I am sure that at some points in your life you felt used or manipulated. What can you do to prevent it from happening in the future? First of all, you must be able to recognize people that might want to use you.

1. People that are too friendly

What’s wrong with people who enjoy your company, laugh at your jokes and value your opinions? Nothing if they happen to be your family or lifetime friends.

However I would be somewhat suspicious about people you met recently or those who changed their attitude toward you from neutral to friendly. Some of them are about to ask you for money, promotion, help in business or some other favor. Certain people are very good at making you feel like they are your friends before asking for something. They know that it is hard to say “No” to a friend.

2. Persuasive people

You probably heard stories or read news reports about people who invested their lifetime savings into unrealistic business opportunities, joined dangerous cults or participated in stupid pranks. Often times these are nice, normal people like you and me who were persuaded or brainwashed by someone with sinister motives.

Some individuals use their gift of persuasion to manipulate others into whatever suits their needs. Frequently such people also happen to be charming and appear to be sincere.

Here is a bottom line. If someone is trying to talk you into something you know is wrong or feel uncomfortable with, you should stand your ground no matter how persuasive the person is.

3. Those who ask you too many questions

Does a person want to know everything about you? Your family, income, career… In many instances these are people who just can’t help their curiosity. However some of them might have plans for you.

They might want to sell you something, pull a scam on you, offer to join some cause or find information about someone else. If you come across someone like that, you shouldn’t play their game.

If you are too nice to say, “It’s none of your business!,” you should be evasive and vague in your answers using phrases such as “I don’t know”, “This is too personal”, “I don’t share this kind of information”.

4. Those who used you before

Suppose that a person who took advantage of you before shows a renewed interest in you. Chances are that he or she will try to pull another trick on you.

Such people might express regrets over prior disappointments, but they are rarely sincere. It’s bad enough to be fooled once. Second time around feels much worse.

Finally I would like to point out an important detail. Of course not everyone that you have befriended recently or happens to be persuasive or overly curious is about to use you. It just helps to be careful and question certain people’s intentions to prevent them from taking advantage of you.