So? What Does It Mean To Be A Scammer/Fraudster/Con Artist?

Is this complicated or simple?

The dictionary defines ‘Scammers’ or ‘fraudsters’ as:

One who perpetrates a scam, a person who commits or participates in a fraudulent scheme or operation.

The Urban Dictionary defines a Scammer as:

One who does everything in his/her power to steal from another, usually by means of trickery, deceit, and force. With the accessibility and anonymity that the internet provides, scammers have become increasingly prevalent in modern times. Usually driven by personal greed or even outright amusement, they are unhindered by sympathy or morals and are the very face of human corruption.

The Cambridge University Dictionary defines a Scammer as:

Someone who makes money using illegal methods, especially by tricking people

Synonyms: a dishonest person; a cheat; a liar; a cheater; a crook; a fraud or fraudster; a cowboy; a shark

That is getting closer to the truth, but still is not quite right!

First, let’s look at what a Scammer Does!

A Scammer Does:

• They use social engineering to lure in unsuspecting victims.
• They create a set of deceptions or lies – a story to justify their intent.
• They often use a personal relationship as a control mechanism.
• They groom and then manipulate a prospective victim.
• They create a trap that requires the victim to give the scammer something of value (money).
• They maintain the situation as long as possible to extract everything of value possible from the victim.
• They often threaten the victim when they cannot pay more.
• When the scam ends they want the victim broken and silent.

But there is More:

• Some scammers take sadistic pleasure in commanding a victim to do what they want and then leave them on the floor penniless and emotionally broken.
• Some scammers use mystical religion and ritual to give them divine powers to engage in doing wrong to others.
• Many scammers seem to enjoy the feelings of conquest every time to manipulate another victim to do what they want.
• Many scammers feel completely justified because of delusional anti-colonial justifications.
• Many scammers enjoy their greed and justify it because they are entitled to it.
• Many scammers laugh when they read victims’ stories.

However, the Truth is also More Complex:

• Most scammers are not really evil people.
• Most scammers work this as a business and victims are just a business opportunity – telemarketer thinking.
• Many scammers actually care about the victims, though this does not stop them. We have actually had scammers contact us because they were worried about a victim.
• Many scammers get up, go to work, and this is what they do.
• Scammers come from over 100 countries.
• Scammers are of almost every race, religion, and culture.

Are they Sorry about doing it?

• Some are very troubled by it but they do not stop until they have enough money for their needs.
• Many are not troubled at all – until they get arrested.
• Many incorporate their families, girlfriends, and even children into scamming.
• Scamming buys them cars, homes, and luxury.
• Scamming allows them to educate themselves.
• Scamming allows them to travel – usually, so they can continue scamming from someplace new.

But here is what SCARS Believes:

• Scamming is profoundly corrupting of a person’s soul, in very similar ways to aggressive telemarketing sales (maybe that is scamming too after all).
• Many scammers become more sociopathic the longer they do it.
• But all scammers live in fear of being caught, no matter what they say.
• Scammers enjoy luxury for a while but spend their life looking over their shoulders because the internet never forgets.
• Even though most victims do not report these crimes the information is out there just waiting for a scammer to make a mistake.

We believe Scammers are Human Beings who have allowed themselves to do something evil!

We would never justify what they do, but we strive to understand it. You cannot defeat something unless you can.

Evil and corruption are contagious. They spread from person to person subtly like a virus. Unless your ethics are clear, it will creep up on a person – it happens with politicians, businesspeople, activists, dictators, and so many others. Scammers are just one of the flavors of this corruption.

Almost all people have done something wrong in their lives. It makes it more understandable, though never justifiable.

In Summary

In summary, scammers are all of this and much more. But just maybe, while we work hard to stop them for the criminals they are, we should not hate them personally. After all, hating scammers only harms the person hating. Instead, we should just recognize them for what they are: they are just criminals and not deserving of our pain, our emotions, and our thought. We can condemn them while still feeling pity for a life gone wrong.

Each victim has to make up their own mind on this but remember that the hate you feel for a scammer is not worth what it will do to you!

The most important thing you can do, is move forward with your life and don’t allow scammers to live rent-free in your mind any longer!