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.™ Subject Focus: The Psychology Of Romance 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.
Romance Scams Are Infinitely Complex And Leave Victims With Significant 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.
Attention is like a spotlight, which means when it’s pointing in one direction it pretty much ignores everything else. This is how a Romance 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. starts!
Except people don’t realize how little information coming in from the outside world we actually process. Naturally, you don’t notice what you don’t notice, plus the mind is designed to fill in the gaps for us. But fraudsters do know and almost every con uses some kind of distraction – a kind of 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." to get you to do what 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. wants you to do.
Scammers know all about social compliance and happily exploit our automatic deference to authority figures such as soldiers. People will hand over credit cards to people they think are waiters, car keys to people they think are car park attendants and give access to their house to people they think are from the water board. The best known online example is a ‘phishing attack’ where people give fraudsters their bank details in response to an email that purports to be from their bank.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to social engineering scams. To truly learn how victims are manipulated and all of the mechanisms involved, we invite you to read our SCARS Library (below) on the subject of the Psychology of Romance Scams!
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
Financial Fraud Terms – Scam Basics
Financial 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. Terms Learning The Language of Fraud Terms Scam Basics - A SCARS Insight Understanding Financial Fraud Terms These Are The Financial Fraud Terms Used By Fraud Fighters Worldwide Please note: this is not a comprehensive list of all scam terms. The fraud-fighting community [...]
Synthetic Identity Fraud – Scam Basics
Scam Basics: Synthetic Identity FraudSynthetic identity fraud Synthetic identity theft, or synthetic identity fraud, occurs when a criminal creates an identity instead of stealing an existing one. The scam involves mixing real Social Security numbers, or fake numbers, with other pieces of information—names, addresses, and birthdates—to put together an entirely new identity, often using partially fake identity information. In contrast, the more familiar form of identity theft involves using the actual name, Social Security number, and other personal data of a single victim. Learning The Basics Of Online Scams Scam Basics - A SCARS Insight Scam Basics: Understanding Synthetic Identity Fraud A Type Of Identity TheftIdentity Theft Identity theft is when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. In both the U.K. and the United States it is the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits, and perhaps to cause other person's loss. The person whose identity has been stolen may suffer adverse consequences, especially if they are falsely held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Personally identifiable information generally includes a person's name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, bank account or credit card numbers, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, or any other information that can be used to access a person's financial resources. Synthetic Identity Fraud is a type of financial crime in which 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. (or [...]
Brain Fog Caused By Scam Related PTSD
Brain Fog Caused By Scam Related PTSD Traumatic Experiences Can Result In Cognitive Impairment (Brain Fog) Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Can PTSD Cause Brain Fog? The Effects Of Trauma Can Linger - Brain Fog Is One Of Them Thank you to PsychCentral for [...]
Why Victims Prefer To Believe Scammers Are Evil Demons!
Why Victims Prefer To Believe Scammers Are Evil Demons! Why Scam Victims Find It Easier To Vilify Scammers Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Why Do Scam Victims Vilify Scammers? Why Do Traumatized Scam Victims Prefer To Vilify Scammers And Believe That They Are Evil [...]
Scam Basics: Tech Support Scams
Scam Basics: Tech Support ScamsTech Support Scams Phone scammers may masquerade as tech support employees for a major company in order to take your money or install a virus on your computer. They may call from what seem to be legitimate company numbers using caller ID spoofing. Learning The Basics Of Online Scams & Educating Consumers To Avoid Them Scam Basics - A SCARS Insight Tech Support Scams A Type Of Relationship ScamRelationship 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? Tech support scams are one of the types of scams in [...]
Scam Basics: IRS Scams
Scam Basics: IRSIRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue & tax service of the United States federal government responsible for collecting taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code (the main body of federal statutory tax law.) It is part of the Department of the Treasury and led by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who is appointed to a five-year term by the President of the United States. The duties of the IRS include providing tax assistance to taxpayers; pursuing and resolving instances of erroneous or fraudulent tax filings; and overseeing various benefits programs. Visit www.IRS.gov to learn more. Scams Learning The Basics Of Online Scams Scam Basics - A SCARS Insight IRS Scams A Type Of Relationship Scam The scammer poses as an IRS agent and claims you owe taxes. They may threaten arrest or legal action [...]
