Mid of March 2021, I fall into the hands of cybercriminals by an urgent package scheme scam where I lost about 18k in US$. Then they duped me to launder their money using my bank account to bitcoins. All outgoing transactions are made thru Bitcoin with their instruction. Not only that, they also used my name to defraud their other victims that caused me to get a Fraud case in the district court. Knowing that, I also filed a counter complaint that I am also a fraud victim. They also used romance scheme so as to further manipulate and control me. I almost fell into that trap, but glad I was able to back to my senses. I waited for almost a year about my case and fair justice has been given. I got my “Bill of Non-Indictment early of March 2022.

After the crime/fraud ended last March 2022, I decided to find an institution or an advocacy in our area where I live (Asia-Taiwan) to seek refuge and find the answer to my questions but unfortunately found nothing. I was not active in social media, I am a conservative person but why and how did those things happened to me.

I felt that what happened was really devastating, traumatic and lost my self esteem. I cannot interact with others because of shame and guilt and their negative judgement and criticism crippled me. Fortunately, I found SCARS. There’s a lot of advocacy related to this crime, but SCARS was the choose of my heart.

SCARS has been my refuge, my comfort and stronghold. Telling my story was the best thing that I did and SCARS has a big heart and ears to listen and understand me. I felt relieved because at last someone out there understand my feelings, my fears. SCARS was and still my shoulder to cry and lean on. Now, I am on my 11th month as a “survivor”. SCARS played a vital role to my recovery. They comforted me when I was grieving. During the lowest monent of my life after the crime, this Advocate was my comfort zone. Their continued education, guidance, encouragement and motivation was and is still my strength to continue my journey to recovery. The advocate guides and mentorship open my mind to accept the reality that this world is full of evil that controls and manipulate every victim. Technology evolved so as criminals also take advantage of it. They don’t have to go to your homes to steal, they just say “hi or hello” and it all started from their and you only realized that our hardly earned savings is gone by the wind.

Now, I am more aware of the so many kinds of cybercrime and try my best to stay safe and strong being a survivor. SCARS advocacy is more on educating victims about the crime and that we are not naive, the name I used to define myself during the crime before it ended. With SCARS, I learned a lot specially how to cope trauma on self-helf using the Guides they provided and it really helped me a lot.

For me SCARS is far and yet so near because they’re always with me (us) when I needed them the most. Saying thank you to SCARS is not enough, how they hold my fragile virtual bleeding heart and bitter spirit, fixing the broken pieces of me and my sanity, held my hand to get back on feet and stand.

Now, I can walk freely with head up high wearing a smile, and face the world again against all odds. SCARS empowers me substantial knowledge that I will carry it through everyday.

Finally, I wish and I pray that the advocacy of SCARS will continue to save lives, save more inoscent victims that some are still hiding in their comfort zone. May our small voices be heard with this testimony how SCARS help us from a victim to survivor.

Thank you for reading my testimony. May your generous heart be blessed for supporting SCARS objectives.