What Are Online Scammers?
Let’s Look Behind The Label And Try To Understand What Scammers May Be!
An online scammer is an individual who uses the internet to defraud and steal from others. Scammers often use various tactics, such as creating fake websites, sending spam emails, or posing as trusted individuals or organizations in order to trick people into giving them money or sensitive information.
There are many different types of online scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost., ranging from phishing attacks and romance scams to investment scamsInvestment Scams When a caller claims to have a promising investment opportunity that will help you get rich quick, it's likely a scam. and “Nigerian letter” scams. No matter the specific tactics used, all online scams have one thing in common: they rely on deception and manipulation in order to convince victims to part with their money or sensitive information.
Why Do Online Scammers Steal From Their Victims?
There are a few different reasons that may motivate scammers to engage in this behaviorBehavior Behavior / Behavioral Actions Otherwise known as habits, behavior or behavioral actions are strategies to help prevent online exploitation that target behavior, such as social engineering of victims. Changing your behavior is the ONLY effective means to reduce or prevent scams..
- First, many scammers are driven by greed. They see an opportunity to make money by tricking people into giving them what they want, and they take advantage of it. These scammers may not care about the consequences of their actions, or the damage they cause to their victims.
- Second, some scammers may be motivated by a sense of power or control. By manipulating and deceiving others, they are able to assert their dominance and feel a sense of control over their victims.
- Third, some scammers may be motivated by a sense of revenge or angerAnger Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, trigger, hurt or threat. About one-third of scam victims become trapped in anger for extended periods of time following a scam. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Some view anger as an emotion that triggers a part of the fight or flight response. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively, and physiologically. Anger can have many physical and mental consequences. While most of those who experience anger explain its arousal as a result of "what has happened to them", psychologists point out that an angry person can very well be mistaken because anger causes a loss in self-monitoring capacity and objective observability.. They may see themselves as being wronged in some way, and scamming others may be a way for them to get back at the world.
- Finally, it is worth noting that some scammers may be motivated by a combination of these factors, or by other, more complex motivations.
Regardless of their specific motivations, online scammers can cause significant harm to their victims.
Remember, online scammers, are individuals who use the internet to defraud and steal from others.
They may be motivated by greed, a desire for power or control, a sense of revenge, or a combination of these factors.
How Are Online Scammers Different From Traditional Thieves?
Online scammers and traditional thieves differ in a number of ways.
One key difference is the way they operate. Traditional thieves typically rely on physical means to steal, such as breaking into a home or business, while online scammers use the internet, email, or sometimes phones to defraud and steal from their victims. This might involve creating fake websites, sending spam emails, or posing as trusted individuals or organizations in order to trick people into giving them money or sensitive information.
Another key difference is the level of anonymity that online scammers often have. While traditional thieves may be caught on security cameras or identified through other means, online scammers can often operate from behind a veil of anonymity, making it more difficult to trace their actions and hold them accountable.
Plus, most thieves operate in very short time spans, whereas scammers may stay connected to their victims over weeks, months, or even years!
Finally, the consequences of being caught for online scams and traditional theft differ a lot. Depending on the specific laws in a given jurisdiction, the penalties for online scams may be different from those for traditional theft.
For example, in Nigeria, a thief may get a sentence of 20 years in prison, but an online scammer might get 6 months of community service!
Additionally, the emotional and psychological consequences for the victims of online scams may be quite different from those for traditional theft, as online scams often involve a high level of manipulation and deception that can be especially damaging to the victim.
Overall, while online scammers and traditional thieves both seek to steal from others, they differ in the way they operate and the consequences they may face if caught. It is important for individuals to be aware of the risks and to take steps to protect themselves from both types of theft.
Do Scammers Hate Their Victims?
It is not accurate to say that all scammers hate their victims.
While some scammers may feel a sense of anger or resentment toward their victims, others may not have any strong emotional feelings toward them at all. They may simply see their victims as a means to an end, a way to make money, or achieve some other goal – this is going to be the majority of cases.
