
SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years

EDITORIAL ABOUT FACEBOOK & SCAMMERS
For some time we have warned of the end of anti-scam groups on Facebook.
Why? Several reasons.
- Posting scammers is a kind of cyberbullying – they may be criminals, but Facebook sees it that way, and that means it is against their Community Standards. Of course if you are a victim, they ignore those sames rules all the time.
- Fake News – most of what we and other credible sources post are viewed by Facebook as questionable. In many cases Facebook is right, those posts are complete fakes and non-sense, but how is Facebook to know?
- The outright hostility and insanity of some so-called anti-scam groups – we had to file criminal charges against two of them this week ourselves. They may think their extreme behavior is their right, but in North America and Europe such behavior is in itself a crime. All they do is make real organizations look bad, and harm victims in the process. We do not ever tolerate hate.
NOW FACEBOOK IS PLANNING A FURTHER CHANGE
You Will Only See “Paid” News Posts
Now, Facebook is thinking of letting you see only “paid” news posts. Non-paid posts from “Pages” (such as this post) will be shifted into a secondary feed called “Explore.” This could be anything from a local restaurant to an international news organization. You’ll still be able to see these items (if you bother to look for them) but you must navigate to this secondary feed to find them.
Facebook responds by saying they’re always looking for new ways to “connect people with the posts they find most meaningful” and that includes making it easier to see posts from family and friends. But Facebook also claims the goal is to declutter your feeds.
Some don’t buy it, saying Facebook is just trying to force content companies into advertising. Others say the move could be disastrous for publishers, especially smaller ones, who rely on the social network for their audience. For larger sites, the impact isn’t as great unless it’s a site that relies on social media.
Facebook has only one real goal – revenue & profit.
They need you to be held hostage so that they trap your eyes on just what makes them money. Anything else is not important.
Again, paid promotions aren’t being impacted. You will still see those appear as normal on the news feed as well as posts from those who have been followed or friended on the Facebook. This means that unless you like our page, you will never see them after this goes into effect.
Facebook is currently testing this – shortly after launching the dual feed test, user engagement dropped up to 80 percent on Pages.
Facebook says it is trying out the concept in six countries right now: Serbia, Slovakia, Bolivia, Guatemala, Cambodia and Sri Lanka – however we thing it is being test in other areas too.
For right now, they say they plan to listen to feedback to see if they should pursue this further. For now, they say, Facebook has no plans to roll this out globally – but that is what they say about many of their plans.
We expect this roll out to happen between Christmas and new year to boost ad revenue before the close of the year.
RSN is the only anti-scam organization that does actual advertising on Facebook, but it means that unless you LIKE the PAGE (not this post), those will be the only things you will see.
We also believe this will have a similar impact of searching within Facebook. In their testing, non-paid posts did not show in searches, and pages that did not advertise (did not have advertising accounts) did not show either.
So if you want to follow us, we suggest LIKING this page, also visiting our website and subscribing so you will receive notices of our posts, and newsletter.
We also suggest that you become a SCARS member – it is free – so you can stay informed about scammers that way as well.
At this point all we can say is thank you Facebook for continuing to hide the truth. But at least Facebook will make more money.
Beggars can’t be choosers as they say.
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
I will quit Facebook if they close down the anti-scammer groups because I have been scammed out of a significant amount of money by fake Army soldier Wyatt Smith Johnson, the money was picked up by Joann Iten in Streamwood IL, using Ryan T Johnson’s stolen Military pictures. Last week Daniel Moe tried to blackmail or use extortion to get $400.00 from me, he said if I didn’t pay it by 5:00 p.m. he would post nude pictures of me to at least 5 of my friends and possibly everybody. I didn’t pay it and he posted Photoshopped nude pictures of me. Moe also tried to get $400.00 from Pat Oakley Rubins.This needs to be stopped and if Facebook is going to side with the scammers I am done with them and messenger.
Which groups or pages are you following on Facebook?
I believe this is a horrible decision for Facebook to choose to make! To support scammers that prey upon the unsuspecting will just encourage romance scammers to infest Facebook like a terminal cancer so, I expect to see the liberal leaning Facebook end up dying!
It will right thing from face book to provide real name of romance scammers on face book because you must have IP addresses and other tools to identify and show their real names not Aliases profiles
One way, it does make some people look like a scam. On the other hand, it exposes scammers using stolen or copied photo’s of stars, or who ever it may be. The real people who are in them, is a form of invasion of privacy but what should be available is a way to back track there phones, e-mail or any other type of contact they attempt
Africa should be added to the countries
I Will be dropping facebook the first time it cuts my ability to report a scammer. If I knew of an alternative I would use it. their site ZOOSK is a scam all in its own right.
Have you looked at our website? You can report scammers into the SCARS worldwide network from here, or on http://www.Anyscam.com