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: Who’s Job Is It?

Many Scam Victims Seem To Poorly Understand How The Real World Functions

To help enlighten, we offer the following overview and list of “jobs” related to 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. and scammers and who does them.

SCAMMERS

Of course, these are the criminals. But few understand that this is a massive global trans-national cybercriminal empire with revenues of in the Hundreds of Billions of U.S. Dollars annually (current cybercrimeCybercrime Cybercrime is a crime related to technology, computers, and the Internet. Typical cybercrime are performed by a computer against a computer, or by a hacker using software to attack computers or networks. costs are over one trillion dollars annually).

Their job is to use social engineeringSocial Engineering Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. It is used as a type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme. It has also been defined as "any act that influences a person to take any action that may or may not be in their best interests." and other manipulative techniques to get VICTIMS to willingly send them money! And the succeed.

SCAMMERS usually work in teams of from a few professionals (a gangGang A gang is normally a group or society of associated criminals with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over a territory or business practice in a community and engages, either individually or collectively, in illegal, and possibly violent, behavior. Online gangs are not limited by territory and may operate side by side with other gangs while engaging in crime online. Some members of criminal gangs are initiated (by going through a process of initiation), or have to prove their loyalty and right to belong by committing certain acts, usually theft or violence, or rituals. Gangs are usually rougher and more visible than scammer cartels, and more often arrested.) all the way up to major cartels (corporations) with employees numbering in the thousands. There are few true single or individual SCAMMERS.

VICTIMS

If you are reading this then you are probably a VICTIM.

The VICTIM has several main jobs:

BEFORE THE SCAM IS DISCOVERED

1. Provide the SCAMMERS with money, this is what fuels the entire global cybercriminal enterprise and helps more people become VICTIMS.
2. Become a MULEMule A money mule sometimes called a "smurfer," is a person who transfers money acquired illegally (e.g., stolen) in person, through a courier service, or electronically, on behalf of others (usually criminals that they are knowingly or unknowingly affiliated). Typically, the mule is paid for services with a small part of the money transferred - but not always. Mules may or may not be aware that they are performing these actions. Money mules are often dupes recruited online for what they think is legitimate employment, not aware that the money they are transferring is the product of crime. The money is transferred from the mule's account to the scam operator, typically in another country. Similar techniques are used to transfer illegal merchandise. Mules can be prosecuted for numerous crimes. and actually help and support the SCAMMERS actively, aiding in the scamming of others and becoming a criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. themselves.

AFTER THE SCAM IS DISCOVERED

1. Reporting scams and SCAMMERS properly to law enforcement (local and national)
2. Reporting to SCARS|CDN™ the global cybercriminal data network («HERE» or on «www.Anyscam.com») so that the information is distributed worldwide and supports law enforcement and other entities globally so that SCAMMERS can be arrested when possible.
3. To recover from their scam and return to a fruitful life.
4. Help spread the word to others who have not yet become VICTIMS.

MULES

Many VICTIMS are so deeply under the manipulation of the 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. that they willingly perform services for the SCAMMER. They may or may not know that they are doing this, or that it is illegal, and may be subject to prosecution. In many cases even if they were told they were doing this as a part of a scam they would not believe it.

MULES collect money, allow their accounts to be used by the SCAMMERS to deposit stolen money, and receive parcels containing goods purchased with stolen credit cards. MULES help drive the SCAMMER economy since it is increasingly difficult for SCAMMERS to receive money directly.

ANTI-SCAM GROUPS

There is a multitude of ANTI-SCAM GROUPS on social media and websites. They fall into three main categories:

1. ANTI-SCAM GROUPS created by SCAMMERS themselves as a tool to harvest or mining VICTIMS for more scamming.
2. Fake (Pretender) and Amateur ANTI-SCAM GROUPS created by VICTIMS who mistakenly believe that after their scam they have become an instant expert or are going to save every other VICTIM. These groups generally do more harm than good.
3. Professional Crime Victims’ Assistance Organizations such as SCARS (Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS 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. Inc.) «www.AgainstScams.org»

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

The LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT or Police has the job of collecting information (reports) from VICTIMS and making a determination if there is anything actionable on the local level. They provide the VICTIM with a police report number which has value to the VICTIM in numerous ways, including accessing mental healthMental health Mental health, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". According to WHO, mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others". From the perspectives of positive psychology or of holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines "mental health". counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. and other services (depending on the country). They also accumulate this information into reporting for their regional crime statistics so their GOVERNMENT knows the scope and size of these crimes.

If there is nothing actionable or the information is of poor quality, the VICTIM will not hear anything back from the police.

If there is something local that can be done, then they will take action to investigate. If it is outside of their jurisdiction then they are typically prohibited from taking further action.

NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

The law enforcement on the national level – such as the F.B.I. – are able to cross jurisdictional boundaries to investigate crimes anywhere within their nation. This includes investigating MULES outside of the VICTIM’S home town.

The information that they collect (such as from «www.IC3.gov») is typically not shared outside of their agency.

Once collected, VICTIMS rarely hear from the agency.

In most cases, they are only able to investigate and apprehend suspects within the national borders of their country. They cannot usually go to another country to arrest SCAMMERS due to international law and treaties between nations. When they have enough information they may collaborate with other GOVERNMENTS to locate, investigate, and arrest SCAMMERS.

GOVERNMENT

The job of the GOVERNMENT in all this is to provide the functions, funding, and legal support that LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT and NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT need to carry out their missions. It also helps to support NONPROFIT / NGO – NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS to assist VICTIMS.

It can also play a significant role in helping to educate the public to avoid SCAMMERS. But the GOVERNMENT as a whole is not law enforcement and does not directly play a role in investigating or arresting SCAMMERS.

POLITICIANS

The job of POLITICIANS is to create and approve the laws that restrict scams and empower LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT and NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT to carry out their missions. They are also responsible for deciding how much funding there is and where it is applied to help control the problem or to help the VICTIMS.

NEWS MEDIA

Ideally, the job of the NEWS MEDIA is to be the primary educator about scams and SCAMMERS.

Unfortunately, they fail at this most of the time. While they carry stories – usually about VICTIMS, in general, they lack the understanding needed to fully communicate the scope of the problem and fully explain it.

They can also cause more harm than good when they exploit VICTIMS for their own gain. It can sometimes be beneficial for VICTIMS to come out of the closet, but not always in front of the media.

NONPROFIT / NGO – NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Worldwide there are only three known real NONPROFIT NGO organizations that specifically provide VICTIMS assistance and support for scam VICTIMS. SCARS (Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.) is one of them.

In the case of SCARS, our job is to:

1. Provide primary scam avoidance education to potential VICTIMS.
2. Provide information to help VICTIMS cope with and understand the “how and why” of their scam experience.
3. Provide VICTIMS assistance and support to help the VICTIM move past the scam and recover.
4. Work with GOVERNMENT and law enforcement to better understand scams and potential solutions, as well as address current law or new laws if needed.
5. Collect and distribute scam and SCAMMER data (SCARS|CDN) for distribution to agencies around the world to facilitate law enforcement and governance strategies.

These Are The Jobs

Which one are you? Will you do your job?

 

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

 

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