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SCARS|RSN™ Psychology Of Scams: Scam Obsession – Becoming Scam Junkie
Some Victims Replace The Obsession Of The Scam With Another Obsession About Scams
Unfortunately, some scam victims simply cannot turn away from the scam once it has ended.
Those Of Us That Assist Scam Victims Cannot Turn Away From Scams
We are forced to deal with scams and scammers on a daily basis. We write about them, report scammers, and help victims. This activity has a purpose that supports other victims in a conscientious way.
Many scam victims though, simply cannot turn away from scams. There are many reasons for this:
- Need for justice
- Need to spread the word
- Need to take revenge
- Need to save others
All of those are valuable causes, but not when a scam victim is trying to recover from their scam.
The Need To Turn Away
After a scam, a victim needs to do the reporting and then try hard to turn away from the scam so they can recover. The best approach is to join a SCARS Scam Victims’ Support Group where we try to help victims develop a new sense of trust and community while focusing on their future.
Fixation of the scam and the scammer holds victims back from recovering and increases negative emotions.
These can lead to two potential problems:
- Anger can turn to hate, and it can also lead to the need for revenge and vigilantism
- It leads to a new obsession fixating on scams and scammers
A Scam Junkie
This is not a nice term. It is intended to be that. It is intended to get your attention!
When a victim replaces one obsession with another it takes on an addictive quality that can be very destructive.
During the scam, the victim’s brain was flooded with hormones that helped to trap the victim in the scam. After the scam, especially during the withdrawal period where the victim is returning to normal, the opportunity for compulsive behaviors remain. This can turn into a compulsive behavior to stay connected to scams and scammers.
What Is A Scam Junkie?
We know that scams – during the romance phase can lead to an addiction. It modifies your behavior, your thinking, just like an addiction, because it is one – based upon your addiction to endorphins and other hormones released by your brain.
In short, victims become dependent on what they get from the scammer. Horrible idea, but true.
What Happens When The Scam Is Over?
A victim should be going through the process of grief. This helps break the bonding with the scammer and allows the victim to refocus on reality.
BUT NOT EVERYONE DOES
Some substitute one dependency for another – an obsession with a scammer for obsession scammers. They just can’t let go.
This can also translate into another obsession – with the face in the photo. That is another obsessive behavior discussed here »
How To Know?
Most scam victims have anger issues after their scam, this is normal.
It is ok for a scam victims to use their desire to fight back (within reason), or a desire to help others avoid the traps they fell into.
But if a victim truly looks at what you are doing, and it is one of the following, or is it an obsession with the scammers themselves, then there may be a problem.
Becoming a Scam Junkie is both a form of desperation driven by fear – the fear of losing that final connection to the relationship that was there. But it is usually more than that.
PLEASE NOTE: Someone who is not obsessed may take on the responsibility to help others, and that might includes many of these indicators. The test is the degree that you can walk away from it when you need to without concern that you are missing something of not being connected to the scammers.
Here are several indicators to help identify someone that is compulsively and obsessively connected with scams and scammers:
- Do you spend hours looking or searching for fake profiles?
- Do you want to look at every scammer photo posted?
- Do you go and hunt scammers?
- Do you insist that you have to know the name of the real scammer behind the fake act?
- Do you want to know and contact the real person in the photo?
- Do you think these things make a difference?
- Do you belong to numerous anti-scam groups on social media that constantly post scammer photos?
- When someone tries to tell you that this behavior is preventing your recovery, does it make you angry?
If you answered yes to many of these then you may have just substituted one dependency for another.
You May Now Be Obsessed With Scams And Scammers
These can be ways of avoiding the hard truth about what happened to the victim and fighting against your recovery. Admitting the full extent of the scam, the victims’ participation under manipulation, and the results can be frightening. Obsessing about the scammers in these ways can be comforting.
The fact is that every victim made a bad decision by letting the scammer in and they now need to move forward and recover,
It is important to remember that the odds are no one will save you, and no one will get your money back.
Worse, all of that emotion that you invested in the scammer was based upon the scammer’s lies / deception. It is hard to take, every victim wants justice, many want revenge, all victims want something or someone to help them make sense of it all. Fakes amateur anti-scam groups are good at making it sound like “exposing” scammers will make it all get better.
But it doesn’t make any sense, constant exposure to the scams and scammers will actually harm a victim’s recovery.
