SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
SCARS|ANALYTICS™ : New Study Finds Victims Not Reporting
A new SCARS|ANALYTICS Study finds that Anti-Scam Groups that post photos are convincing victims that reporting to police is not necessary!
[lwptoc]SCARS|ANALYTICS Victim Reporting Study 2019
A study conducted by SCARS|ANALYTICS division over a 5 month period during 2019 of 9,263 scam victims shows surprising results.
As we all know, reporting crimes to the police and national police (FBI) is critical in helping government fully understand the scope of these crimes. Understanding helps government allocate resources and prioritize enforcement. This helps identify gaps in laws, treaties, and enforcement that can be corrected to enhance global and local police actions to reduce or stop crime.
Yet with the continued expansion of “one person” or small amateur scammer photo posting “groups” pretending to be real organizations, victims are becoming more confused than ever according to data collected and compiled by SCARS.
This suggests that most so-called “anti-scam” groups are committing fraud by misleading victims into believing that they perform services they do not, have expertise they do not, and have accomplishments they do not.
SUMMARY OF STUDY RESULTS:
Victim Results:
Relating To Reporting & Law Enforcement
- 81% of victims believe that photo posting Amateure “anti-scam” groups are all that is needed to report scams & scammers
- 72% of victims believe that photo posting “groups” investigate and “hunt-down” scammers resulting in arrests
- 56% of victims believe that amateur “anti-scam” groups are “Professionals” with experience in law enforcement
- 89% of victims believe that “exposing” scammers by posting photos is important to stop the spread of scamming online
- 98% of victims believe that posting the photo of a scammer helps stop the scammers – meaning stops them from scamming more victims
- 43% of victims believe that amateur/pretender “anti-scam groups” travel to Africa to identify scammers
Relating To Other Aspects of Pretender Anti-Scam Groups
- 60% of victims believe that amateur/pretender groups they frequent are nonprofit organizations (about 18% of amateur anti-scam groups falsely state they are)
- 71% of victims believe amateur “anti-scam” groups provide “counseling” for victims
- 88% of victims believe that amateur “anti-scam” groups have a history of success
As a result of these mistaken or false beliefs, it means that most scammers are not engaged in activities that actually do help reduce scamming.
Worse, it dramatically reduces reporting of scam crimes to law enforcement – allowing unlimited expansion of scamming worldwide.
- Only 3% of victims say they have reported their scam to their police, FBI or National Police – this appears to be down by 2% from 2017
- FBI and other government entities show increases in reporting – this is resulting from increased awareness of where to report for those victims that actually do report. This has resulted in an increase of 215% increase in reporting to the FBI – whereas previously victims would have only reported to Western Union or other financial institution alone.
- Even with the increase in reporting to the FBI (or other government agency) – fewer victims are indicating that they are reporting. 97% now say they are not reporting to the police or government.
In addition, the study confirmed long-help victim expectations:
- 67% of victims believe that after reporting cybercrime to their local police that the local police will “investigate” the crime and arrest a cybercriminal in another country
- 32% of victims believe that reporting is a waste of time and that government does “not care” about scam victims
- 81% of victims believe the situation is getting worse
- 92% of victims do not know how many scammers are being arrested per year
Summary Conclusions
We believe that the conclusions of this study are clear.
With the increase (in fact explosion) of amateur anti-scam groups on the webs and social media, it is creating a false narrative that these groups are addressing the law enforcement role in inhibiting cybercrime. That they are explicitly convincing victims that “exposing” scammers will stop scamming worldwide, and that these groups are playing an active role in direct enforcement.
Additionally, this study hints that many of these amateur groups are delivering unlawful mental health services directly to scam victims in the form of counseling – especially one-to-one counseling via chats and messenger. Which is taking place outside of the supervision of occupational licensing bodies, and the regulation of medical review boards around the world.
PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR CONTACTS
HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
TAGS: SCARS, Important Article, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam Study, What Scam Victims Believe, SCARS|ANALYTICS, SCARS Scam Research & Analysis, Scam Victims And Urban Legends
The Latest SCARS|RSN Posts
FIND MORE SCAM NEWS
«SCAMCRIME.COM»
CHAT WITH SCARS™
«CLICK HERE»
END
MORE INFORMATION
– – –
Tell us about your experiences with Romance Scammers in our
« Scams Discussion Forum on Facebook »
– – –
FAQ: How Do You Properly Report Scammers?
