The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger

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The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger

(Last Updated On: April 24, 2023)

Normalcy Bias – A Cognitive Bias
The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger

Cognitive Biases – What Could Go Wrong, Right?

The 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 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

Cognitive Biases: Humans Have Great Analytical Powers But We Rarely Use Them!

Normalcy Bias or normality bias is a cognitive bias that leads people to disbelieve or minimize threat warnings.

We Tend To Think Things Are What They Always Will Be!

Every human has these cognitive biases that contribute to our vulnerabilities! Does that sound like you?

Cognitive biases are what makes people disregard threats of natural disasters and stay in place. It makes them ignore threats to their physical safety in situations of high risk. It also helps them ignore clearly visible red flags before and during a 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?. It makes them disregard warnings. They just believe that things were safe and they will continue to be that way.

Consequently, individuals underestimate the likelihood of a disaster, a risk, a threat – when it might affect them, and its potential adverse effects (consequence).

The normalcy bias is yet another cognitive bias that causes many people to ignore or inadequately prepare for natural disasters, market crashes, financial collapses, loss of a job, 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 being re-scammed, and calamities caused by human error. About 70% of people (reportedly) display normalcy bias during a disaster. About 100% of 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. victims display this bias – and it also affects their recovery too.

The normalcy bias can manifest in response to warnings about disasters and actual catastrophes. Such disasters include market crashes, motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters like a tsunami, and war. Every parent has seen this in their teens who ask to use the family car – immature minds (which includes most politicians) display this bias.

Do not confuse this with “Confirmation Bias” – this is different.

Normalcy & Overreaction Cognitive Bias

Normalcy bias has also been called “analysis paralysis”, the “ostrich effect”, and by first responders, the “negative panic”. The opposite of normalcy bias is “overreaction”, or “worst-case scenario bias”, in which small deviations from normality are dealt with as signals of an impending catastrophe.

The normalcy bias is a cognitive bias that affects the way people perceive and respond to potential threats or disasters. It refers to the tendency for people to assume that things will always continue to function the way they have in the past, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

This cognitive bias is often observed in situations where people are faced with a sudden and unexpected event, especially a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, relationship scam, or other crisis. In these situations, people may be slow to recognize the severity of the situation or to take action to protect themselves, because they are assuming that everything will eventually return to normal.

One of the main reasons why the normalcy bias is so pervasive is that it is rooted in human psychology. Our brains are wired to seek out patterns and to rely on past experiences to inform our decisions about the future. This can be a useful strategy in many situations, as it allows us to navigate complex environments and make decisions quickly and efficiently.

However, this same strategy can also lead to cognitive biases, such as the normalcy bias (cognitive bias). When we are faced with a situation that is outside of our normal range of experience, our brains may struggle to process the information and to adjust our expectations accordingly. As a result, we may default to assuming that everything will eventually return to normal, even if the evidence suggests otherwise.

The normalcy bias can have serious consequences in emergency situations. For example, people may fail to evacuate or take other protective measures when they are warned about an impending disaster or traumatic event because they assume that it will not be as severe as the warnings suggest. This can put them at risk of injury or even death.

The normalcy bias can also affect decision-making in other areas of life. For example, people may be slow to recognize changes in their health or to seek medical attention, because they assume that any symptoms they are experiencing are temporary and will go away on their own. Similarly, people may fail to take action to address climate change or other long-term threats, because they assume that the status quo will continue indefinitely.

There are several strategies that can be used to overcome the normalcy bias. One of the most effective is to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and expectations. This can include seeking out diverse perspectives and sources of information, as well as actively questioning our own assumptions and biases.

Another strategy is to practice mindfulness and self-awareness, in order to become more attuned to our own cognitive processes and to be able to recognize when we may be falling victim to cognitive biases such as the normalcy bias. This can involve techniques such as meditation, journaling, or other forms of introspection.

Finally, it is important to cultivate a sense of resilienceResilience Is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Psychological resilience is the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis or to return to pre-crisis status quickly. Resilience exists when the person uses "mental processes and behaviors in promoting personal assets and protecting self from the potential negative effects of stressors". In simpler terms, psychological resilience exists in people who develop psychological and behavioral capabilities that allow them to remain calm during crises/chaos and to move on from the incident without long-term negative consequences. In popular accounts, psychological resilience is sometimes likened to a "psychological immune system". and adaptability in the face of uncertainty and change. This can involve developing skills and strategies that allow us to respond effectively to unexpected events, such as emergency preparedness plans, financial contingency plans, or other forms of risk management.

How It Works

These common response patterns of people’s future disasters, threats, and catastrophic events (such as the discovery of a crime/scam) demonstrate that there are three phases of response – these are the THREE-Ds:

  • denialDenial Denial is a refusal or unwillingness to accept something or to accept reality. Refusal to admit the truth or reality of something, refusal to acknowledge something unpleasant; And as a term of Psychology: denial is a defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality.
  • deliberation
  • decisive moment

Do not confuse these with grief – they are different, but certainly, impact the grief cycle and 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..

