The Interview 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. – Scammers Get Smarter

Fake Press Interviews

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. Insight

Scammers Evolve Their Craft Constantly, Looking For New Ways To Capture Victims!

A New Technique Has Emerged That Is Proving All Too Easy! Fake Media/Press Interviews!

In recent months we have seen several new approaches used by experienced scammers:

• Victims Support Infiltration 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.
• Fake Anti-Scam Experts
• And Now, Fake Press or Media Interviews of Victims

Fake Press/Media Interviews

Scam victims are not always cautious about commenting on public social media pages or in joining amateur anti-scam groups that are poorly managed. Many of these do not actively monitor activities looking for 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. activity, and because of this expose victims to scammers looking for second chances.

SCARS monitors all of our social media and websites actively looking for any form of comment deception. However, nothing that is exposed to the public can ever be perfectly secure from observation by criminals. It is so important that every current or past crime victim be cautious about what you expose of yourself when commenting or posting! You never know who is watching.

No, you are not paranoid if they are really out there waiting to get you!

How This Scam Works

1. You are contacted through a comment or post on social media, or through a text or online message, or potentially even by email.
2. The scammers say they are with the new media, and may even mention a real media or press outlet – the New York Times, Guardian, and others are popular choices – it tends not to be a small media company – but you can never know.
3. They mention that they are doing an article/story about scams and saw your comment/post and want to interview you.
4. They will set up a zoom call, VoIPVOIP Stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol is a way to make and receive phone calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a traditional phone line., or phone call, and will want to explore what happened to you.
5. In the process, they need your background – legal name, address, contact information, names of family members, where you bank, etc. – because it all relates to your scam.
6. A variation of this is they may claim to be a student doing research for a paper or thesis for their university.
7. They will also want to get from you all of the details of your scam, records, receipts, and other paperwork.

In the end, it is the story of your scam and extracting everything they need to either steal your identity, do account takeovers, or perform some other variation of an impersonationImpersonation An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone, such as: part of a criminal act such as identity theft, online impersonation scam, or other fraud. This is usually where the criminal is trying to assume the identity of another, in order to commit fraud, such as accessing confidential information or to gain property not belonging to them. Also known as social engineering and impostors.. This gives them enough information to impersonate you to other people you know and perform scams on them too.

But it also opens the door for new manipulation.

Unfortunately, most victims want to be heard so much, that any opportunity to tell their story is welcome. Few will properly vet/verify the reporter or even know how to since the scammers will provide fake references, phone numbers, or email addresses too. All will confirm that the reporter is real.

Also, remember that scammers are experts at impersonation. They may very well have used the name of a real reporter so that when you call the real company, they will confirm the name and affiliation.

What Can You Do – Who Can You Trust?

This is the hard part. You really should not trust anyone!

However, we can help – we are SCARS.

If you are contacted by any member of the press or media about a story or interview, contact us and let us verify they are real for you. Send us the information by email to Contact@AgainstScams.org (you can, of course, verify that we are real from our website www.AgainstScams.org).

Forward any emails or copies of messages. Their profiles or contact information.

We will follow up with you directly to determine if it is safe for you to do this – both psychologically and otherwise. It is not always advisable for a victim to expose themselves to the press – they want the story, but the press really is not concerned with your 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., just getting the story. The story may not paint you in a very favorable light either.

It is tempting to talk to the press, you want someone to do something, and you don’t know how to get the attention to the problem you want. But the press can often be the worst people to talk to about it. Often traumatized scam victims are only traumatized more in the end.

You do not need to tell us much, just how we can contact you, and we will do the investigation into the “reporter,” “student,” or whoever it is that wants your story. At NO COST to you.

A Warning About The Press

Even if the reporter is real, from your local TV station, newspaper, or national media, talking to them is rarely advisable.

Why? Because their goals are NOT your goals!!

Even working with the best, such as the hundred or so hours we spent supporting the National Geographic production team for the series “Trafficked” does not work out as represented or promised. SCARS spent countless hours coordinating the transfer of knowledge to their team, arranging for interviews with our team and stable victims that wanted to tell NG about the impact that scams had on them. In the end, NG fluffed the interviews, included almost nothing about the real pain victims face, and then made the scammers seem friendly and justified because of their poverty. We could not have been more disappointed and betrayed. They did not even tell scam victims that there is help available to them, which was a key condition of our support and participation.

However, our directors have appeared on many other shows where they were well treated and the subjects were seriously explored compassionately and professionally. It just depends on the people doing the stories or interviews.

Psychological Trauma

Many reporters may actually be well-intentioned, but they do not know anything about your trauma or what will increase it. Many victims feel desperate in the early days after a scam, but this is absolutely the wrong time to give an interview. The interview will accomplish nothing meaningful and can push up your trauma as a result. We can help a victim with an opportunity to make the decision if they are ready for this level of exposure and what the consequences may be for them.

If You Are Contacted By The Press

Ask them to contact SCARS directly at Press@AgainstScams.org and let our press office review the request and its justification.

If you have already spoken with a member of the press/media but have not yet done an interview, contact us at once by email at Contact@AgainstScams.org and let us verify what is happening for you. We will also explore if this is the right thing for you to do.

If you have been contacted by someone that you suspect was a fake report them to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (from anywhere in the world) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=SCARS and on www.Anyscam.com – this will help get the word out!