SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
First Principals
SCARS is a formal crime victims’ assistance and crime prevention nonprofit organization.
Our goal is to see everyone avoid scams of all kinds, but if that is not possible, then to make sure that they receive accurate information to help properly identify and discover these crimes, and to get the needed support to be able to recover from them.
There are amazing dedicated groups & organizations around the world that share this vision with SCARS, and in fact, are partners and affiliates of SCARS – supporting victims in more than 60 countries worldwide – helping SCARS to support scam victims worldwide.
In addition, we have programs to help individuals or existing groups improve the quality of the information and support they provide by working with us as volunteers or becoming affiliated with SCARS through our affiliate & partner programs. This helps well-intentioned people to become professional in their aid to scam victims.
Unfortunately, far too many are driven by other desires and the victims in their care suffer for it.
Some of these social media anti-scam groups are actually run by scammers so they can harvest vulnerable victims.
Our Urban Legend series of articles is designed to help counter false information and to help victims make better choices about who they trust.
Online Fraud Has Been With Us Since The Late 1980s And So Have Groups Claiming To Help Victims And Expose Scammers
From the days of Compuserve, AOL, and Prodigy there are have been people that have tried to help others understand about scams – we started just that way 28 years ago on the old America Online and on the TigerDIrect.com website – initiated by our founder who was also a founder of TigerDirect’s original company. Most of these have been well-intentioned, but some have not.
We have talked about various types of personality disorders such as Savior Syndrome types who firmly believe they are the only ones that can save other victims and in the process become a danger to others due to their zeal and lack of competence in the subject of cybercrime nor in proper crime victims’ assistance. But there are also many (almost beyond counting) anti-scam groups that are either hate groups disguised as anti-scam groups, frauds, or in simple fact, created and operated by the scammers themselves.
Yet victims who have just been scammed and profess that it will never happen again, rush into the arms of these fake, fraudulent, or criminally operated groups and believe in them blindly!
Have You Ever Asked To Even See Our Legal Status?
FYI, we are a legally registered charitable tax-exempt nonprofit corporation – incorporated in the State of Florida, U.S.A. – Look us up! File Number: #G20000137918
In fact, we just re-registered from Delaware to Florida to change our status to a full tax-exempt charitable entity to better serve victims worldwide.
Our organization is affiliated with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, as well as Europol and other law enforcement entities. Groups claiming to be nonprofit are one of the more common scams and are enforced aggressively by law enforcement.
A Perfect Example
Here is an example of a group liked by nearly 5,000 victims that claim to be a nonprofit yet obviously they are not – that quite simply is fraud. Here is one such popular Facebook page:
A Fake Nonprofit on Facebook
The Point
Is Simply This: You Are Being Scammed Again By These Groups!
Any anti-scam groups that claim to be HATERS or POLICE should be avoided!
In fact, anyone that is not a SCARS Member should be avoided, because simply all SCARS Members adhere to our strict Code of Conduct, the SCARS Ethical Standard for the Reporting of Scammers, and the National Organization for Victims’ Assistance standard. No one else claiming to be an anti-scam group does. All of these groups are either just victims that decided to save their fellow victims and have no idea what they are doing or are actual scammers masquerading as anti-scam groups hunting more victims for other types of scams.
For 28 years our organization or its founder has worked to help you understand that SCARS (or its Romance Scams Now division) are trustworthy, and to realize that MANY others are not.
Most Victims Are Not Learning This Lesson
You can make the difference by demanding that anti-scam groups show you who they are and what their real status and experience are. This was the reason that SCARS founded its Transparency Project several years ago on Facebook – to provide a framework for honesty and integrity. In fact, SCARS has had to remove several members for violations of its Code of Conduct including the owners of the ScamHaters United and other anti-scam hate groups (original membership application on file).
When it comes to fighting against global online fraud why are YOU supporting yet another fraud – even if they are not criminals their claims of knowledge and expertise are still fake – they are making it up as they go.
How Can We Say That?
Our Credentials:
- United States Department of Homeland Security – Crime Victims’ Assistance Partner
- United States Department of Justice – Office for Victims of Crime – Registered (Victims’ Assistance Provider)
- Sentinel Reporting Partner of the United States Federal Trade Commission
- The European Union’s Council of Europe – on cybersecurity and cybercrime initiatives
- The University of South Florida, U.S.A. – Advisory Board Member for Cybersecurity
- A fully incorporated nonprofit crime victims’ assistance and crime prevention organization
- And so much more – visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn about our credentials
In addition, SCARS Team Members hold certifications in:
- Crime Victims Assistance & Advocacy
- Deception (Lies Detection)
- Trauma-informed care
- Life Coaching
- U.S. Department of Defense Cybersecurity Certified Certifier & other Cybersecurity Certifications
- Continuous Process Improvement
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Regulatory Law
- HIPAA Privacy & Security
- COPPA Child Online Safety
- And many more.
We are a registered Online Crime Victims’ Assistance & Support Organization, registered with the Nation Center for Victims of Crime
In addition, OUR principals helped co-author major privacy & security regulations:
- United States HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) as a co-founder and co-chairman of HCCO » and WEDI/SNIP
- United States COPPA (The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)
Our principals hold numerous cybersecurity certifications: including: U.S. DoD (Department of Defense), U.S. HHS (United States Department of Health and Human Services), and many others.
Take the time to understand who you place your faith in!
This Is Who SCARS Is
Ask Them Who They Are!
Or better yet, unlike them, unfollow them, unjoin them, and block everyone that has no credentials and who is not a SCARS member, partner, or approved affiliate!
The choice is clear, you can continue to let yourself be scammed by people claiming the sun the moon and the stars or you can follow an organization that is real and truly looking out for victims worldwide. You also have to help others understand this choice too!.
STOP BEING FOOLED BY FAKE ANTI-SCAM GROUPS
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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.
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