DENIAL

In the Denial phase of this cognitive bias, people are likely to deny that a disaster/crime/event was/is/did happen/happening. It takes time for the brain to process information and recognize that a threat is real.

DELIBERATION

In the Deliberation phase of this cognitive bias, people have to decide what to do. If a person does not have a plan in place or pre-existing learned behaviors, meaning they have not developed defensive or responsive behaviors, then this causes a serious problem because of the effects of this threatening stress on the body (e.g. tunnel vision, audio exclusion, time dilations, out-of-body experiences, or reduced motor skills) – it limits an individual’s ability to perceive information and make plans.

DECISIVE MOMENT

In the third and final phase, described as the “decisive moment” of this cognitive bias, a person must act quickly and decisively. Failure to do so can result in harm, possible injury or even death. The faster someone can get through the denial and deliberation phases, the quicker they will reach the decisive moment and begin to take action.

This can be heavily influenced by past traumas letting the amygdala to respond and take control emotionally.

More About Cognitive Biases & Vulnerabilities

SCARS the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated

This article is by:
SCARSSociety 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 government-registeredgovernment-registered It means to be registered with departments or agencies of the government. In the case of SCARS, we are registered with state and federal governments in the United States, Europe & Asia. SCARS is registered as a crime victims' assistance nonprofit with agencies of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. And is incorporated in the State of Florida as a nonprofit corporation. scams & 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. crime victims assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization headquartered in Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with partners in more than 60 countries worldwide
If you are a Victim sign up for our FREE SCARS 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. at support.AgainstScams.org
To learn more about SCARS, or to Join, Volunteer, or Donate visit: 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

STATEMENT ABOUT VICTIM BLAMINGVictim Blaming 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.

Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimologyVictimology Victimology is the study of victimization, including the psychological effects on victims, relationships between victims and offenders, the interactions between victims and the criminal justice system—that is, the police and courts, and corrections officials—and the connections between victims and other social groups and institutions, such as the media, businesses, and social movements.) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to better develop recovery programs and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blamingBlaming 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. the victim, but it does not 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. scam victims. Far from it. Our articles are about the Psychology of Scams – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or works against us. These become some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they have the ability to learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms. Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams & Victim Trauma

Causes

Like most cognitive biases this one is a function of the early development of the brain and mind. Meaning that people that learn to be resilient to threats as they were growing, or who went through treat-response behavioral training (such as military or first responder training) respond more quickly and correctly to threats. Whereas people who grow up in a safety bubble tend to perform very poorly in the face of threats and are typically blind to them until the damage has been done.

The normalcy bias may be caused, in part, by the way the brain has learned to process new data. Research suggests that even when the brain is calm, it takes 8–10 seconds to process new information. Stress slows the process, and so does trauma, and when the brain cannot find an acceptable response to a situation, it fixates on a single and sometimes default solution that may or may not be correct. An evolutionary reason for this response could be that paralysis gives an animal a better chance of surviving an attack and predators are less likely to see prey that is not moving.

Do not confuse this with the FreezeFreeze Trauma Freeze Response: While fight-or-flight is the better-known way humans respond to certain stressful stimuli, the additional less known third response "FREEZE", was not as widely studied until this last decade. Freezing as a response to a threat might seem effective, a sort of “playing dead” in the face of danger; however, in humans freezing manifests as an inability to communicate, react, make decisions, or take any action of self-preservation or defense. trauma response that can also slow or freeze cognition during a traumatic event. Normalcy Bias tends to occur during the perception of the threat, whereas Freeze occurs at the moment the threat becomes actual.

Effects

About 70% of the general public reportedly displays normalcy bias in disasters, pending threats. unsafe conditions, and even in their general decision-making.

However, SCARS has observed this in virtually 100% of relationship scam victims. [Rememnder that a relationship scam is not just a romance scam, but any fraud that relies on built trust with the victim.]

Normalcy bias has been described as “one of the most dangerous biases we have”.

The lack of preparation for natural or unnatural threats or disasters often leads to inadequate shelter, supplies, and evacuation plans in cases of disaster. Even when all these things are in place, individuals with a normalcy bias often refuse to leave their homes.

In the case of scams (or crime in general), it blinds victims to the obvious threats developing right in front of them. Victims often talk about how they should have seen the red flags – this is a primary reason why they did not. Though often they will claim to have seen them after the fact – that is another bias called Hindsight Bias.

