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. Victim Finance & Money Recovery – Article Catalog
Information About Managing Finances After The 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. & Money Recovery
A 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. Topic Collection
Updated: July 29, 2022
Scam Victims Lose Money & Need Help To Manage What’s Left!
After the scam financial control is vital, plus there are real opportunities to recover!
The first step after your scam ends is to lock down and control your financial situation. Here are articles that may help you with those efforts and provide guidance for things to consider.
In addition, there are real opportunities to recover money – some have come and gone, some may still be options. You will have to review the statuses with the entities involved to determine if they are still active or if you qualify.
We present this information to help you explore topics with your financial professionals. We can make no warranty about the specifics of each since we present the information as we understand it and as presented by reliable sources. In all such cases, you should consult a financial professional or an attorney before taking any specific action.
Remember, this information is presented as is and can become dated and obsolete
We will update this catalog from time to time as new articles are added, recategorized, or updated
Get organized. We strongly recommend that you organize all of your transactions before talking to anyone. SCARS publishes a complete online crime organizer (the SCARS RED BOOK) that is available at shop.AgainstScams.org at a small cost.
MONEY RECOVERY
Please note that it is possible to recover money after a scam ends, but speed is important. The longer you wait to report to your 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. the less chance you have of getting your money back.
DO NOT listen to amateurs, most are spreading false information. Here are the FACTS!
Bank Wire Transfers
According to Interpol, it is possible to “claw back” or recall bank wire transfers.
- Contact your bank immediately and ask them to do it. Many times they will not because they may end up losing money in this process.
- File your local police report and get the police report number. Ask the local police to contact your bank and get the wire reversed.
- If the bank will still not do it, read the following and give your police the Interpol link contained in the articles. It is a process that has been established worldwide to recall wire transfers up to a year after the transfer takes place. https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/according-to-interpol-it-may-not-be-too-late/
- If the bank still refuses to reverse the wire, we encourage you to explore litigation against your bank.
Cryptocurrency Transfers
One of the unique properties of cryptocurrency is that it can be easily traced and tracked and recovered. Once again, urgency is the critical factor, but crypto can be traced for a long time.
- File your local police report and get the police report number. Ask the local police to trace the crypto and recover it. They have access to the tools to do this – though many agencies do not know this.
- They may have to contact a State/Provincial 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. police unit to gain access to these tools, or they can obtain them directly. You will have to apply pressure if they resist and advocate for yourself.
- There are two companies that make the software to help police agencies track crypto – it is not for consumers, just for the police. But they can get it and use it immediately to recover your crypto funds:
- Chainalysis https://www.chainalysis.com/
- Blockchain Intelligence Group https://blockchaingroup.io/
- You may have to bypass the police and talk to the local district attorney’s office or state/provincial attorney’s office for support in getting this done. But Police and Prosecutors around the U.S. are recovering crypto every day now.
SCARS Interview with a Bankruptcy Attorney – Bankruptcy for Scam Victims
After The Scam
Understand Scams Impact On Finances:
- Understanding The Hard Times After The Scam
- A Scam Victim’s Checklist – Interacting With The Police
- Next Steps – Protect Your Financial Identity
- Online Banking Safety For Scam Victims – An Overview
- Reclaiming Financial Control After A Scam
- You Gave The Scammer Your Information?
- Giving Out Your Banking Information – Scam Warning
For Money MulesMoney mules Money mules are a type of money laundering where a person transfers illicit funds through a medium (such as a bank account) to obfuscate where the money came from. There are different types of money mules including witting, unwitting, and complicit.
If You Were A Money MuleMoney Mule 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.:
Scam Debt
Managing Scam Debt:
- Scam Victims Debt Part 1 – Recognize It, Confront It, Control It, Survive It!
- Scam Victims Debt Part 2: Debt Collection Scams & Managing Real Collections
- Scam Victims Debt Part 3 – Collections & Your Rights
- Scam Victim Debt Part 4: IRS/Tax Debt
- Does Being A Scam Victim Affect Your Credit Score?
- Trouble Paying Your Mortgage or Facing Foreclosure?
Victim Financial Assistance
Western Union & MoneyGram
Getting Money Back:
-
MoneyGram:
-
Western Union:
Money Recovery Options
Getting Money Back from Banks:
Other Options:
Money Recovery ScamsRecovery Scams If you've already fallen for a scam, another scammer may call you and offer to get you your money back for a fee. Their goal is to double-dip and steal more of your money. Unfortunately, in most cases, only real law enforcement or your government can get your money back. There are exceptions, but you are safer to avoid all recovery options.
Cryptocurrency Recovery
Yes, It Is Possible!
To recover your cryptocurrency sent to scammers from your wallet or crypto ATM you must report the crime to your local police or District Attorney’s office.
They have the ability (if you insist) to trace the crypto transactions to where the money now resides. Once that is done, they can get court orders to recover and return the cryptocurrency to you. Only the police can do this.
More Important SCARS Articles By Topic
Essential Tools For Every Scam Victim From SCARS Publishing
Visit shop.AgainstScams.org
Each is based on our SCARS Team’s 31 plus years of experience.
SCARS Website Visitors get an Extra 10% Discount
Use Discount Code “romanacescamsnow” at Checkout
SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as 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. 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. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups 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., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how 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? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
100% of all profit goes to help SCARS help more scam victims worldwide.
Your generous purchase allows us to maintain our scam avoidance, support, and recovery services. Please help SCARS and stand proud.
PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE – YOUR KNOWLEDGE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
THE NEXT VICTIM MIGHT BE YOUR OWN FAMILY MEMBER OR BEST FRIEND!
By the 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.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
To Learn More, Volunteer, or Donate Visit: www.AgainstScams.org
To see 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. Photos visit www.ScammerPhotos.com
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org
I wish that I had seen this a while ago. I was in 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. at the end of 2017 early 2018. It literally tore my world apart. Losing family and friends. In late 2018 I suffered with pneumonia which almost became plurosey. Getting pneumonia again in mid 2019. Then in late 2019 I began suffering from blackouts. After treatment being diagnosed with Transient Global Amnesia. Then attending intense Psychiatric counselling of 3 x 1 hour sessions per week for 9 months. Here I am 4 years on and still paying the price of being scammed of all of my money. Over the last 15 or so months I have slowly been able to patchPatch A software program update that corrects known bugs or problems, or adds new features to a software program already installed on your computer. things up with my family. I had to also take out an IVA in 2018 due to all the fake accounts she set up after cloning all of my bank and credit cards, driving licence and Passport. Even with all of this the 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. and 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. Squad did very little to help.
We are truly sorry to hear about your experience. But we are happy that you are on the mend and moving forward. Let us know if we can help?