Last Updated on by SCARS Editorial Team
Many have asked “What Can We Do” after they have been scammed.
We actually have had hundreds of scammers identified to their local governments. However, this is totally dependent on the country the operate from. So it is a long hard road.
Actually, though, you have many options.
First you should ALWAYS file local police reports for the individual 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. – so you have it documented, if nothing else it is a tax deduction in the U.S.
If you live in the U.S. you should then file an Internet Crime Report – here is how to do it: http://www.romancescamsnow.com/file-an-fbi-report/ Most Western Countries have similar agencies to take your information.
Be sure that each 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. has been reported here: http://www.romancescamsnow.com/how-to-report-scammers-fraudsters/report-scammers-here/ This is so that other potential victims can learn and avoid that scammer.
You can also file a complaint directly with the Ghanaian or Nigerian Police (you could get lucky, but you will never get your money back): http://www.romancescamsnow.com/anti-scam-tools/contacting-the-ghana-police/ or http://www.romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/nigerian-police/ We file complaints for every reported scammer if we get enough information.
However, there is another kind of action. File a law suit – do it in a local court against the government of the country in question (African Country). You will get a LOT of attention, and the cost is actually very low. Charge them will negligence and anything else that your attorney can think of. After all it is their failure to enforce their own laws that led to your loss. And in civil court the Defendant is presumed GUILTY until proven innocent (unlike criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. courts). Remember your goals: ShameShame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion typically associated with a negative evaluation of the self; withdrawal motivations; and feelings of distress, exposure, mistrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. the country of origin; shame and publicize the scammers; shame the dating website (do not name the website as a defendant in the suit – they have money and will fight back); use public opinion aggressively – contact the press. You might get a judgment and surprisingly, these countries have assets in the U.S. that you might seize. Your total cost for the suit could be a couple of thousand, but the upside is actually huge if you win.
Another important point, is name everybody that you know about. They have to use real names to receive the money from you. When filing your local and national criminal complaints, this will also help prevent them from ever visiting your country as tourists, and if they do, they can be prosecuted for the 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..
Remember, you may have been victimized, but you don’t have to remain a victim!
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