Last Updated on September 7, 2020 by SCARS Editorial Team

SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS.™ ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Basics: Reporting To The Local Police

Every Single Day, Victims Speak About Their Experience Reporting To Their Local Police!

IMPORTANT: Not every country is the same!

This article mostly applies for victims in stable, rule of law countries. This includes the United States, Canada, UK & Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and some others.

Not all countries have professional police, so you will have to decide if it is worth the potential problems to report in your country.

NEVER REPORT SCAMSScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. TO THE POLICE IN ANY FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIM COUNTRY BECAUSE OF REAL RISK TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

You Need To Know That Reporting Matters!

It is vitally important that your local police and national police know and understand these crimes.

Only through your reports can they do that. They can only see what is reported. They can’t guess, assume, or project – they can only work from real data. Your report provides that.

Even though nothing may happen after you report, the report itself is very important to help stop future scams because government can then allocate resources to address this issue, without the reports they remain ignorant about the true magnitude of scams.

REPORTING TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE

Are You The Problem!?

You may need an attitude adjustment before you walk into the Cop Shop. This means you need to understand what you can expect and adjust your expectations to the police correspondingly. If you are unrealistic and too demanding it will not work.

Most victims that report to their local police expect the police to drop everything and get on a plane to arrest a scammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. in Ghana. That they will get right to investigating citizens of Nigeria. This is fantasy and not the way things really work.

Also, many victims are so fearful that they are almost incapable of giving the police what they need.

Get Organized

Organize your information so you can give a statement and easily answer questions.

“Just The Facts Ma’am!”

The 92 zillion pages (or more) of your chats with the scammer do not matter to the police. They want hard-data.

Organize who, what, how, and where first. Have your money transfer documents and any identifying information clearly available.

Ask To Leave Just A Report

Just ask the police to take the report for “information purposes only.” Just say you need to get a report number for your insurance. They understand this and will take the report then, and neither you nor they will have any unrealistic expectations.

Realistic Expectations

Remember that your local police cannot investigate anything beyond their jurisdiction – you have seen cop shows on TV right? How often do you see Miami police rushing to New York to arrest someone? Never! Same goes for Ghana and Nigeria.

Also, you will get more attention when you report to the FBIFBI FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. A leading U.S. counter-terrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes, including financial fraud. with a local police report number in your statement.

The report number is your gateway to being treated as a credible victim.

Just remember, not everyone understands socially engineered relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam?. Do not expect the police to be sympathetic if you are angry, fearful, or otherwise aggressive. But they understand fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. and have a fraud department specifically for it in most localities.

Remember, you are reporting a FRAUD – not a fake relationship or a broken heart. Stick to the facts and leave out how hurt you are, they will see and understand that. Most police now know about these crimes. Stay focused on the crime – deception and money. Do not focus on how you were going to have a life together or the other lies you were told – unless they ask.

Let them ask, do not drown them in your emotions and information overload. They know what is important for the report – let them ask if they need more.

Lost Money

• They cannot get your money back.
• Assume your money is gone.

However, with the police report number, you have more power and authority with money transfer services or your bank. Their fraud departments will need that police report number.

Money LaunderingMoney laundering Money laundering is the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained illegally by passing it through a complex sequence of banking transfers or commercial transactions. Money laundering can be done through various mediums, leveraging a variety of payment vehicles, people and institutions. / Mules

In most cases, you have nothing to fear!

You are going to them voluntarily to support them. We know of no cases where anyone that reported a scam had any difficulty afterward. But we do know of victims who acted as mules where the police had to find them or where the victim hid it that were prosecuted.

If you received money from third-parties, either a scammer or other victims, report it. If you received parcels or packages, take the items to the police and report it.

Printed Copy

Always get a printed copy of the report for your records.

Local Assistance

In most localities, there are local victims’ assistance advocates – either volunteer or professional. When you walk in ask about this!

If they do not have someone on call for scams, ask for someone that handles “domestic abuse” victims. It is very similar.

Local crime victims advocates can help you with the interviewing and reporting process, but more important can help you with resources » and services that are available to victims in your area or state.

Follow Up

You are probably not going to hear from the police again. Unless they get a request from other authorities or agencies, and in those cases, they will contact you directly. Your report will go into their system and be reported up their network.

Do not expect anything will happen in your case. However, if the scammers really are in your country something may happen.

But as we said: reporting matters since less than 5% of victims report these crimes. This means that your government does not know how bad it is.

If you understand these basics then you will not have any problems with the police. You will be able to get through the process without difficulty or without additional traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS..

Never Be Ashamed

Yes, a scammer scammed you. It is embarrassing only because you let it be.

Remember to remind yourself that you are the victim of a CRIME – period! – everything else is just drama.

NEVER BE ASHAMED!

More Information

• Why Reporting Matters :: CLICK HERE »
• Why Victims Don’t Report :: CLICK HERE »
• Commentary On Reporting :: CLICK HERE »
• How to File a Police Report :: https://www.wikihow.com/File-a-Police-Report »
• How can I get a copy of the police report? :: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-get-copy-police-report.html »
• The Importance of the Police Report :: CLICK HERE »

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SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.

 

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