Ever reply to a message, approve a request, or say “yes” just to keep the day moving?
That’s precisely what fraudsters are counting on.
Your scam radar drops by 30% when under pressure. A 2022 behavioral study found that people were 30% less accurate at spotting lies when their brains were busy. Polished scams start to feel “normal”, just when your guard is down[ref].
When we're juggling emails, calls, and meetings, our brain flips to autopilot. That’s when red flags often fade into the background.
🧠 We stop thinking and start reacting - Busy minds rely on habits and assumptions, missing cues we’d normally catch.
📞 Calls during chaos - Fraudsters love interrupting mid-task. A quick “yes” is easier when you're distracted.
📅 Insiders pick their moment - Right before your performance review or during deadline week, someone might sneak in that “tiny” unauthorized change.
💻 Meetings mask mistakes - Screen sharing keeps your focus elsewhere, while background risks go unnoticed.
🔊 Noise is a weapon too - A crying baby or street noise adds pressure - and lowers resistance.[ref]
🔁 Routine dulls the radar - When scams look like just another invoice or update, the brain goes “nothing new, move on.”
📈 Approval fatigue hits hard - By the 30th request of the day, scrutiny fades - even for risky approvals.
And here’s the kicker - the “busy moment” is just one part of the play.
Fraudsters often pair it with a sense of normalcy - someone wearing an IT badge, a delivery driver in uniform, or an email that looks just like yesterday’s. The goal? Let your brain relax into autopilot. If everything feels familiar, you’re far less likely to pause and question what’s happening.
Fraudsters don’t just catch you off guard - they wait for you to be busy, then help you stay that way.
🚨 To fight fraud, sometimes all it takes is a pause.
- Break the autopilot: pause and verify, even if it “feels normal”.
- Save approvals for quiet, focused moments.
- Prep your team: the busiest days bring the sneakiest plays.