Escalation of the Scam
In a cruel twist that demonstrates the scammers' psychological acumen, they were not content with their initial success. Shortly after the first payment was collected, Anthony received yet another call. This time, the caller identified himself as Mark Cohen, claiming to be another lawyer working on his son's case. Cohen delivered devastating news: the pregnant woman allegedly struck by Anthony's son had died, and as a result, his son's bail had been increased significantly.
This escalation served multiple purposes for the scammers. First, it allowed them to extract even more money from their victim. Second, it reinforced the sense of urgency and crisis, preventing Anthony from taking a step back to rationally assess the situation. Finally, it played on the natural human tendency to commit to a course of action once invested, a psychological principle known as the sunk cost fallacy.