That being said, it is important to recognize that online scams can cause significant harm to the victims. In addition to the financial losses that may result from falling victim to a scamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost., victims may also experience emotional and psychological distress. Their victims feel violated and betrayed and may struggle with feelings of shameShame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion typically associated with a negative evaluation of the self; withdrawal motivations; and feelings of distress, exposure, mistrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. and guilt. In some cases, victims may even develop mental healthMental health Mental health, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". According to WHO, mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others". From the perspectives of positive psychology or of holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines "mental health". issues such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD as a result of their experiences.
Do Online Scammers Enjoy Hurting Their Victims?
It is not accurate to say that all online scammers enjoy hurting their victims. While some scammers may feel a sense of satisfaction or enjoyment from defrauding and stealing from others, just as though it was a sport and they are the winners, others may not have any strong emotional feelings towards their victims at all. They may simply see their victims as a means to an end, a way to make money or achieve some other goal.
How Can Online Scammers Continue Their CriminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. Activities Year After Year?
Can they do this without being traumatized themselves?
It is difficult to generalize about the motivations and psychological states of all online scammers, as individuals may have different reasons for engaging in this type of criminal activity and may be affected differently by it. However, there are a few factors that may enable some online scammers to continue their criminal activities year after year without being traumatized themselves.
One factor may be a lack of empathy or remorse. Some individuals may not feel remorse or guilt for the harm they cause to their victims, and may be able to continue their criminal activities without feeling traumatized as a result.
Another factor may be a sense of detachment from their victims. Some online scammers may see their victims as abstract entities rather than real people and may be able to compartmentalize their actions in a way that allows them to continue their criminal activities without feeling overwhelmed by the consequences.
Finally, it is worth noting that some online scammers may be motivated by a sense of power or control, and may find a sense of satisfaction in their ability to manipulate and deceive others. This may enable them to continue their criminal activities without feeling traumatized by them.
Overall, it is important to recognize that online scams can cause significant harm to the victims, and that individuals who engage in this type of criminal activity may have complex motivations and psychological states.
Are Online Scammers Really The Narcissistic Monsters That Many Say They Are?
It is not accurate to say that all online scammers are narcissistic monsters. While some scammers may exhibit narcissistic traits, such as a lack of empathy or an exaggerated sense of self-importance, it is important to recognize that individuals who engage in online scams may have a wide range of motivations and psychological states.
For example, some online scammers may be motivated by greed or a desire for power or control. Others may be motivated by a sense of revenge or anger. Still others may be motivated by more complex or personal factors, such as mental health issues or a history of traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS.. This is not apologizing for them, but in understanding them it may help their victims release their own anger and eventually forgiveForgiveness What Is Forgiveness? Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. the criminals – so necessary for recovery.
It is also worth noting that online scams can cause significant harm to the victims, regardless of the motivations of the scammers.
Overall, it is important to recognize that online scammers are individuals who engage in criminal activity (like any other criminal), and that their motivations and psychological states may vary widely.
Remember
Not all scammers scam for the same reasons.
Some scammers, such as those in Southeast Asia may very well be slaves trapped by criminal cartels and forced to engage in scamming. There are others that do scamming because it is a 9-5 job, who work in offices. Others, such as those that are part of the North Korean military do it for their country!
But regardless of who they are, we are not asking you to excuse what they do. Just to look at them as human beings doing terrible things!
This will make it easier for you to let go and turn away from them and find your own recovery!
Avoiding Scammers
It is important for individuals to be aware of the risks and to take steps to protect themselves from online scams. This might include being cautious when providing personal or financial information online, using strong, unique passwords for all accounts, and being on the lookout for red flags that might indicate a scam.
It is important for individuals to be aware of the risks and to take steps to protect themselves from online scams.
By taking these precautions, individuals can help to protect themselves and reduce the chances of falling victim to a scam.
Consequences For Their Victims
It is important to recognize that online scams can cause significant harm to the victims. In addition to the financial losses that may result from falling victim to a scam, victims may also experience emotional and psychological distress. They may feel violated and betrayed, and may struggle with feelings of shame and guilt. In some cases, victims may even develop mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD as a result of their experiences.
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SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as trauma counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
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By the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
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