Kindyra OS

Pressure tactic 10 of 12

Too good to be true: the warning signs and what to ask

Promises of outsized returns, prizes or savings with little apparent risk.

How it sounds

Guaranteed 30% monthly returns.
You've won a prize. Just pay the shipping.
Work from home and earn $5,000 a week.

What it is

Rewards far beyond what's normal, with the risks played down or missing entirely.

Why it works: Hope, and the wish for a shortcut, can push aside the question of how it could possibly work.

How to spot it

Your counter-move

Say this

“If it's guaranteed, send me the terms in writing and I'll have someone review them.”

Where you'll see it: Investment and crypto tips, job offers, prize messages and AI side-hustle schemes.

Think you're facing too good to be true?

Paste the message or offer. The free Pressure Check quotes the exact words that show each tactic, and suggests what to do next.

Run a free Pressure Check

Related tactics

Impersonation

Pretending to be someone you trust: a bank, an agency, a company or a relative.

Isolation and secrecy

Telling you not to check with anyone else.

Guilt and obligation

Making you feel you owe them a yes.

Questions

What is too good to be true?

Promises of outsized returns, prizes or savings with little apparent risk. Rewards far beyond what's normal, with the risks played down or missing entirely.

How can I tell if it's too good to be true?

Returns are "guaranteed". You've won something you never entered. You must pay, or share details, to receive money.

What should I say when someone uses too good to be true?

Try: "If it's guaranteed, send me the terms in writing and I'll have someone review them." Then: Ask exactly how the money is made. Never pay to receive a prize. Search the company name with "scam" or "complaints", and check the relevant regulator.

Browse all twelve in the pressure tactics library, read the Black Friday field guide to see them in action, or practise spotting them in Spot the tactic, one made-up message a day.