Letting Go
Every victim has to learn how to let go – it is never easy – but it is necessary to learn how to accept that.
It starts by accepting three things:
- You only allowed the stranger in the door, what followed was not your fault
- You did not do this to yourself, it was done to you – you were expertly manipulated and deceived
- Now you need to walk away. You need to move forward
A victim can’t recover if they constantly surround themselves with scammers.
Once a victim has substantially recovered, and if they want to help others, then they can come back, but in the beginning, they have to stop looking at or for scammers.
If they can’t do that on their own, they can join one of the SCARS professional support groups where people can help them keep it under control, and where they have other scam victims that know exactly what they are going through to talk to.
Stop Being A Scam Junkie – Make The Change And Get Help Now
There are many ways that victims can help themselves:
- Join the SCARS|RSN Scam Avoidance & Education Group On Facebook – This is not a support group, but it is supporting: www.facebook.com/groups/SCARS.Avoidance.Information.Public.Group
- Join a SCARS Scam Victims Support Group on Facebook, such as this one: www.facebook.com/groups/SCARS.RSN.Support.Group.33
- If you are in need of local support, look for certified Trauma Counselors in your area. FIND THEM HERE: https://www.nbcc.org/Search/CounselorFind
- If you need to talk to someone urgently, call: 800-273-8255 USA/CANADA
- Or if you want to go this on your own, you can use our RSN Steps™ program for free – click here »
Take A Time Out After Your Scam
Whatever you decide to do, we want you to understand and be able to see that scams leave people damaged and every victim needs time to heal.
You have to look at what you are doing and make a change for the better!
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HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE
SCARS|RSN™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
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TAGS: SCARS, Important Article, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scam Junkie, Scam Obsessions, Victims That Cannot Turn Away, Scam Victim Recovery
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FAQ: How Do You Properly Report Scammers?
It is essential that law enforcement knows about scams & scammers, even though there is nothing (in most cases) that they can do.
Always report scams involving money lost or where you received money to:
- Local Police – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance
- Your National Police or FBI « www.IC3.gov »
- The SCARS|CDN™ Cybercriminal Data Network – Worldwide Reporting Network « HERE » or on « www.Anyscam.com »
This helps your government understand the problem, and allows law enforcement to add scammers on watch lists worldwide.
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« HERE » or on « www.Anyscam.com »
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SCARS|EDUCATION™ Editorial Team
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Ive read the article on scam junkies and that describes me. I hate myself for falling for it but keep talking to them. Ive been scammed 4 times and you would think I would learn after the first. But in my mind I give them a chance, well maybe. but the biggest thing when I say out loud what was done, it sounds stupid All I have to show for it damaged credit and using my house to get myself out of the mess. And i trust no one now, and all conversation with people in general is what do they want from me. Ive become secretive dont tell any one whats happened.Tried going to a counselor but couldnt bring myself to tell all that had happen to me. What the scammer has taught me is how to lie. Try telling anyone you get that look (how did she not see what was going on) even from police and family members.
I feel your pain and absolutely understand what you’re going through. It’s the hurt that makes it so difficult. I pray we both overcome this someday soon. Stay strong
I know someone currently involved – sending money. Any tips you can provide to get this person stopped? How do we get him to pull the plug & stop sending money? Please help….
Read our Family Intervention Guide: https://www.romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/rsn-guide-to-relatives-in-total-denial/
God bless you all your team for helped us .
Thank you
Da,prevarena sam.I to za dosta novac.Trebali je proći dosta vremena dok sam mogla prijaviti ćinjenicu da sam žrtva svoje naivnosti I vjere u lijepe priće.Nisam znala ,a Nisam niti vjerovala da se ljudi bogate na takav naćin.Život mora teći dalje a ja se nadam da će prevarant biti uhvaćen.Sve sam prijavila,i koliko mogu pomažem drugima da ne nasjednu na laži kao ja
If you want to help contact Internet Valkyrja on Facebook – their Romanian Group. JUST REMEMBER, because you were a victim does not mean you know how to help other victims. This is a regulated activity with strong professional standards. First focus on yourself, then take the time to learn to become a professional, then you can truly help others.
I was definitely a scam junkie. I was in shock and so very confuse about what happen to me. I figured out if I stop going on Facebook and other websites I’ll be better off healing from the trauma. It’s even hard to visit this website reading and researching for information. It’s good to know when you’re not alone and other intelligent people