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

Risk To Victims Is Increasing
A SCARS Insight
Victims need to be much more watchful since they are at much greater risk than ever before!
SCARS™ Commentary: Risk To Victims Is Increasing
Victims Are Ever More At Risk Of Prosecution And Litigation Over Their Silence And Failure To Report Their Scams
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR VICTIMS
You may not have known it but more and more victims are being held accountable for the scams they are engaged in.
This almost always applies to those that DO NOT REPORT scams but are discovered as a part of a police investigation.
This is an important distinction and why we always recommend reporting these crimes to your local police, so you are on record as a victim and not an accomplice.
Individual scam victims can be tried under money laundering laws – because in simple fact almost all lie to their bank or money transfer agency claiming they personally know their scammer (the recipient) when they do not. This is money laundering and wire fraud.
Scammers that use unsuspecting MULES place them at risk because they are an unwitting accomplice to the scammer’s crimes. Especially if they find out and never report the scammer! Many of these have been prosecuted over the last year – prosecutors are losing patience with MULES especially that do not come forward and report these scams so they can be stopped early. They can be charged with a large number of crimes and face the complete loss of everything they have if they do not come forward and they can also face civil litigation as well from the other victims they helped to defraud.
Business scams increasingly place the employee or officer that triggered the scam or attack at risk. Employees that did not report or tried to hide their involvement can and are being sued by their employers, and god help a subcontractor who has an employee that triggered a scam or other attack that resulted in losses for their clients.
As You Can See, Scams Are No Longer Something That Victims Can Hide From In Denial
We live in a digitally connected world where everything has a trail back to you. You can deny it but eventually, there will be an investigation that leads back to you. How you initially reported the crime or not can be the difference between you facing charges or just being a witness against the scammer and their accomplices.
You now have a very clear choice: either report the crime or face being labeled a criminal yourself! Turn over the information to your local police and the FBI (or national police) or incur the liability that comes from trying to cover it up!
Yes, just doing nothing can be considered “Obstruction of Justice” depending on the case and circumstances.
Reporting The Crime Is Not An Option, It Is Your Duty And Obligation!
The 95% of victims who did NOT report their crime are directly responsible for the growth of scams. It is not too late to change this and report yours. Plus it will help you overcome the guilt that comes from silence.
What would you rather have? A sword hanging over your future? Or a report on an event in your past that releases you from guilt?
Remember, we are only committed to telling you the truth, not fairytales! Sometimes the truth is brutal but it is still something you need to hear and internalize. You need to understand the consequences of your actions, not just from the scam but afterward too!
An Example Of A Victim Sued By Their Employer:
Ex-employee sued by firm after falling for BEC scam
Scottish custom publishing house Peebles Media Group is suing a former employee, Patricia Reilly, for losses stemming from nearly £200,000 of the company’s money she transferred to a business email compromise (BEC) fraudster.
BEC fraud is a huge business that the FBI has attributed to over $12 billion in losses worldwide since 2013. The scam has many variants but typically involves a fraudster impersonating a senior officer over email and instructing a subordinate to urgently transfer cash to a purported supplier’s or business partner’s account that is actually the fraudster’s account.
In this case, the scammers emailed Reilly in early October 2015 and impersonated the company’s managing director, Yvonne Bremner, according to reports in British media. The ongoing civil case is being heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
In total, Reilly, a credit controller at Peebles Media, made four payments to the fraudsters totaling £193,250. The company’s bank has since reimbursed £85,000 of the firm’s losses and Peebles Media is suing Reilly for the outstanding £108,000.
The fraudsters appeared to have some knowledge of Peebles Media’s operations, sending Reilly emails impersonating Bremner during a week in which the managing director and Reilly’s line manager were on holidays. BEC scammers are known to intensively study targets, including compromising email accounts to monitor communications between employees, suppliers, and partners.
According to The Sunday Post, Reilly liaised with her line manager for the first payment request of £24,800. The line manager made that payment via Britain’s Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS) payment system.
Three days later, by which time Bremner and the line manager were on holidays, Reilly received another email purporting to come from Bremner that asked for £75,200 to be transferred online. She made several payments in the following days totaling about £108,000.
