SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
ONLINE ADVISORY: Own Your Online Presence
As our digital lives become more connected, it is increasingly important that we all protect our personal information and manage our privacy.
STOP. THINK. CONNECT.’s Own Your Online Presence campaign encourages digital citizens to better understand how to manage their digital lives with simple, actionable steps.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OWN MY ONLINE PRESENCE?
Owning your online presence is actively managing your privacy and staying current with new ways to stay safe online such as using available tools – like privacy and security settings – to manage who sees the things you post online and with whom you share information.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
What you may not realize is that there is probably more of your personal information floating around in cyberspace than you think. Everything, from what you post on social media and your browsing habits, to the information organizations collect about you leaves a digital footprint. The things you do online make an impact offline. You can create a strong and positive online reputation by taking steps to better manage your privacy and protect your personal information.
HOW CAN I OWN MY ONLINE PRESENCE?
- Personal information is like money. Value it. Protect it.
Information about you, such as your purchase history or location, has value – just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it’s collected through apps and websites. - Be aware of what’s being shared
Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s OK to limit how and with whom you share information. - Share with care
Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it could be perceived now and in the future. - Apply the golden rule online
Post only about others as you have them post about you. - Keep a clean machine
Keep all software, operating systems (mobile and PC) and apps up to date to protect against data loss from infections and malware.
The National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) privacy awareness campaign is an integral component of STOP. THINK. CONNECT. ‒ the global online safety, security and privacy campaign. Data Privacy Day is the signature event for the campaign and is officially organized by NCSA in North America.
SCARS (& RSN) is an official “Stop | Think | Connect Partner”
Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. Cisco, ESET and TRUSTe are Leading Sponsors of the privacy awareness campaign. Intel is a Contributing Sponsor. Lockheed Martin and Passcode are Participating Sponsors. Supporting Sponsors include CPDP2016, ExpressVPN, ForgeRock, Mozilla, Privacy Ref, Privacy Salon, PRIVATIZE ME and PRIVATE WiFi. The hashtag for NCSA’s privacy campaign efforts is #PrivacyAware.
Stop | Think | Connect™ is a program of the United States Department of Homeland Security
SCARS is the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams www.AgainstScams.org
RSN is the Scam Avoidance Education and Scam Victims’ Assistance & Support division of SCARS. www.RomanceScamsNow.com
Please report all scammers & cybercriminals on www.Anyscam.com – the SCARS Project Anyscam Website.
Act Against Scams™ / ActAgainstScams™, Anyscam™, SCARS™, RSN™, Romance Scams Now™, and the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams™, in any form, are all trademarks of the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams. All rights reserved worldwide.
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ARTICLE META
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.
Hello good afternoon.
My name is María, I am Argentina and I am writing because I had a bad experience. On Instagram, a person asked me to follow me, I always follow pages of little animals, it didn’t look good and I accepted it. We talked for a long time and when I saw the photos it was really beautiful.
He showed me photos and every day he greeted me, he sent me flowers, of course cyber roses, he sent me a photo with his mother saying that he lived in Germany and that a babysitter took care of her because she was sick, but that every week she sent money for her expenses.
Since I don’t have a mother, I was touched and worried about it.
One day he tells me that he is going to Afghanistan for work, he said he was a hotel manager in Texas, was a widower with a married daughter who was in BrazilPero no termine porque este señor no era el de las fotos y prometió cosas y dijo que vendría a verme y bueno ya saben … comenzó a decirme que desde Afganistán no pudo comunicarse con su madre ..yo preocupada lo calmaba hasta mí ofrecí a enviarle un mail.El me dio unos mails … me pedía dinero 5000 dólares para operar a su mamá que moría si no se operaba de cáncer. Me dolió mucho todo estuve muy mal. Lo bloquee y anoche me envían un mensaje por hangust amenazandome con que si no le contesto en 24 horas va a poner fotos mías en las redes. El tiene por mi Instagram que ya puse privado y alguna otra que le envie como el lo hizo conmigo. Que hago ??
Les paso lo que tengo..samuchristopher696 @ gmail.com, el se hace llamar Samuel christtopher morrison otro es michaelstanley424 @ Gmail.com, otro ricomarlow7@gmail.com, otros nombres..davidsmith7419, otro @ jarolphilips.m este me hablo por Instagram y también lo bloquee, micheal_
donnlley, 3029parquer, johndavid263, brianhaugen1coregsmith, Gerard Wisconsin, el lugar donde se puede trabajar con el hotel candlewoodswites HWY 146 N, Texas city, TX, 1700 HWY, tx 775980 … espero su asesoramiento y ayuda. Gracias
Maria, Hay muy poco que puedas hacer. En la embajada de los Estados Unidos, hay una oficina del FBI. Puedes hablar con ellos sobre la mula de dinero en los EE. UU.
En este punto, debe considerar que se pierde el dinero y debe concentrarse en su propia recuperación emocional. Sugerimos unirse a nuestro grupo educativo en español para ayudarlo a comenzar su proceso de recuperación.
Aqui esta el link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCARS.RSN.Foro.de.Estafas.en.Espanol/