SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
Thoughts from the War on Scams … July 17, 2021
Things Have to Change!
A SCARS Commentary on Privacy
A Commentary on The State of Scams & Privacy
By Dr. Tim McGuinness, Member of the Board of Directors, Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
I recently heard from a friend who was applying for a new position and was declined because of #data that was discovered – which presumably was obtained through a data breach. Not only was his privacy violated with the data breach, but increasingly employers are doing dark web searches for information about employees and prospective employees!
It is bad enough that they are now basing decisions on social media, but if there are thousands of data breaches a year then really nothing is safe!
Are we living in a new witch trial era? Where you are burned at the stake, not just because of what you say, but because of data that may be contained in different websites and services?
I challenge anyone to list all of the accounts they have created over the years? Hundreds, thousands? Most websites want your data before they will let you even see what they really do! Have you kept track of all of them and what they might mean to others looking into your activities?
Yet that is now the world we seem to live in!
The Supreme Court just said you cannot litigate against a data breach, you have to wait until you are actually harmed, but by them how do you connect it to a specific data breach? If your identity is stolen or you are impersonated, how do you KNOW where the information came from?
The situation is so far beyond being out of control it is ridiculous. It is almost like we are living in a civilization that demands human sacrifice and we are just blindly accepting it. What is worst still, our governments are not taking any responsibility for this situation. We even have laws (Section 230) that give these companies immunity if you entered your data yourself.
Something has to change.
This is only going to get worse, and there is no effective way to opt-out after the fact.
Data breaches and identity theft, financial fraud and scams, and the trauma these bring are a given now. Can we trust LifeLock to save us?
In my opinion, there are three parallel approaches that should be considered.
1. Penalties for any business that does not have your recurring permission to contain your data. They must disclose what they have and obtain your permission on a frequent basis to continue to hold it.
2. Employers must disclose what their background searches showed and give prospective employees an opportunity to counter or contest it.
3. We need a new identity verification system, probably based upon blockchain – that verifies the identity of every person on the planet. Which will be the lesser of the two evils? Big brother or everyone at risk of identity theft with everything that brings? For those of us that live in the real world, our identities and reputation are everything! We must find a way to defend them.
How much longer can we accept this current situation?
We have to stop being passive about things that really matter, and allowing politicians to distract us with their nonsense!
Just saying …
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
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on Nigeria – [EFCC] Economic & Financial Crimes Commission: “Thank you for your comment, but this is patently false. China is the source for the most scammers. Brazil has…” Jul 9, 06:20
on Nigeria – [EFCC] Economic & Financial Crimes Commission: “NIgeria has produced more scammers than the whole world produced. Seems like their law enforcement is pretty incompetent.” Jul 8, 02:51
on Self-Pity & Scam Victim Recovery: “I like how this article incorporates gratitude as an antidote to self-pity. I also like how the writer corelates that…” Jul 7, 19:48
on Romance Scams – Crime Typology Overview / Victim Impact Analysis – 2025: “Excellent compendium of knowledge on romance scams . Thank you Dr. Tim” Jul 5, 07:43
on Romance Scams – Crime Typology Overview / Victim Impact Analysis – 2025: “Dr. Tim, in the couple of hours you took to pull this information together into a victim impact analysis, is…” Jul 4, 18:56
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
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If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about 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 can 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 at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
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