Love Bombing And How Romance Scam Victims Are Forced To Feel
Love Bombing And How Romance Scam Victims Are Forced To Feel How Scam Victims Are Manipulated Into Feeling What Their Scammers Want Psychology of ScamsPsychology Of Scams Psychology Of Scams is the study of the psychological or emotional effects of scams or financial fraud on victims of these crimes. It helps victims to better understand the impact of scams on them personally or on others. To find the SCARS articles on the Psychology of Scams, use the search option to enter the term and find them. - A SCARS Insight What Victims Feel Is Real, But It Was The Result Of Love Bombing In previous articles, [...]
Cloning Your Relative’s Voice For Phone Scams [VIDEO]
Cloning Your Relative's Voice For Phone Scams An Urgent Scam Warning How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight FTCFTC The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) U.S. antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC can also act as a clearinghouse for criminal reports sent to other agencies for investigation and prosecution. To learn more visit www.FTC.gov or to report fraud visit ReportFraud.FTC.gov Warns That Scammers Are Cloning Your Relatives' Voice To Steal Your Money With Phone Scams In These Phone Scams "When The Scammer Calls You, He'll Sound [...]
Scammers Are Using AI Right Now!
Scammers Are Using AIAI Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Machine learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence. Right Now! EuropolEuropol The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, better known under the name Europol, formerly the European Police Office and Europol Drugs Unit, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU) formed in 1998 to handle criminal intelligence and combat serious international organized crime and terrorism through cooperation between competent authorities of EU member states. The Agency has no executive powers, and its officials are not entitled to arrest suspects or act without prior approval from authorities in the member states. Based in The Hague, it comprised 1,065 staff as of 2016. WEBSITE LINK Releases A Report On The Dangers Of Generative AI How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight The Criminal Use Of ChatGPT – A Cautionary Tale About Large Language Models What Are Large Language Models? A large language model [...]
Telling Your Story – Especially When It Is Hard [VIDEO]
Telling Your Story - Especially When It Is Hard Recovering From Your Scam Will Be Difficult But Telling Your Story Helps! Supporting Scam Victims - A SCARS Insight Telling Your Story Is Hard But It Is Hard For A Reason, And By Telling Your Story [...]
Doxware – An Evolution In Malware/Extortionware
Doxware - An Evolution In MalwareMalware Short for "malicious software," this term means computer viruses and other types of programs that cybercriminals use to disrupt or access your computer, typically with the aim of gathering sensitive files and accounts./Extortionware A New Kind Of RansomwareRansomware Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's personal data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid. While some simple ransomware may lock the system so that it is not difficult for a knowledgeable person to reverse, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion. It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. In a properly implemented cryptoviral extortion attack, recovering the files without the decryption key is an intractable problem – and difficult to trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that are used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using a Trojan virus disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment. However, one high-profile example, the WannaCry worm, traveled automatically between computers without user interaction. That Steals Your Documents How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight Doxware Is A New Evolution In Cyber-Extortion With The Same Goal In Mind As Sextortion, Doxware Steals Documents And Photos For The Purpose [...]
Block Inc. (SQUARE) Engaged In “Frictionless” Fraud Facilitation – Per A Hindenburg Research Report
BlockBlock Blocking is a technical action usually on social media or messaging platforms that restricts or bans another profile from seeing or communicating with your profile. To block someone on social media, you can usually go to their profile and select it from a list of options - often labeled or identified with three dots ••• Inc. (SQUARE) Engaged In “Frictionless” Fraud Facilitation - Per A Hindenburg Research Report Key Research Findings Presented by SCARS Block Inc. (Previously Known As SQUARE) A Payment Processor Is Accused In A New Hindenburg Research Report Of Facilitating Fraud We thank Hindenburg Research for [...]
Why Do Scam Victims Believe That Loneliness Was The Principal Cause Of Their Scam?
Why Do Scam Victims Believe That Loneliness Was The Principal Cause Of Their Scam? Self BlameBlame Blame or Blaming is the act of censuring, holding responsible, making negative statements about an individual or group that their action or actions are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for doing something wrong, their action is blameworthy. By contrast, when someone is morally responsible for doing something right, we may say that his or her action is praiseworthy. Blame imparts responsibility for an action or act, as in that they made a choice to perform that act or action. And The Search For Certainty Scam Victim Psychology - A SCARS Insight Loneliness & Scam Victim Self-BlameSelf-Blame Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. SCARS seeks to mitigate the prejudice against victims and the perception that victims are in any way responsible for the actions of offenders or scammers. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as the greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery. Scam victims are often blamed by family & friends for the crime. Scam victims also engage in self-blame even though they are not to blame. Far To Often Victims Grab Onto Loneliness As The Principal Cause For [...]
