You Say You Can’t Be Scammed Again?
Most Victims Can Be!
For decades, since 1991, we have been warning about scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. of one nature or another, but what most scams have in common is Social EngineeringSocial Engineering Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. It is used as a type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme. It has also been defined as "any act that influences a person to take any action that may or may not be in their best interests."!
For most of you who have been scammed you sware it will never happen again, right? Just being a victim of a scamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. is not enough to prevent it from happening again.
According to SCARS Analytics: the average number of times a victim will be scammed is 3.4 times!
Of course, many (most?) are one and done, but some are scammed a dozen or more times to create that average! We have known many who were scammed 20 to 30 times!
It Takes More Than Wishful Thinking, It Takes Change!
It takes more than wishful thinking to stop yourself from being scammed. After all, it was wishful thinking (magical thinking) that got you scammed in the first place.
At the heart of almost all scams is Social Engineering – using the way you are wired to defeat you – over and over again.
It Starts With Learning – Have You Been Learning Or Reacting?
We appreciate that many people have no clue how things really work on the web. Just like a teen has no clue how to safely drive a car and not kill themselves – UNTIL they learn.
The Tragedy Is That Most People Do Not Learn To Use The Internet Effectively & Safely
Nobody told you there were scammers, right?
You were ignorant of the real dangers. This was caused by a combination of impulsiveness, inattention, a lack of interest, and an unawareness of how dangerous it can be.
Consider how this applies to something as simple as unsubscribing to an email that you signed up for. Most people have no idea that this is all automated, and that even if we wanted to, you control your own subscriptions (this is required by law & regulations now). When you get an email there is an Unsubscribe link required by law. All it usually takes is to click it! Yet most people send emails demanding removal.
We mention this because this is also how you were scammed!
You probably didn’t see what was right in front of you.
Instead, you reacted impulsively.
This Is Also Why MOST Victims Are Scammed Again!
For example, there is a typical Facebook social engineering scam that says people are getting friend requests from you. Except if you really look, it is just a viral scam being shared forever by people not bothering to check what it actually means.
New Facebook scam is a hoax – which means it is a scam!
This Is A Perfect Example Of How You Are Still Being Manipulated
In this case, a bogus warning is claiming a duplicate friend request was received. The message also asks users to send this message to all of their friends.
You should never automatically send or SHARE these kinds of viral messages – ever!
If one of your friends had their profile CLONED and you see it, then the first thing is to report it to Facebook (or Instagram, whichever the case) as someone impersonating your friend. Then notify your friends and contacts. But if it is just some message or post that you saw, then why would you forward it along?
Cloning
Cloning is when a person’s profile is copied, as happens all the time in romance scams. Scammers clone real people’s profiles to impersonate them. Check out this post to learn what you need to know about profile cloning scams and how to protect yourself from them – click here »
What Is The Point?
The point to this is that scam victims are scammed again and again. Every time they respond to a social engineer hoax or fake message you are falling into another scam.
The message above is just one example of a hoax that has gone viral, nothing more than junk chain mail.
Except it is not.
IT IS A CAREFULLY CREATED SOCIAL ENGINEERING SCAM!
It is not asking for money, but it is taking your time and causing you to react. It doesn’t seem dangerous, but the next one could very well be very dangerous, delivering malwareMalware Short for "malicious software," this term means computer viruses and other types of programs that cybercriminals use to disrupt or access your computer, typically with the aim of gathering sensitive files and accounts..
It is also doing something more – it is identifying YOU as someone that can be scammed. When posts are shared from dangerous sources the people who posted them can many times see who shared them. Now they know about you!
“I know people have actually been a victim of it, but this latest one just seems especially pointless, just getting people to copy and paste a message and spam it out to all their contacts,” said one user. Even Homeland Security says if you see it just ignore it. Sending it to friends only makes it worse.
The Real Point We Are Making
But here is the real point, if you fell for this, you fell for yet another scam.
Scammers gear their weapons to take advantage of your weakness and vulnerabilities. And this kind of thing will trip you up time after time until you stop reacting impulsively and start developing habits (behaviors) that keep you safe.
Thinking you can never be scammed again is nothing but a belief that will not save you from future scams. Only changing your behaviorBehavior Behavior / Behavioral Actions Otherwise known as habits, behavior or behavioral actions are strategies to help prevent online exploitation that target behavior, such as social engineering of victims. Changing your behavior is the ONLY effective means to reduce or prevent scams. will save you!
