Cognitive Heists series #7: The Trojan Gift

2025-09-29

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Hey folks! It's been a few weeks, but now the gift is here. :) It's the 7th installment of the "Cognitive Heists" series. This one is titled, "The Trojan Gift." 🎁 Not all traps look like traps. Some arrive with a bow on top. The Trojan Horse is the oldest example. But today, the gift often looks like a free service. No charge, no strings… except the ones you don’t see. Because the real price isn’t money. It’s privacy. -- It’s data. -- It’s you. In this issue of Cognitive Heists, we explore:

Hey folks! It's been a few weeks, but now the gift is here. :) It's the 7th installment of the "Cognitive Heists" series. This one is titled, "The Trojan Gift." 🎁

Not all traps look like traps. Some arrive with a bow on top.

The Trojan Horse is the oldest example. But today, the gift often looks like a free service. No charge, no strings… except the ones you don’t see.

Because the real price isn’t money. It’s privacy.

-- It’s data.

-- It’s you.

In this issue of Cognitive Heists, we explore:

🔹 How “free” has always been one of the most effective disguises in the con artist’s playbook

🔹 Folklore warnings about cursed gifts that crumble into ash

🔹 Why reciprocity, curiosity, and flattery make us drag danger through our own gates

🔹 And how modern Trojan Gifts hide in inboxes, QR codes, cloud apps, and “free” platforms

The cost of convenience is rarely written on the tag.

Enjoy!