The fact Is, we all want to have the top of the range cell phones, big screen TVs or perhaps the awesome 3,000$ gaming laptop advertised by an online retailer however, not everyone can afford to purchase such Items and even If they could, why pay for It when there's every possibility of obtaining It for free? That's when elite social engineers come Into action, with their methodical and strategic plans to SE a given company and get just about anything they like free of cost. Ideally, this Is how an SE'ers world operates, but not everything goes according to plan.
At some point during the process of SEing a company to obtain a refund for an Item, the representative will ask the social engineer to sign a document, namely a statutory declaration and until the SE'er puts pen to paper, the claim will not proceed any further. I've been asked countless times as to whether It should be signed or totally disregarded- hence put an end to the SE there and then. I'm obviously well aware of what should be done, but It's up to YOU, the social engineer, to make that decision. In order to do so, you need to have a clear understanding of what a statutory declaration Is all about, so let's have a look at that now.
What Is A Statutory Declaration?
Given that legislation and regulations differ between many countries, I cannot speak for each and every region, so what you're about to read Is based on general principles of law and not bound to any specific location. Put simply, "a statutory declaration Is a written statement that declares that everything stated, Is true and correct". It Is signed In the presence of an authorized witness such as a police officer or medical practitioner (doctor).
Depending on what part of the globe you live In, some statutory declarations are signed on the grounds that the Information you've provided, Is true and correct "to the best of your knowledge and belief". From a social engineering standpoint, this Is the loophole that can potentially deem the declaration void. How so? Well, as far as the SE'er Is concerned, he signed the document "to the best of his knowledge"- be It true or false, makes no difference! In other words, "that Is what he believed was true at the time of signing the stat dec". I also get asked why a company Issues a statutory declaration, which brings me to my next point.
Why Does A Company Issue A Statutory Declaration?
There are no hard and fast rules, as to why a company requests a stat dec to be signed. You may have used the "missing Item method", whereby you've claimed that there was nothing In the box of the cell phone you ordered and as such, an Investigation was opened, and the company decided that a statutory declaration was necessary as part of their protocol and Investigation process. Under normal and particularly "legit circumstances", there's absolutely no cause for concern, but when SEing, the question always Is: "should you sign It?". I'll try and explain this as simple as possible.
Is It Safe To Sign A Statutory Declaration?
Unlike an affidavit that's legally binding on Its own, a statutory declaration must be signed In the presence of a Justice of the Peace to make the document legally binding. Whilst this Is a huge advantage to the social engineer when not signed as such, In some territories, making a false declaration can result In the person being liable and charged with perjury. On the other hand and on a gentle note, a stat dec may simply be required as part of company protocol to move forward with the SE'ers claim, and nothing more. So should you sign It? I'll conclude my view now.
In Conclusion:
In all my years of social engineering, I've yet to personally experience legal action as a result of signing a document "to the best of my knowledge", nor have I come across anyone who has had their case taken to court on similar grounds. You're now well aware of what a statutory declaration Is all about, so ultimately and based on your circumstances at the time and also taking all the above under advisement, It's your call whether to put pen to paper.
