SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
SCARS COMMENTARY: The Truth About SCARS & What Haters Say
It is a new year and it is time for some hard truths and reflection as the year begins.
One of the things we are told over and over is how certain anti-scam hate groups, well … HATE US
Over the years we wondered why that was. We are fighting the good fight. We are helping thousands through our victims’ assistance efforts. We educate and transfer knowledge. We are real advocates that are not in anyone’s pockets (especially Facebook’s).
Yet we are hated by some of these “groups”
Well, it turns out that we are only hated by people that we applied our ethical standards and code of conduct to. In other words, we hold the line on ethical behavior in the face of cybercrime and that upsets some people.
We ask that our employees, volunteers, affiliates, representatives, and members behave in ethical and honest ways, and when we have caught people not behaving in this way we address it.
In some cases, the violations were significant and we revoked the membership and banned some of them. And from that point on the hate set in.
Of course, these folks also have created “groups” (but in reality it is almost always one or two people that run them – regardless of how many admins they claim). They have no applicable experience and are doing little more than scamming the people that flock to them by their claims of experience and knowledge.
They use their groups to make sure the victims who have come to them for help are turned away from professionals. This sadly lengthens the time it takes them to recover, and they will learn little more than urban legends and fake news from these so-called groups.
This is what so many anti-scam groups do on Facebook and elsewhere, especially those that just believe in posting endless scammer photos and scambaiting. Wasting their time looking at endless fake faces reinforcing the trauma instead of focusing on recovery and healing.
Regardless, SCARS is different and completely transparent in what we follow and expect from our members. This is for the benefit and safety of our members and all victims. The fact that the haters hate us for it means we are acting to police this activity for the benefit of all.
You may very well have heard from these anti-scam hate groups about how we did this or did that. Just remember, you were scammed once and believed the fairy tales you were told.
Either way, in 2019, like the four years before SCARS will continue to set the bar very high, and not everyone has the integrity to meet our standards, but that is how it should be.
If you want to learn what SCARS stands for just visit our website AgainstScams.org and look at our Code of Conduct, the NOVA standard, and the standard for Ethical Reporting of Scammers. If you agree with these, then we are the organization for you. If you don’t, then that is ok too – we simply cannot accept you as a member.
This is what ethics is all about. Holding the line in the face of easy morality – after all isn’t that what scammers do?
We Aspire To Be More Than That. We Hope You Do Too!
We hope you can see the difference that a real professional nonprofit corporation makes. If you can then you should join SCARS (it’s free), and if you can’t then take what we offer and we will wish you the best – no strings attached.
Just remember, those that preach hate are broken themselves. There is little that you can learn when being fed a diet of hate! Regardless of who they hate!
We hope this makes sense to you.
With that having been said, we wish you all a happy New Year!
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
TAGS: Commentary, SCARS, Editorial, SCARS Code of Conduct, NOVA Standard, Ethical Standard, Reporting Scammers, Anti-Scam Hate Groups,
REVISED: January 3, 2019 – fix grammar error
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Tell us about your experiences with Romance Scammers in our Scams Discussion Forum on Facebook »
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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.
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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
All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2018 SCARS All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide – RSN/Romance Scams Now & SCARS/Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams are all trademarks of Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated (formerly the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams)
Legal Notices:
All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2018 SCARS All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide. Third-party copyrights acknowledge.
SCARS, RSN, Romance Scams Now, 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 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
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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.
Good afternoon
I wonder if my case was examed so good, I mean international, by europol and interpol ?
I declared my scammer in 2017 in Portugal, in Belgium and in USA; but no response where/how my case was threated.. Just that it is classified untill I can provide new evidence..
So the scammers can continue making other victims.
Due to a romance scam, I commited suicide but I survived,.I lost a lot of money.
Why they can just continue making oher victims.?
I saw my scammer making mistakes.
I saw, he and they was/were working in Finland and Switsrlsnd:
I did payments to USA
I declared him/them in Portugal, Belgium and USA.
And I didn’t get an answer back; only that my case is classified .
Why ? they can still make a lot of victims.
Kind regards
Fanny
We are sorry to hear you were scammed but proud that you did the right thing and reported the scammer. We have no way to tell you what the status of your cases are with the FBI or Europol. We feed data but do not get status back. We suggest contacting the FBI Office of Victims’ Services to seek their assistance in getting an answer: