What it is
Commitment is our drive to stay consistent with what we have already said or done. After we agree to something small, backing out later feels uncomfortable, so we tend to keep going.
Scammers use a "foot in the door": a tiny, harmless first step — answering a question, clicking a link, confirming your name — that makes the next, bigger request feel like a natural continuation.
How scammers use it
A survey that starts with easy questions and ends asking for your bank details. A "quick verification" that escalates step by step. A romance or investment scam that asks for a small amount first, then larger sums, each one justified by the last. The early yes is the hook.
Red flags to watch for
- A harmless first step that quickly leads to bigger asks
- Requests that escalate in size once you have engaged
- Being reminded of what you "already agreed to" to keep you going
- Small initial payments or deposits that grow over time
- A sense that stopping now would waste what you have already put in
How to resist it
- Judge each request on its own — an earlier yes does not obligate the next one.
- It is always okay to stop, even partway through a process you started.
- Be alert when small asks keep getting bigger; that escalation is the tactic.
What it looks like
"Thanks for confirming your name and zip code! Last step to release your reward: verify the card you'd like it deposited to."
"Your first $100 deposit earned $140 - see? Now reinvest $1,000 to unlock the higher tier before the bonus expires."
Reading about a tactic is a start. Practice makes it stick.
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