Current SCARS Institute Studies & Research
The SCARS Institute Analytics & Research department actively conducts research, studies, and surveys to expand our knowledge about the state of these crimes and their impact on victims and society.
The SCARS Institute publishes this research on various platforms depending on the topic and appropriateness of the subject, such as on ResearcgGate and other academic journals.
Current ACTIVE Research/Studies:
- Local Law Enforcement/Police Scam Victims’ Experience Study – ANONYMOUS
For scam & fraud victims to report about their experience of reporting their crimes to their local police. To participate in this study go to https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/local-law-enforcement-police-scam-victims-experience-study/ - Scam Victim Recovery Survey Fall/Winter 2023 / SCARS Scam Anonymous Victim Recovery Study- ANONYMOUS
Helping us learn about scam survivor recovery progress over time.
https://againstscams.org/scam-victim-recovery-survey-fall-winter - Continuing Long-Term Study of Stolen Photo Scammer Preferencing – Internal
A long-term study of the choices online scammers make in stealing photos & identities for the creation of fake profiles in social media, dating sites, and elsewhere. The principal question is why they choose the images that they choose. The study involves cataloging stolen images and displaying subsets of the images for victim response, and collecting photos reported by individual victims where they have been used to defraud them.
The SCARS Institute is conducting a long-term study of the ways that impersonation criminals prefer the photos they select. It is important to understand why scammers choose the photos they do. Remember that these criminals select a limited number of images to be used in their impersonations, and why they choose them can help both in training AI to recognize these choices and also alert victims about them when they see them in profiles and contacts online.
For example, we have learned that scammers are victims of their own cognitive biases just like their victims. They tend to select images that reflect what they believe will be disarming and trustworthy. Photos with animals, for example, trigger an amygdala hijack in their victims. Photos of people doing normal things tend to communicate that the people in those photos are normal and trustworthy. But those same biases in the criminals also lead them to select images that represent what they hope to accomplish, such as wealth, if you know what to look for.
The images on this site is a part of this scholarly study and contribute to the volume of knowledge we obtain from them. To add photos that you have collected from these criminals to our work, visit www.AnyScam.com
Studies Coming Soon:
- FBI IC3.gov Scam Victims’ Experience Study – ANONYMOUS
For scam & fraud victims to report on their experience with using the FBI online reporting process - Scam Victim Intimacy Study – ANONYMOUS
To Help Victims better understand how intimacy with their scammer affected the recovery - Scam Victim Taxonomy Comprehension Study – ANONYMOUS
Seeing how scam victims comprehend the terms that are used to identify and define scams & fraud
