Criminal Tactic: Charm

The other day I came across this article from the New York Post: "Brave NYC victim fights off sicko who faked injury in ruse to force her into sex act: cops." According to the article:

    Vertell Dunham, 25, distracted a 20-year-old woman by claiming he needed help for a cut on his finger – but then pushed his way into her apartment on East 9th Street near Avenue C in Alphabet City around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, authorities and sources said.

    Dunham then grabbed the young woman by the throat, choked her, pulled down his pants and tried to force her to perform oral sex on him, cops said.

    But the plucky victim was able to shove her attacker out of the apartment – and it wasn’t long before authorities picked him up at Union Square, cops and sources said.

    Dunham – who has one prior bust for turnstile jumping last October – was charged with burglary and attempted sex act, police said. 

    “The victim in this incident was incredibly lucky they were able to escape,” a police source told The Post. “These criminals use ruses like this to prey on the good nature of people and it could have been ended so much worse. New Yorkers need to be careful. This city is not safe anymore.”

Keep that comment--"prey on the good nature of people"--in mind with this next story: "Florida woman fights off attacker inside apartment gym in terrifying video." Key point (underline added): 

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Nashali Alma, 24, was exercising alone at a gym before she let the suspect, identified as Xavier Thomas-Jones, 25, [who looks like he could be a brother of Dunham in the first article, above] inside on January 22. Alma allowed him in because she had seen him at the facility previously, according to authorities. 

 These articles related to a recent NRA Women article entitled "Criminal Strategy: Charm." The gist of the article is that there "are a number of crimes where the bad guy needs you to trust him so he can get you alone, get physically close to you, or get you to go along with some plan that’s going to lead you into danger," and one method they might use "being nice or being charming." "The bad guy needs to gain your trust, so he’s going to work hard at putting you at ease and making you comfortable."

    Now the article points out that most people (at least in the United States) are nice by nature, so just because someone is nice doesn't mean that they are a rapist or mugger. "But if a stranger approaches you when you’re somewhat isolated or in a transition zone, and he is weirdly going-out-of-his-way nice and charming, you should be in condition orange."

    The word “charm” is particularly useful if you think of it as a verb: “This guy is trying to charm me” hits your brain differently than “this guy is so charming.” And the way to defend against this strategy is the same as it is for many other strategies: Be direct and firm. Reject his offer for help clearly and precisely. Yes, you’ll probably come off as rude. But who cares? You don’t know this person.

    The longer you continue a conversation with a potentially bad actor, the more information he gathers about you, and the more invested you both become, at least subconsciously. You are in the middle of the interview with a “nice guy,” and the way to fail it is to see through the charm routine and explicitly turn him away. 

I think the article is a little misleading by focusing on the guy being "charming" like he is hitting on the putative female victim. But as the news articles above demonstrate, criminals often prey on someone's good nature by seeking help or assistance: asking what time it is, asking you to open a door, pretending that they have been injured or hurt and need your help (or, at least, to use your phone), are stranded and need to use your phone, etc. All of this is to distract you, get you to lower your guard, and allow them to move to within your personal space. Plus there is an added psychological effect: once you've assisted them with one thing, you are more likely to further help or trust them. For example, someone asking you the time, then asking for directions, then asking you to show them where they need to go (and getting you to move to less visible space).  

    And since the NRA won't say it, I will: be especially suspicious of someone of a different race approaching you for help. It is unusual for a person to cross racial lines to seek help or strike up a conversation unless there is some other strong commonality (e.g., both being businessmen in suits and ties in a sea of people dressed in jeans and t-shirts) or you are someone that people might naturally approach for assistance (e.g., a law enforcement officer, a security guard, a missionary or pastor, etc.). I'm not saying it won't legitimately happen, but that, like the person being overly "charming", it should put you on your guard (condition orange as the article calls it).