Normalcy bias can cause people to drastically underestimate the effects of the disaster (for example). Therefore, people think that they will be safe even though information from the radio, television, or neighbors gives them reasons to believe there is a risk. The normalcy bias causes a cognitive dissonance (wrong thinking or bad decision making) that people then must work to eliminate. Some manage to eliminate it by refusing to believe new warnings coming in and refusing to evacuate (maintaining the normalcy bias), while others eliminate the dissonance by escaping or avoiding the danger.

COVID

Can you see how this bias has affected a significant part of the population during the COVID pandemic? How it still affects the anti-VAX groups?

During the pandemic, most of the world quickly divided into two camps: those that very quickly took the threat seriously and prepared for it – mentally if not physically. This group tended to be more resilient, especially in their 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".. The other group tended to keep saying everything is just fine and there is nothing to worry about.

A new streaming series on Peacock by Bill Nye called The End Is Nye shows a perfect demonstration of this effect! He calls it an “ACT of COW” If you watch the series (which we highly recommend – you will understand.) The whole series is based on this bias!

Now About Scams

You now understand what Normalcy Bias is, but how does it contribute to being scammed?

It begins with the bias that everything is what it is, that it is just fine, and going to stay that way. Why did so many people die on the Titanic or Pompei? You guessed it, normalcy bias!

Even though victims are often lured into the scam and have significant vulnerabilities that are discovered during the groomingGrooming Grooming is a form of setting up a victim for a scam or other crime by befriending and establishing an emotional connection with the victim, and sometimes the family, to lower the victim's inhibitions with the objective of the scam or criminal activity.  Grooming includes the development of a trust relationship between the criminal and the victim, getting the victims to the point where they can be more completely manipulated.   phase of the scam and then exploited, victims tend to see things continuing to be just fine!

Once the obvious red flags begin to appear, the normalcy bias takes control and continues to convince the victim that this is all still good and normal. No one is out to get them, there are no threats, and they are enjoying the ride.

The bias not only prevents victims from seeing the red flags but even when the cracks start to develop in the scammer’s fantasy over time, it tends to glue the cracks back together so that the victim is psychologically helping the criminals weave their fantastical storylines. Only at the very end when the bias cannot overcome the obvious threat of the scam can the victim break free (at least some of them – some remain trapped by the bias long after the scam ends – these are the ones that are scammed over and over again.)

Overreaction

As we said the opposite of normalcy bias is “overreaction” bias, or worst-case scenario bias, in which small deviations from normality are dealt with as signals of an impending catastrophe. This is often what we call a lack of resilience too. And can actually be a trauma response.

Most of the time, these abnormal blips fizzle out and nothing happens. This causes us to think that our efforts to prepare for catastrophe were unnecessary, even though it was the prudent approach at the time – thus only confirming our normalcy bias!

In the case of overreaction bias, we cannot see that when we really look at how things turn out – most things do not lead to catastrophe, despite regular predictions of doomsday. But those that have this overreaction bias tend to ignore the reasonable and go straight to the end of the world scenarios.

Both underreaction (normalcy bias) and overreaction (worst-case thinking) are cognitive flaws and may extend to patterns of cognitive distortions.

In scam victims, we see this as the overwhelming panic, fear, and frenetic searching for a savior in the days immediately after a scam is discovered. Victims trapped in this mode massively overreact while searching for help, so much so that they cause themselves significant additional trauma as a result. Fortunately, a professional support and recovery program can help them down from the edge of that cliff and get them started on the path to recovery. Unfortunately, most victims that start off on this path do not find competent help and instead end up in the hands of fake instant experts and saviors, and their influence can delay or completely abort proper recovery.

Fortunately, it is NEVER too late to get real help. SCARS recommends that every scam victim be evaluated by a trauma counselor or therapist and that victims also join a professional recovery program – unfortunately, there are less than 5 of these worldwide, but the SCARS program is free to all English or Spanish-speaking victims worldwide for as long as they need help.

Prevention – Is That Even Possible?

The negative effects of normalcy bias can be combated through the four stages of disaster or threat response.

You may have heard us talk about the need for behavioral change before? This is at the root of that change – controlling your biases to see what is real from what our biases show us.

  • preparation – all scams depend on a lack of preparation – this is often called awareness.
  • warning – this is paying attention to warnings and advisories – in the case of scams, it means staying informed – learning from this website and other governmental authoritative sites – ignore the amateurs!
  • impact – understand deep down that mistakes and poor decisions have consequences – if you really understand this then you can adapt to the situation much more quickly with less trauma.
  • aftermath – reestablishing equilibrium after the fact, by providing for your own personal needs or by helping others in the same situation.

PREPARATION

Of course, no scam victims were prepared.

The scam happened, so now what do you do? Well, you do all the right things now – read our guides and be prepared for the next time – because there WILL BE a next time. The average victim is scammed over 4 times (average, not everyone).

WARNING

You should have been listening to the warnings right?

