The plea from the Nigerian prince seeking help to recover his fortune is an oldie but a goodie in the long list of scams, frauds and cons that millions of people get taken in by every year. In hindsight, of course the grammatically incorrect email looks suspicious just like Bernie Madoff's constant success and the blood testing machine by Elizabeth Holmes. We all have a truth bias and other cognitive habits that make us vulnerable to fake news and deceit. Psychology Professor Daniel Simons and co-author Christopher Chabris say we shouldn't feel bad about getting taken in and explain how to avoid it in their book "Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It."
Nobody's Fool book cover Photo: supplied
