully crafted reality that feels coherent to the victim—until it shatters.
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There is a profound quasi-religious dimension to the victims' mental and emotional landscape. The scammers tap into a sense of salvation, purpose, and transcendence, which echoes patterns often found in religious or cult-like thinking. Let’s explore this further:
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1. The Need for Meaning in Chaos
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- Psychological Context:
- Many victims live in a chaotic, uncertain world—financially unstable, politically turbulent, and morally disorienting.
- In such conditions, people naturally seek narratives that impose order on the chaos and offer meaning.
- Religious Parallel:
- Religion often provides answers to existential questions and a sense of purpose. Here, the scammers' narrative substitutes divine will with the "higher cause" of patriotism or justice.
2. Salvation Through Sacrifice
- Narrative of Redemption:
- Victims are cast as saviors in a drama where their sacrifices (financial loss, physical risk, moral transgression) will redeem not only themselves but others.
- This mirrors the religious notion of salvation through suffering or sacrifice—becoming "chosen" to enact a greater good.
- How This Feels to the Victim:
- They are elevated from an ordinary, powerless individual to someone participating in a divine or cosmic plan.
- The promised reward (restoration of savings, moral vindication, praise) reinforces the idea that their actions are not just acceptable but noble.
3. Belonging to a Higher Order
- Civic Religion:
- Patriotism, especially in authoritarian states, often functions like a civic religion. It uses symbols, rituals, and myths (e.g., the "heroic citizen") to inspire loyalty.
- Scammers co-opt this patriotic framework, framing the victim’s actions as part of a sacred duty to protect the state or fight evil.
- Religious Resonance:
- This aligns with the idea of a "calling"—a sense that the victim is uniquely chosen to fulfill a larger, morally significant role.
4. A Battle Between Good and Evil
- Manichean Thinking:
- Scammers present a dualistic worldview where the victim’s actions are part of a righteous struggle against evil forces (corrupt officials, conspirators, etc.).
- The starkness of this moral divide simplifies the victim’s decision-making: Do this, and you’re on the side of good. Refuse, and you side with evil.
- Religious Echoes:
- This resembles apocalyptic or messianic thinking, where individuals feel compelled to act in decisive ways to "save the world."
5. The Promise of Transcendence
- Elevation of the Mundane:
- Victims, often in powerless or mundane roles (cleaners, pensioners, students), are suddenly thrust into narratives where they become key players in a grand plan.
- This elevation fulfills a deep emotional need to matter—to transcend their ordinary lives.
- Religious Parallel:
- This mirrors the spiritual experience of being "called" by a higher power, transforming the mundane into the sacred.
6. Ritualistic Elements
- Performative Acts:
- The act of throwing a Molotov cocktail or setting a fire is imbued with ritualistic significance, symbolizing a break from ordinary morality in service of a greater cause.
- Religious Echoes:
- The emphasis on secrecy, isolation, and the transformative act (arson as a "cleansing fire") mirrors initiation rites in many religious or cult traditions.
7. The Victim as a Martyr
- Martyrdom Mentality:
- Victims may feel they are sacrificing themselves for a higher purpose, akin to religious martyrs.
- Even if they suffer punishment, they may believe it was worth it to contribute to the larger cause.
- Scammers’ Manipulation:
- The scammers amplify this by framing the victim as a hero who may never be publicly recognized but is critical to the mission’s success.
The Religious Undertone in the Victim’s Experience
The victim’s journey is a psychological and emotional rite of passage, crafted to give them:
- Purpose: A reason to act in a chaotic world.
- Belonging: Connection to something larger than themselves.
- Transcendence: The feeling that their actions have divine-like significance.
- Sacrifice: A way to redeem themselves and others through suffering.
Why This Works
Human beings are deeply wired to seek meaning and connection, especially during times of stress. By co-opting the framework of religious or moral transcendence, scammers create a worldview that victims not only accept but embrace.
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