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

Psychology of Scams Part 1 – SCARS|PODCAST™
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Copyright © 2019 Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated [SCARS]
Third-Party Copyrights Acknowledged
A Division Of The Society Of Citzens Against Relationship Scams Inc. [SCARS]
RSN Founded 1991 • SCARS Founded 2015
www.AgainstScams.org
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
Tags: Psychology of Scams, ASMR, Stranger Trust, Victim Motivation, Rudeness, Distrust, Politeness, Polite, Sending Money, Romance Scam, Online Fraud, Helping Strangers,
Report All Scammers Here Or On www.Anyscam.com
To Join SCARS Visit www.AgainstScams.org
Legal Notices:
All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2020 SCARS All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide. Third-party copyrights acknowledge.
SCARS, RSN, Romance Scams Now, SCARS|GLOBAL, SCARS|WORLDWIDE, SCARS, Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams, Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams, SCARS|ANYSCAM, Project Anyscam, Anyscam, SCARS|GOFCH, GOFCH, SCARS|CHINA, SCARS|UK, SCARS|NZ, SCARS|AUSTRALIA, SCARS|INDONESIA, SCARS|CDN, SCARS Cybercriminal Data Network, Cobalt Alert, Scam Victims Support Group, are all trademarks of Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated.
Contact the law firm for the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated by email at legal@AgainstScams.org
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on Victim Psychology – Managing Your Emotional 5 Saboteurs: “It is so possible to stand in our own way during our recovery. That self-doubt about what happened, even feeling…” Jul 5, 12:51
on Romance Scams – Crime Typology Overview / Victim Impact Analysis – 2025: “Excellent compendium of knowledge on romance scams . Thank you Dr. Tim” Jul 5, 07:43
on Romance Scams – Crime Typology Overview / Victim Impact Analysis – 2025: “Dr. Tim, in the couple of hours you took to pull this information together into a victim impact analysis, is…” Jul 4, 18:56
on The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger – 2022 [UPDATED 2025]: “The article has been reviewed and updated. Thank you.” Jul 2, 07:31
on Victims As Activists & Why Many Scam Victims Should Delay Or Not Become One: “This article is clear in the ways that survivors can put themselves off track trying to help before they are…” Jul 1, 20:05
on Victim Vulnerability After The Scam – Physical Risks: “Thank you for this article. I had no idea that after a crime we walk differently, or use smaller gestures.…” Jul 1, 19:41
on Stolen Face / Stolen Identity – Stephen Murphy: Do You Know Him?: “He contacted me on Facebook as General Henry Martinez from Dallas Texas but currently stationed in Syria. He was a…” Jul 1, 17:40
on The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger – 2022 [UPDATED 2025]: “I agree with Dulce – please look at the article – it seems to be out of order as the…” Jul 1, 08:29
on SCARS Position Statement Against Scambaiting: “This article is valuable and sounds the true call about scambaiting. I was brought up on the old adage “two…” Jun 30, 20:00
on Trauma Bias: “Thank you team for this article. It helped to read this description of trauma bias. It helped to understand that…” Jun 30, 19:44
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.
Not sure if my first comment went through. SCARS is an excellent website which I’ve posted as a link on my new blog: conartistdating.com
I would like to partner with your agency to give more voice to victims through my blog.
Thank you Millie, we do our best! Please visit our website to join as a “Group” http://www.AgainstScams.org and one of the SCARS Membership team will follow up as soon as possible.
I have seen a lot of romance scams over the years and want to be part of the solution by partnering with your organization through my blog ( conartistdating.com) and other ways. I am passionate about bringing honesty back to relationships and smoking out con artists.
We moderate every comment everywhere to make sure that everything is authentic and not from a scammer! Thank you again for your comment.
I assure you that I am not a scammer. I just started my blog (www.conartistdating.com) three days ago so you can see that I’m a real person; I’m still working out some kinks in my blog design. I’m also a specialist on human behavior who dedicated many years to helping people with mental illnesses. Scammers, cons are personality disordered, the type that needs to be exposed and contained for the protection of others. I look forward to giving victims a voice in my blog and working with your agency.
We did not accuse you of being a scammer, just explaining why we moderate and manually approve each comment. Actually, scammers are not mentally ill, they are simply criminals. Spreading urban legends is neither healthy nor factual. As a victim, you need to recognize that you are not an expert in the subject and by pretending to be one you lead other victims astray and can actually cause more trauma than they originally experienced. We urge you to read or Code of Conduct on our SCARS website http://www.AgainstScams.org – we urge you to back off trying to be people’s savior and focus on your own recovery.
Thank you for your honesty, painful but true. I will back off. I am not a victim directly anyway. My adult son is the victim of a woman who is manipulating him into marriage while she empties his pockets through her wanderlust. My whole family sees it but he does not. I agree cons are criminals and should be treated as such.
Again, I apreciate your reply. Me and my family are distraught over my son’s situation. It turns out that I have in the past worked with mostly women who have been taken by men. Now that the con is closer to home, I understand it better, or so I think. Thank you again.
Millie, you may want to join one of our support groups for friends and family of scam victims in denial on Facebook – here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RSN.Family.Support