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

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Choose Wisely What Anti-Scam Groups You Follow

Self-Styled Experts & Vigilantes Are Everywhere!
Making Things Worse In Many Cases!

A SCARS Commentary

Anti-scam Hate Groups and Vigilantes

Over Our 30 Year History, We Have Encountered Many Victims That Wanted To Help Other Victims, And That Is A Good Thing!

Except when their motivation is based upon hate, anger, or a self-conviction that they are the only ones that can save everyone.

Unfortunately, more than half of all anti-scam groups fall into this mindset. The tragic part of this is that new victims or those that are still clinging to their anger gravitate to the amateur groups and do not get the help they need.

Who are we to say what victims need?

Consider – we are a crime victims’ assistance organization, incorporated in the state of Florida. Our partners include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Our team has been helping online crime victims for 30 years! We have engaged in some of the widest-ranging research on this subject and worked with academic institutions around the world to better understand the trauma that scam victims experience and how to support them.

Let’s talk about Anti-scam Hate Groups and Vigilantes

Vigilantes tend to be the ones that create about half of the Anti-scam groups

What is an Anti-scam Hate Group? These are typically lead by a victim that has retained their rage and anger against scammers and turned this into a kind of mania. Actually, it is something called Messiah Syndrom or Savior Syndrome.

THESE ARE THE TRUE VIGILANTES

Vigilantes tend to be those victims that are profoundly and adversely affected by the aftermath of the scam. It affects them in a way that forces their fear and anger to dominate.

Their initial lack of control and sense of powerlessness triggers the need for retaliation and vengeance, frequently directly towards other victims and victims’ assistance providers (such as police and victims assistance organizations like SCARS), not just the criminals that harmed them. Their actions tend to be performed online without any real commitment to a specific objective – other than to “get justice”, acting to be disruptive and counter-productive to real solutions.

It is all “Their Way or No Way,” and everyone is with them or against them. Vigilantism is also a significant cause of delay in these victims recovering, as it perpetuates their anger or rage and frequently turning it into destructive hate.

It is nearly impossible to assist these victims as they are suspicious of anyone offering help, especially those with greater knowledge and professionalism, and tend to aggregate into like-minded groups online.

There is no evidence that any vigilante has resulted in a single arrest or reduction in online crimes. In fact, there is substantial evidence that Vigilantes work against their best interest by alienating those entities that are best equipped to help them and society as a whole.

Most Vigilantes refuse to properly report the crimes since (in their view) “no one does anything anyway” – only they can save the world. They tend to view themselves as the only true “Anti-scammers” and their approach is the only correct one.

Why Is Being A Vigilante A Bad Thing?

  • First, they have no real experience in fighting crime. They don’t know how to find or prepare real evidence. They just post scammers online, without any ethical constraints.
  • Second, they do not understand the reality of trauma and how continuous exposure to the crime can cause further harm to themselves and victims.
  • Lastly, they believe that they are the only true saviors and that anyone that has a different approach is the enemy or a scammer. So they actively work against the real solutions, professionals, and institutions making a real difference.

They are chaos engines that delay progress, cause further harm to victims, and create completely false impressions of both who scammers are and the state of the global war on scams.

When victims turn toward their anger and aggression, it delays or prevents recovery. These are not the pinnacles of insight that victims should turn to.

Why Do We Issue This Warning?

We really do not care what individuals do, they have a right to speech and their own actions, except when they are luring in victims to truly need help. Countless victims are lured into these groups and fed victims a steady diet of misinformation, urban legends, and fake solutions. This causes real harm to people in the worst times of their lives.

This is why we make the effort to warn victims at every stage of the post-scam recovery. With the hope that in time, they can understand the difference and seek professional help either from SCARS, our partners, allied professionals, or professionals in other fields (such as trauma counselors or therapists) that can help them.

We are very willing to help amateurs learn the proper methods to support victims and follow the proper ethical standards. SCARS allows individuals or groups to partner or volunteer with us so that they can do a better job to help all victims. All they need to do is contact us and we can help them learn the right approach.

Choose The Group You Follow Wisely!

There is plenty of room for many voices, but all voices need to be following the path that actually helps make things better!

Always Report All Scams – Anywhere In The World To:

Go to reporting.AgainstScams.org to learn how

U.S. FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=SCARS and SCARS at www.Anyscams.com
Visit reporting.AgainstScams.org to learn more!

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!

SCARS the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated

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

The Issue Of Race In Scam Reporting
Click Here To Learn More!

-/ 30 /-

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Important Information for New Scam Victims

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.

If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.