Whenever we make a purchase, we often wonder,

"Am I getting the best deal on this? Could I find a better rate on a different site?"

The bigger the price tag, the more welcome a discount would be.

So, when we find the unbelievable deal, we want to believe it.

Our desire for reward is often stronger than our fear of repercussion, like the mouse that ignores the trap so he can get the cheese.

It's five o'clock on a Friday, and Susan is finishing her work week.

Now, for her second job, prepping for the birth of her son.

Tonight, she's on the hunt for a stroller, shocked at the wide variety of brands but uniformly high prices,

"This thing better push itself."

Susan pokes around popular websites, but is discouraged.

She keeps searching, and soon finds the exact item she's looking for being sold by an individual who can no longer use it.

But there's only the one stroller, and Susan knows this opportunity won't last forever.

When we find something we really want, our judgment is impaired⏤that's no accident.

It's built into the very psychological nature of a reward-based or merchandise scam.

According to recent research, merchandise scams were the most popular scam of 2020, both overall and online.

Clearly, the simplicity is successful, and in order for them to work, these scams use a tactic known as phantom fixation.

It's what happens when we're given an offer so incredible that it clouds our critical judgment.

Susan is fixated by the opportunity in front of her.

She ponders, imagining the joy such treasure will bring.

Such a prize would place her at the envy of her fellow parents as she strolls right by them.

Unable to ignore the pull any longer, Susan snaps into action and quickly secures the stroller of her dreams.

A wave of excitement and relief wash over her; she's finally nabbed her dream stroller.

The scam may be apparent to us observers, but for the person who finds the great deal, it's as dazzling as finding a diamond in the middle of Main Street.

But does this happen every time we find a great deal, or does the money itself factor into our fixation?

According to a 2016 study, decisions involving money activate different brain functions than non-financial decisions.

In fact, researchers found that individuals asked to pay a high price for an item experienced an actual emotional pain response in the brain.

Thus, someone finding a cheaper price could trigger a relief, and the perceived lack of pain would further influence their decision.

This effect can be greater than with non-money-based decisions.

So, how do we avoid the influence of money, phantom fixation, and merchandise scams in general?

Glad you asked.

Well, there are several red flags to watch out for.

Basically, what it comes down to is, remember that when you're buying something on the internet,

if you're buying it from a website or a person you've never met before, you don't know who you're dealing with.

They may be perfectly legitimate, they may also be a scammer.

So, once you see the red flags, what do you do?

I believe in trust⏤I would not say don't trust anybody.

Instead, I would say, being trusting is a great portion of who we are as humans.

We just, perhaps, need to slow down a little bit and think through things when somebody says something to us and we're not quite sure it's real.

A good deal is hard to pass up, but an unbelievable deal?

That should probably be questioned.

Avoid getting scammed.

Be careful about who you're giving your money to, and always confirm you have the recipient's correct information before sending payment.

Most important, Zelle would like to remind you to only send money to those you know and trust.