How an Active Pause Can Foil the Perpetrator

Most scams come at us with three elements – let’s call them together a trigger: a contact out of the blue, that yields a surge of emotion and contains urgency. Criminals use this trigger to move our brains past logic and right into action through emotion. When this trigger comes at you, let that be your signal to Pause, Reflect, Protect – what AARP calls taking an “active pause.”

For example: Is your grandson calling you late at night (out of the blue), saying he’s in jail across the country (fear), and he needs you to send money right away (urgency)? The active pause means taking an intentional step back (pause) to think about what you might know of this scenario (reflect). This helps you engage with the logic center of your brain, allowing you to see the attempt and avoid having money stolen from you (protect).

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The active pause gives you the opportunity, for example, to remember that you saw your grandson just the other day, so he’s not likely across the country, which prompts you to call him or his parents to confirm he’s okay, and so you hang up on the perpetrator, and avoid becoming a victim.

Know the trigger, know the safe response: Pause. Reflect. Protect.

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.