It is essential that law enforcement knows about scams & scammers, even though there is nothing (in most cases) that they can do.
Always report scams involving money lost or where you received money to:
- Local Police – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance
- Your National Police or FBI « www.IC3.gov »
- The SCARS|CDN™ Cybercriminal Data Network – Worldwide Reporting Network « HERE » or on « www.Anyscam.com »
This helps your government understand the problem, and allows law enforcement to add scammers on watch lists worldwide.
– – –
Visit our NEW Main SCARS Facebook page for much more information about scams and online crime: « www.facebook.com/SCARS.News.And.Information »
To learn more about SCARS visit « www.AgainstScams.org »
Please be sure to report all scammers
« HERE » or on « www.Anyscam.com »
Legal Notices:
All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2020 SCARS All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide. Third-party copyrights acknowledge.
SCARS, RSN, Romance Scams Now, SCARS|WORLDWIDE, SCARS|GLOBAL, SCARS, Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams, Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams, SCARS|ANYSCAM, Project Anyscam, Anyscam, SCARS|GOFCH, GOFCH, SCARS|CHINA, SCARS|CDN, SCARS|UK, SCARS Cybercriminal Data Network, Cobalt Alert, Scam Victims Support Group, are all trademarks of Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated.
Contact the law firm for the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated by email at legal@AgainstScams.org
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
Article Rating
Table of Contents
- A new SCARS|ANALYTICS Study finds that Anti-Scam Groups that post photos are convincing victims that reporting to police is not necessary!
- SCARS|ANALYTICS Victim Reporting Study 2019
- SUMMARY OF STUDY RESULTS:
- Victim Results:
- Summary Conclusions
- The Latest SCARS|RSN Posts
- Elicitation – A Scammer’s Manipulation Technique – 2025
- SCARS Institute’s New Survivor Community – www.SCARScommunity.org – 2025
- WARNING: AI-Enabled Browsers Pose a Cybersecurity Risk – 2025
- New United Nations UNODC Report on Corruption and Cybercrime – 2025
- SCARS Institute – 12 Years of Service to Scam Victims/Survivors – 2025/2026
- Protecting the People: The Role that Governments are or are not taking in Combating Cybercrime – 2025
Rapid Report Scammers
In the U.S. & Canada
U.S. & Canada Suicide Lifeline 988
RATE THIS ARTICLE?
LEAVE A COMMENT?
Recent Comments
On Other Articles
- Taci Fernuik on How You Think & Talk About Your Scam Affects Your Recovery: “I have hung on to the scams for far too long. With the intervention of an all-merciful God, I have…” Nov 6, 22:13
- on Disengaging From A Fake Scam Relationship: “Taci, you may want to join our new support community at www.SCARScommunity.org” Nov 6, 03:01
- on Disengaging From A Fake Scam Relationship: “This particular article helped me discover the many things I did wrong the first time I was scammed. I should…” Nov 5, 22:49
- on About the SCARS RomanceScamsNOW.com Website – 24 Years Published: “It was unavailable for a few days, but it is available again. If he would be interested, he is welcome…” Nov 5, 00:59
- on About the SCARS RomanceScamsNOW.com Website – 24 Years Published: “My husband has been scammed and your classes have been helping him but now he can’t seem to access them.…” Oct 26, 14:57
- on Talia Shepard – Impersonation Victim – Stolen Photos – 2024: “Hi, I’m Patrick from Belgium and I found this site by chance, so I just got to know it, and…” Oct 17, 23:46
- on Talia Shepard – Impersonation Victim – Stolen Photos – 2024: “Hallo ik ben Patrick uit Belgie en het is in verband over PayPal. Ik heb het dit jaar spijtig genoeg…” Oct 17, 23:08
- on Debt Relief Scams – Catalog of Scams – 2024 UPDATED 2025: “Before you make any decision, stop, think, and ask someone you trust for advice. No matter how difficult your situation…” Oct 9, 07:06
- on Shemar Moore – Stolen Photos – Impersonation Victim – 2024: “KM, sadly, this was available 5 years ago. The is a 25 year old website. Of course, new content is…” Oct 6, 13:27
- on Shemar Moore – Stolen Photos – Impersonation Victim – 2024: “Me too, since 2020. I’ve dealt with a lot of them till now. They’ve completely manipulated me and put me…” Oct 6, 00:48
ARTICLE META
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.
Thank you for your comment. You may receive an email to follow up. We never share your data with marketers.