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SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
View the Current Post Here: Hostility Toward Scam Victims Is A Common Manipulative Technique Of Scammers – UPDATED 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
ONE OF THE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANCE SCAMMERS IS HOSTILITY
The African & Russian Schools of Scamming have similar characteristics, they are working with huge numbers of prospective victims, and just don’t have time to waste.
When a victim that they have invested a large amount of time on, discovers that they are a scammer, and makes the mistake of accusing the scammer, the scammer first tries to argue that they are not.
When the arguments and pleading do not work, then they turn mean and hostile.
They immediately attack the victim.
Why do they do this?
There is actually solid psychology behind this. By attacking, they know that a percentage of victims will cave in, meaning they will do what the scammer asks. The victim will think that maybe they were really wrong, that maybe the scammer is not a bad person and they angered the scammer. This is not so different from “Battered Spouse Syndrome” – if the scammer sees that the victims give in a little, they go back to all loving to get what they want. They will keep the victim on emotional highs and lows to get all they can.
IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS JUST WALK AWAY
When you have doubts about a person, and you see red flags, remember, just walk away.
There is no benefit in confronting the scammer. All you do is subject yourself to emotional abuse, cause yourself doubt, and make yourself vulnerable.
Plus, when you confront a scammer, you only make them a better scammer. You will give them the clues they need to improve. To avoid the mistakes they made with you. Is that what you want?
REMEMBER, SCAMMERS ARE LIARS
They are going to say anything to get your money. That includes hostility and all manner of threats. But they are just words. Scammers, regardless of what they say, do not have the time or organization to go after individual victims. They are flying below the radar mostly; if they actually hurt victims the governments of the world would immediately treat them as terrorists, and scammers cannot afford any more attention.
Ignore the threats, report them here on our website or on www.Anyscam.com, then block and avoid them – that it!
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
- Pay Attention – look for the red flags
- Ask questions – a lot of questions, and carefully review their answer or non-answers
- When you have doubts – collect information – everything you can – not about what they are saying (it doesn’t matter), but their contact details
- Don’t worry about trying to find rock-solid confirmation – it doesn’t matter. You have doubts – listen to your instincts
- Report them – to us so others will benefit from your identification here on our website or on www.Anyscam.com
- Scammers may respond with threats – as long as YOU haven’t done anything REALLY stupid, you have nothing to fear
Don’t try to find out WHY the real person is behind the fake persona – it doesn’t matter, you are just wasting your time and frustrating yourself in the process. Accept they are a scammer and move on. Would you do that in real life? If you met someone a couple of times in a bar, and find out that there are things wrong with that person, would you stalk them to find every little detail? We hope not – same here – just move on.
Also, it is very important, after a scammer encounter, especially one where you invested a lot of emotional energy – that you began to recover – that you give yourself some time to get over the experience. Otherwise, a pattern of dependence can develop.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the psychology of scams, here are some articles that may help you:
Why Do We Believe Lies: https://www.romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/why-we-believe-lies/
Stubborn Men: https://www.romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/deal-with-reality/
SUMMARY
While we could provide endless catalogs of scammers, we believe it is better to help you UNDERSTAND scamming fundamentals. This is a skill set you can develop for yourself, instead of relying on others to save you.
Remember, there are real people out there. But if you are only finding scammers, then you know you are looking for the wrong things.
-/ 30 /-
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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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