But you did not really do it. Now is the time to start and the fact that you are reading this shows you are making an effort. But that effort requires that you stay alert to changes in 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. and new types of scams.

Read this website and authoritative resources. Ignore urban legends and fake information spread by most amateurs who focus on hating scammers, and do not prepare victims for resiliency and real avoidance. Looking at scammer photos is not the way to avoid scams in the future, you have to change your behaviorBehavior   Behavior / Behavioral Actions Otherwise known as habits, behavior or behavioral actions are strategies to help prevent online exploitation that target behavior, such as social engineering of victims. Changing your behavior is the ONLY effective means to reduce or prevent scams..

IMPACT

The impact of these crimes is serious.

Every victim MUST recognize this and act accordingly. Do not let yourself withdraw in denialDenial Denial is a refusal or unwillingness to accept something or to accept reality. Refusal to admit the truth or reality of something, refusal to acknowledge something unpleasant; And as a term of Psychology: denial is a defense mechanism in which confrontation with a personal problem or with reality is avoided by denying the existence of the problem or reality., or give in to angerAnger Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, trigger, hurt or threat. About one-third of scam victims become trapped in anger for extended periods of time following a scam. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Some view anger as an emotion that triggers a part of the fight or flight response. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively, and physiologically. Anger can have many physical and mental consequences. While most of those who experience anger explain its arousal as a result of "what has happened to them", psychologists point out that an angry person can very well be mistaken because anger causes a loss in self-monitoring capacity and objective observability. and desires for vengeance.

Scams are seriously traumatizing and even if you do not see it, every victim carries some trauma from these experiences. Get the help you need – trauma 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 (at least be evaluated because the vulnerabilities that the criminals exploited hint that there may be deeper trauma that you might not be aware of). Join a professionally and ethically managed 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. provided by a real crime victims assistance organization (not some amateur group created by an instant experience with a savior syndromeSyndrome It is a group of symptoms that can consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms.). Talk to your family and friends and get their input because your cognition may not be in great shape!

AFTERMATH

This is the dangerous time that all victims face.

This is where their future mental health is at risk and will be determined.

Your brain does not always know when it is injured. Every victim needs a professional evaluation so that future support and possibly treatment can be provided. If you don’t do this then you can be facing a future of limited resilience and increasing trauma.

Get help, but more importantly understand that YOU NEED IT!

Resources

Here are directories or resources to find a trauma counselor or therapist, and the SCARS Support & Recovery program:

PLEASE SHARE SO OTHERS WILL KNOW

SCARS Printed Books For Every 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 From SCARS Publishing

Visit shop.AgainstScams.org

Each is based on our SCARS Team’s 32 plus years of experience.

SCARS Website Visitors get an Extra 10% Discount
Use Discount Code “romanacescamsnow” at Checkout

SCARS GREN BOOK - The SCARS STEPS Guide to Scam Victim Recovery

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 trauma counseling or therapy, qualified support groups, 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!

Get it here

SCARS SLATE BOOK - A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims

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.

Get it here

SCARS RED BOOK - Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer

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.

Get it here

SCARS BLUE BOOK - Survivor's Recovery Journal
SCARS LIME BOOK - Wisdom & Motivation for Scam Victims
SCARS CHERRY BOOK - A Guide To Understanding Your Fear
SCARS WORKBOOK - 8 Steps To Improvement
SCARS WORKBOOK - Understanding Self-Blame, Guilt, and Shame
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Always Report All Scams – Anywhere In The World To:

U.S. 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 at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=SCARS and SCARS at www.Anyscams.com

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Updated SCARS RomanceScamsNow.com Posts:

Push Payment Scams

Push PaymentPush Payment An Authorized Push Payment (APP) refers to a type of financial transaction that involves the transfer of money from one bank account to another, initiated by the account holder or an authorized party. It typically occurs through the use of mobile banking apps, online payment platforms, or other electronic means. In an APP, the account holder provides explicit consent or authorization for the payment to be made. This distinguishes it from unauthorized or fraudulent transactions, where the account holder is unaware of or did not give consent for the payment. APPs are commonly used for various purposes, such as paying bills, making purchases, transferring funds to friends or family, and settling financial obligations. They provide a convenient and efficient way to transfer money electronically, eliminating the need for physical cash or paper-based payment methods. It's worth noting that while authorized push payments are generally legitimate transactions, there can be instances of scams or fraudulent activities where individuals are tricked into authorizing payments unknowingly or under false pretenses. It is important to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of requests before authorizing any APP. Scams Push Payment Scams Are A Newer [...]

Money Mules Initiative by the United States Department of Justice

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. Initiative An Initiative by the United States Department [...]

AI – Deception for Sale

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. - Deception for Sale AI Chatbots, Deepfakes, and [...]

Open Letter To Local Police Officers & Police Leadership

Open Letter 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. Officers & Police Leadership [...]

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