
SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years

Why Don’t Victims Report Crimes?
The main reason victims don’t report crimes to the police or the FBI is that they are either afraid, ashamed, or prefer to handle the matter in another way, such as report the incident to someone else.
According to a 2012 study conducted by the U.S. Justice Department National Center for Crime Victims, that analyzed the reasons that roughly 52 percent of all crimes were not reported to the police from 2006 to 2010.
Here are some of the reasons that victims stated for not reporting:
CRIMES DON’T SEEM WORTHY OF REPORTING – THEY ARE UNSURE IF THERE WAS A CRIME
Eighteen percent of people who don’t reported crimes told the Justice Department they didn’t consider the crimes important enough to take to the police. This is especially true in cases of household thefts, where the value of the stolen goods can be small and/or covered by insurance. In comparison, very few car thefts go unreported.
PEOPLE DON’T TRUST THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS
A substantial number of people believe the police can’t or won’t help them. Sixteen percent of people in the Justice Department survey said the police are unwilling or unable to help. This is even more prevalent among residents in big cities, where mistrust of the police tends to be higher than in suburban or rural communities. Deanna Wilkinson, Ohio State assistant professor of human science, told The Columbus Dispatch that urban crime victims often don’t trust the motives or the effectiveness of the local police or don’t want to be drawn into an investigation that might involve testifying in court, missing time at work or other personal inconveniences.
FEAR OF EXPOSURE OR RETALIATION MOTIVATES THEIR SILENCE
Reporting a crime can be scary. Thirteen percent of those in the Justice Department study who failed to report crimes cited potential reprisals as the main factor for their silence. This group includes victims who knew the perpetrators and sought to protect them from police. Victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence often don’t report these crimes to the police out of fear of reprisals, fear that the justice system will treat mistreat them, or to protect a spouse or significant other who abused them.
SHAME IS OFTEN TO BLAME IN SUCH CASES
As a 2007 National Institute of Justice survey discovered, the percentage of crimes reported to the police are particularly low on college campuses in cases of rape and sexual assault. The statistics, cited in a 2014 Time magazine article, found that only 15 percent of such crimes were reported to police. This generally aligns with the 2012 Justice Department report, which found 67 percent of rape and sexual assault victims of any age avoided contacting the police. Many victims wanted to maintain their anonymity to protect their privacy or cited embarrassment or shame as reasons to keep quiet. Many victims were uncertain whether the legal definition covered their situation and many doubted the police would believe their story.
VICTIMS REPORT TO OTHER AUTHORITIES
The Justice Department study found that the leading reasons people cite for not reporting crimes to the police stemmed from a decision to handle the problem themselves or report the incident to other officials, such as a school official, guard or someone else outside the police department. This was particularly true in cases of crimes at schools, where a whopping 76 percent of crimes weren’t reported to the police.
SCAM VICTIMS
In the case of SCAM victims the number of victims that DO NOT report the crime is above 90%
Is it any wonder that law enforcement has not prioritized scams before now?
HERE ARE THE FACTS:
- SCAMMERS ARE LIARS – unless you live in Africa, you have nothing to fear from scammers. They only want to make money!
- BLACKMAIL – Scammers are? Liars! Remember that! They don’t have time to waste on someone that will not pay. They will threaten, but it’s empty talk.
- VIOLENCE – same thing, Scammers are liars and will use threats to get what they want. They DO NOT have vast networks of people around the globe – the risk is simply too high. They hide in Africa.
- SOCIAL STIGMA – Well it is embarrassing that you gave away so much money, but you were manipulated, Now become an adult and do the right thing! You must report the crime to the police and Anyscam.com (so the rest of the world is informed), but you don’t have to share it with family and friends (unless you drew them into it).
- IRRESPONSIBLE – if you do not report the crime, you are doing exactly what the scammer wants you to do! You are personally letting them get away with it, and victimize someone else – don’t put that on your conscience too.
- FRIENDS & FAMILY – If you friended the scammer on social media, you may have lead the scammer right to your family and friends through your friends list. You need to set your shame aside and do the right thing by telling them immediately. Even if they do not understand, it is still your responsibility.
- GUILT – Is a terrible thing. You feel guilty about being scammed, and how you went along with what the scammer asked you to do. But now that you know, guilt is not an excuse. As a responsible adult you have to do the right thing – you can’t remain silent.
How can you get over the scam, if you let your fear silence you from reporting the crime?
We are not saying it is easy. We are not saying that others will understand. We are not saying that you will not be afraid. But these are just excuses for not doing the thing that needs to be done. The sooner you do it, you can then begin to recover and get over it.
Please do the right thing!
Please report the scam to your local police AND to us here or on SCARS’ www.Anyscam.com
Thank you!
RSN Team
Miami Florida USA
Thanks to Jim Thomas for portions.
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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
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
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.
I had never heard of SCARS, prior to this evening & after reading through the mission(goal), can say how completely wrong, the statistical reports are.
Found myself in a similar situation & I did put my fears aside, including my pride & my privacy, all while being threatened.
This is a real crime, several, pending each individual(victim) & the manipulater(the scammer) & their ‘con’.
The police stated they could not get involved,as it was out of their jurisdiction. Agents with the Bureau,(plural, as I spoke to a few), all directed me to a site online to ‘officially report’.
So, when I am reading the percentages,along with the many reasons for unreported incidents, was more than shocked.
How can a victim, that is already being bullied, threatened,etc., have the courage to proceed with reporting to have them caught & prevent other potential victim’s from harm?
Truly frustrated by lack of support for such a blatant crime, with such STAGGERING numbers & to see that many scammers are currently in the military.
This is morally disturbing, to say the least.
THE SCAMMERS ARE NOT IN THE MILITARY – THEY ARE STEALING PHOTOS OF MEN & WOMEN IN THE MILITARY. ANOTHER REASON WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT IS FREQUENTLY UNABLE TO HELP IS THAT MOST VICTIMS DON’T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THEIR SCAMMER, JUST THE PICK UP PERSON – NOT THE SAME THING. MOST VICTIMS HAVE LITTLE IDEA OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CRIME OR EVEN HOW TO HELP. BUT AT LEAST YOU ARE READING AND THAT IS A START.