Decoding Scam Calls: A Linguistic Analysis of Fraudulent Manipulation Tactics

Authors

  • Khalid Ahmed

    Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts (FELA), INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
  • Ruqia Saba Ashraf

    Department of English, The Women University, Multan 60000, Pakistan
  • Hajra Nokhaiz

    Department of English, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54782, Pakistan
  • Rabindra Dev Prasad

    Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts (FELA), INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
  • Mehwish Khubaib

    Centre of Graduate Studies, Asia e University, Kuala Lumpur 50000, Malaysia
  • Muhammad Asad Habib

    Department of English Language and Literature, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11675
Received: 17 August 2025 | Revised: 28 September 2025 | Accepted: 29 September 2025 | Published Online: 28 November 2025

Abstract

Phone call scams have become increasingly prevalent, driven by limitations in communication protocols and legal hurdles in the modern digital landscape, while advancements in technology have made it easier for scammers to conceal their identities. This study investigates the language-based persuasive strategies scammers employ through phone calls to trap their targets in Pakistan. Robert Cialdini's persuasion principles provide a theoretical framework for the present study. The dataset consists of ten audio recordings of scam calls retrieved from YouTube channels. The findings reveal that scam callers adeptly exploit social cues like 'reciprocity' by feigning helpfulness, 'commitment and consistency' through manipulating scripts, 'social proof' with fabricated success stories, 'authority' by assuming authoritative roles, 'liking' via false empathy, and 'scarcity' by creating artificial time constraints. The results show how scammers utilize language to fulfil their malice, shedding light on the psychological processes that make people vulnerable to deceptive tactics. This research enhances psychological insights for responding to fraudulent offers in scam calls, highlights the importance of knowledge and digital proficiency in improving detection and prevention mechanisms, and empowers individuals to recognize phone scams more effectively, contributing to SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions by reducing organized crime.

Keywords:

Persuasive Strategies; Scam Calls; Scarcity; Psychological Process; Reciprocity; Organized crime

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How to Cite

Ahmed, K., Ashraf, R. S., Nokhaiz, H., Prasad, R. D., Khubaib , M., & Habib, M. A. (2025). Decoding Scam Calls: A Linguistic Analysis of Fraudulent Manipulation Tactics. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 1660–1670. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11675

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Khalid Ahmed, Ruqia Saba Ashraf, Hajra Nokhaiz, Rabindra Dev Prasad, Mehwish Khubaib , Muhammad Asad Habib

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.