Cognitive tools for thwarting scams

In an era where we constantly fear being swindled, a book that delves into the psychology of deception and offers guidance on steering clear of fraud becomes essential reading

Nobody’s fool: Why we get taken in and what we can do about it

Authors: Daniel Simons & Christopher Chabris

Publisher: Basic Books (Hachette Book Group)

Pages: 374

Price: Rs 1,903

On May 24, 1971, Rustom Sohrab Nagarwala masterminded an audacious fraud. His target was Ved Prakash Malhotra, a cashier at the State Bank of India. Impersonating then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he asked for Rs 60 lakh to be delivered, adding that Malhotra should collect the receipt from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Too cowed to verify, Malhotra made the delivery, only to learn at the PMO that he had been duped. This