When You Have to Give the Scammers Credit for Being Tricky Communicators
Newsletter #131
This Week
Communications and Scamming
ICYMI: An Update
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. Sadly, Scammers Must Also Be Good Communicators
Ugh. Your EO Report authors have been absolutely inundated with scams in our inboxes, texts, and voicemails this week.
How? Unclear. But however it happened, we're duly annoyed. Luckily, we've each sat through the University of Nebraska at Omaha's required employee cybersecurity training about a thousand times, so anyone with nefarious intentions is going to have to wake up earlier to catch us off guard.
But it got us thinking: scammers, perhaps more than anyone, have to be excellent communicators. They have to make their lies believable. After all, how else are they going to lure you into their trap without a convincing hook, voice, and call to action?
So we thought we'd share some of the messaging hooks they've sent us this week. One, in case you receive them too and know to avoid them. And two, because some of them are actually... dare we say... good? The scammers are getting cleverer, friends.
2. ICYMI: What 11 Seconds and Dr. Pepper Can Teach Us About Listening
In February, we brought you a story about a TikToker who made an 11-second video that went mega-viral. In it, Romeo (who goes by they/them pronouns) made a jingle, suggesting Dr. Pepper use it for their marketing. Sure enough, Dr. Pepper jumped in and produced a commercial using the jingle, while also compensating the creator handsomely for their idea.
Here’s a fun follow-up for you: the collaboration between Dr. Pepper and Romeo won 6 Webby awards and an award at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity.
In gratitude, Dr. Pepper sent Romeo a framed custom vinyl of their jingle.
3. Spotted
There's a social media trend right now where people pretend to prep for filming an interview, as if they're sitting down for a fictional Netflix documentary about a given topic. Here are a few of our favorites:
Netflix had a perfect response, acknowledging the trend:
4. Before We Go…
In line with our top story this week, even the pros have a hard time distinguishing between what’s real and fake in today’s environment.
From the Associated Press: In any language: English speakers are tuning into World Cup broadcasts in Spanish
English speakers are watching the World Cup broadcasts on Telemundo, even though they have no idea what the announcers are saying. Why? “Among the reasons commonly cited by viewers who spoke with The Associated Press in recent days: A fascination with famed broadcaster Andrés Cantor’s “¡goooooool!” call. Telemundo doesn’t cut away for commercials (as Fox does) during the much-maligned hydration breaks. The broadcasts, some simply find, are more entertaining. And in other cases, it’s a cost-based decision: Peacock, which includes Telemundo, is lower-priced than Fox One.”
From CBS News: A child transforms a North Carolina neighborhood
Here’s proof that good communication, even a simple “hey,” can have a ripple effect through an entire community. Get the tissues out for this one.