Reward

In plain terms

You are given good news: a refund, a prize, an offer. Good news doesn't trigger suspicion — which is exactly what makes it useful to the attacker.

Definition

Reward is the announcement of a gain — money owed, a prize, a benefit, an opportunity — that requires an action from the victim to obtain.

Why it works

We have learned to be wary of threats, much less of gifts. A pleasant announcement sets off no alarm: we try to obtain rather than to check, and attention goes to the steps to take. The prospect of a gain also makes acceptable what would otherwise be absurd — giving a full card number in order to receive money, for example, an inconsistency that good humor lets through.

What resists it

Apply the same check to a gain as to a threat, and remember a rule that settles almost every case: receiving money never requires paying any first, nor providing anything other than your bank account details (IBAN). A real refund appears in your official account, where you can go and see it.

The question to ask yourself

“Why does this process need something from me if I'm the one receiving?”

Other levers · Last updated: 2026-09-02.