More Nonsense
Here is another urban legendUrban Legend Urban Legend An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend is a genre of modern folklore comprising stories circulated as true, especially on social media. These legends can be entertaining but often concern serious topics. They may also be confirmation of moral standards, or reflect prejudices, or be a way to make sense of societal anxieties. Urban legends are most often circulated orally but can be spread by any media, including newspapers, mobile news apps, e-mail, and social media. Some urban legends have passed through the years with only minor changes and seem impervious to exposure as untrue. spreading that accepting a friend request gives a hackerHacker A computer hacker is a computer expert who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term hacker has become associated in popular culture with a security hacker – someone who utilizes their technical know-how of bugs or exploits to break into computer systems and access data which would otherwise be unavailable to them – hacking can also be utilized by legitimate figures in legal situations. For example, law enforcement agencies sometimes use hacking techniques in order to collect evidence on criminals and other malicious actors. This could include using anonymity tools (such as a VPN, or the dark web) to mask their identities online, posing as criminals themselves. Likewise, covert world agencies can employ hacking techniques in the legal conduct of their work. Oppositely, hacking and cyber-attacks are used extra- and illegally by law enforcement and security agencies (conducting warrantless activities), and employed by State actors as a weapon of both legal and illegal warfare. access to your account!
According To SNOPES.com – it is totally bogus, but you don’t know because you never learned to use your online tools properly, and instead, you are still reacting.
The scam / hoax is:
Social Media Hacker Warning: Accepting a Facebook friend request from a stranger will provide hackers with access to your computer and online accounts.
Wrong, it does not present any such risk!
The examples are multiple variants of a long-running hoax, one which warns the readers not to allow contact with a particular person or group because dire consequences will result. The basic form of these hoax warnings are typically drawn from the following template:
Do not {read / open / respond to / join} an {e-mail / text message / friend request / } sent by {real name / e-mail address / screen name}!
If you do, {you / your computer / your Facebook account / everyone on your contact list / your children} will be in danger of falling victim to a {serial killer / computer virusVirus A computer program that can replicate itself and spread from computer to computer or file to file. It comes to life only when you take a specific action, such as running a particular program. / hacker / predator}.Really?
These are but two of the countless socially engineering scams (and that IS the right word) that are constantly running around out there on social media.
Viral Messages May Be ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. Lures
Have you ever considered that some of them may actually be lures to find more victims?
Meaning that they are like land mines, they wait for people to fall for them, and then they find you by seeing who they caught! Once they identify a target then they spring other scams on you until one of the hooks takes hold!
What Are We Trying To Say?
We are telling you that all of your wishful thinking and protestations about how you are never going to be scammed again are worth nothing UNLESS you back it up with actions.
What Actions?
- Constant learning about how the Internet / Facebook / and AppsApps Applications or Apps An application (software), commonly referred to as an ‘app’ is a program on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or device. Apps are designed for specific tasks, including checking the weather, accessing the internet, looking at photos, playing media, mobile banking, etc. Many apps can access the internet if needed and can be downloaded (used) either for a price or for free. Apps are a major point of vulnerability on all devices. Some are designed to be malicious, such as logging keystrokes or activity, and others can even transport malware. Always be careful about any app you are thinking about installing. work
- Restraint instead of Reaction – take time to examine what you see – wait before responding and ask a friend to be sure
- Thought – think it through – just assume everything is questionable until you make sure and verify
- Trust no one – even though this can slow your recovery as a scam victim, it is safer, and right now safety matters most
- Report what you find so others can help with spreading the word – if you lost money again, report it to law enforcement
In Conclusion
As the United States Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department (under the President) responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cybersecurity, and disaster prevention and management. suggests: STOP | THINK | CONNECT – meaning that when you see something your first instinct is to react; but instead stop, think about it, then if you are sure it is safe to connect!
To Learn More Also Look At Our Article Catalogs
Essential Tools For Every Scam Victim From SCARS Publishing
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SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS. counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
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Your generous purchase allows us to maintain our scam avoidance, support, and recovery services. Please help SCARS and stand proud.
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THE NEXT VICTIM MIGHT BE YOUR OWN FAMILY MEMBER OR BEST FRIEND!
By the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. 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
To see Scammer Photos visit www.ScammerPhotos.com
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org
how do i check a woman on hangouts to know she is genuine
Don’t bother, she is a fake. Real people would not ask you to go to hangouts.