Reilly was fired in November 2015 for alleged gross misconduct and subsequently lost an appeal over her dismissal.
Peebles Media alleges that the fraudulent emails were not sent from Bremner’s email account. The company claims it told Reilly that no bills were due to be paid during the two weeks that Bremner was away.
The company also says that Reilly had read a warning about fraud when she accessed the firm’s online banking account. Reilly claims the company never provided training about online fraud.
Bremner, who was on holiday in the Canary Islands when the fraud occurred, says she wasn’t aware that Reilly could make payments since she did not have access to the firm’s current account. Bremner discovered the bogus emails upon her return from her holiday.
As per the BBC, the fraud was discovered by a colleague of Reilly’s when the colleague logged onto the firm’s online bank account and noticed a fraud warning.
Peebles Media’s lawyers accused Reilly of being negligent and are arguing that she was in breach of her duties to exercise reasonable care that she owed her employer. The firm alleges Reilly should have recognized the emails were suspicious.
BEC fraudsters have pulled off elaborate scams in the past that have even fooled employees of multinational tech giants, where employees could be expected to be more savvy to online fraud. And Reilly isn’t the first employee to be fired for falling victim to the fraud. A CEO of a supplier to Boeing and Airbus was fired in 2016 after wiring €52.8m to fraudsters.
Source Article: Duped, sacked, now sued: Firm demands £108k from worker tricked by fraud gang – The Sunday Post
THINK IT OVER
The Next Victim Prosecuted Or Sued Could Be You!
TAGS: SCARS, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Online Fraud, Online Crime Is Real Crime, Scam Avoidance, Married Scam Victims, Internet Infidelity, Scam Victim Divorce
PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE – YOUR KNOWLEDGE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
THE NEXT VICTIM MIGHT BE YOUR OWN FAMILY MEMBER OR BEST FRIEND!
By the SCARS™ Editorial Team
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams 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
To Learn More, Volunteer, or Donate Visit: www.AgainstScams.org
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
Article Rating
Table of Contents
MOST POPULAR COMMENTED ARTICLES
POPULAR ARTICLES
RATE THIS ARTICLE?
LEAVE A COMMENT?
Recent Comments
On Other Articles
on Common Tactics & Types Of Relationship Scams: “Having this information now is critical for preventing being scammed again and again. Understanding that the landscape is constantly changing,…” Apr 25, 18:39
on Understanding The Long Con – The Basic Mechanics Of A Relationship Scam – How Scams Work: “These steps were the outline of how my scam played out. It was a reminder to me that, at times,…” Apr 25, 17:08
on Recognizing Fake U.S. Military Identification Cards – Infographic: “It is a crime to copy or photograph a Military ID. Just by them sending it to you means it…” Apr 25, 00:51
on Recognizing Fake U.S. Military Identification Cards – Infographic: “How can u tell if it’s a real military id” Apr 24, 23:54
on Scammers Anger – Losing Their Temper – How Scammers Operate: “All 5 of the Scammer Red Flags were present at one time or another. I noticed a difference in grammar,…” Apr 24, 20:52
on How Can Scammers Be So Convincing And Deceptive – 2024: “What’s truly terrifying is the use of AI in conjunction with all that is outlined in this article. Technology needs…” Apr 24, 20:34
on 7 Psychological Principles of Scams: “This article should be printed, laminated, read carefully and put on the fridge of every household. I wish I knew…” Apr 24, 20:12
on How To Spot A Gaslighter – Gaslighting As A Scam Technique – 2024: “This article certainly hit a few triggers. The phrases used on me most, “calm down” and “you’re overreacting” would get…” Apr 23, 17:14
on Love Bombing And How Romance Scam Victims Are Forced To Feel: “This puts my situation in a whole new light. Yes, the feelings were real, but they weren’t consensual and caused…” Apr 23, 16:34
on Retrospective Framing – A Cognitive Bias That Changes The Past – 2023: “Thank you for this great article. I have experienced a small portion of retrospective framing in the last days of…” Apr 23, 16:18
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.
Thank you for your comment. You may receive an email to follow up. We never share your data with marketers.