Scam Victim’s Learning Process [INFOGRAPHIC]
Scam Victim's Learning Process [INFOGRAPHICInfographic Infographics (a shortened word of "information" and "graphics") are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They can improve your understanding of a topic by utilizing graphics. Infographics have evolved in recent years to be more useful for mass communications and thus are designed with fewer assumptions about the readers' knowledge base than other types of visualizations.] After Someone Is Scammed, They Realize Their Ignorance, And They Should Never Stop Committing To The Learning Process Scam Victim Psychology - A SCARS Insight The Learning Process: How Scam Victims Learn Before & After Their Scam Ends. Here We [...]
Catching On To Uber Money Collection Scams/Courier Scams
Catching On To Uber Money Collection Scams/Courier Scams Money Collection Scams Mean Scammers Have Changed Tactics To Using UBER Couriers To Collect Money How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight "I Will Send An Uber To Collect The Money" In New Money Collection Scams How [...]
Trauma Grief & Humor As A Coping Mechanism
Trauma Grief & Humor As A Coping Mechanism Helping Scam Victims Understand How To Use Humor As A Coping Mechanism Scam Victim Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Trauma & Grief And The Benefits Of Humor Introduction - Humor As A Coping Mechanism Traumatic events [...]
Cryptocurrency Enforcement – The Report Of The U.S. Attorney General’s Cyber Digital Task Force
Report Of The U.S. Attorney General’s Cyber Digital Task Force Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework Advocating For Victims - A SCARS Special Report The U.S. Governments Plan For Cryptocurrency Enforcement Introduction to Cryptocurrency Enforcement Innovation can drive a society forward. But innovation does not occur in a [...]
Scam Victims And The 9 Circles Of Hell After The Scam Ends
Scam Victims And The 9 Circles Of Hell After The Scam Ends An Allegory Of The Time After The Scam Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight Welcome To Hell Scam Victims & The Circles Of Hell Many Scam Victims Compare Their Time After The [...]
A Scam Victim Story – Miss L.
A Scam Victim Story The Story of Miss L. Scam Victim Support - A SCARS Insight A Romance Scam Victim Story About Miss L. We withhold the name of this scam survivorSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com to protect her privacy. She shared this with us and gave permission to [...]
FTC Cracks Down On Fake & Scam Advertising
U.S. Federal Trade Commission Issues Orders to Social Media and Video Streaming Platforms For Scam Advertising FTC Cracks Down On Fake & Scam Advertising Regulatory Action - A SCARS Special Report FTC Issues Orders to Social Media and Video Streaming Platforms Regarding Efforts to Address [...]
TAGS: Psychology of Scams, Romance Scams, Social Compliance, Amygdala HijackAmygdala Hijack Amygdala Hijack An amygdala hijack refers to a personal, emotional response that is immediate, overwhelming, and out of measure (proportion) with the actual stimulus because it has triggered a much more significant emotional threat or hormonal response. This can include: Anger, Sadness, Love, Desire, etc., GaslightingGaslighting Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group creates the seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment. It may evoke changes in them such as cognitive dissonance or low self-esteem, rendering the victim additionally dependent on the gaslighter for emotional support and validation. Using denial, misdirection, contradiction, and disinformation, gaslighting involves attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's beliefs. Once in this state the criminal can then more easily control the victim for their own purposes. Instances can range from the denial by a scammer that a scam has occurred, to belittling the victim's emotions and feelings, to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim. The goal of gaslighting is to gradually undermine the victim's confidence in their own ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, right from wrong, or reality from delusion, thereby rendering the individual or group pathologically dependent on the gaslighter for their thinking and feelings., Stranger Trust, Trauma Bonding, PTSD, Victim SyndromeSyndrome It is a group of symptoms that can consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms., Complex, SyndromesSyndrome It is a group of symptoms that can consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms., VictimizationVictimization Victimization (or victimization) is the process of being victimized or becoming a victim. The field that studies the process, rates, incidence, effects, and prevalence of victimization is called victimology.,
END
– – –
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 PoliceLocal Police The Local Police is your first responder in most countries. In most English-speaking countries and in Europe report to them first. In other countries look for your national cybercrime police units to report scams to. In the U.S., Canada, & Australia, you must report to the local police first. – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance
- Your National Police or 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. (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
All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2020 SCARS All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide – RSN/Romance Scams Now & 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. 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 – 2020 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 GroupSupport Group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., 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
Leave A Comment