SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams – Scams & Scammers, Organized Crime, Cyber, and Victim Insights
A Collection of Insights Written by the SCARS Institute Expert Team
Welcome to the SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Insights, a unique knowledge hub dedicated to exploring and understanding the complex world of online deception, scams, and fraud with its profound human cost. Here, we provide different look across five critical domains: Scams & Scammers, where we deconstruct the tactics and psychology of perpetrators; Cybercrime & Security, covering the technical infrastructure of digital fraud; Organized Crime, exploring the sophisticated networks that profit from these schemes; Online Safety, offering proactive strategies for digital defense; and Scam Victims, where we center on the lived experience, trauma, and pathways to recovery.
This resource is designed to equip advocates, professionals, and the public with the additional perspectives and knowledge necessary to combat this global plague, providing a different approach that will help us all take a big step toward creating a safer digital world for all.
For New Scam Victims, begin that journey of learning what you need to know now at www.ScamVictimsSupport.org
If you are ready to join the official SCARS Institute Scam Survivors’ Community, sign up HERE – it is free, safe, and confidential – exclusively for primary and secondary scam victims.
Trigger Warning
This content may be difficult for some scam survivors to read.
For new scam victims, everything is raw and seems like one long emotional reaction. However, learning to hear the truth is an important part of starting down the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ to recovery.
For Survivors further down the road, you may have convinced yourself that you are doing everything right, but you may feel challenged or even judged by what is written here. That discomfort is not an attack. It is a signal. If this content feels upsetting, it may be because you have drifted off the path of recovery without realizing it. Many survivors do. This is not uncommon. You may have started with clarity and discipline, then slowly returned to old habits, emotional shortcuts, or false beliefs.
The purpose of this article is not to shame you or blame you, but to bring you back to the path. Back to what works. Back to what is honest and the truth. If it feels like scolding when someone speaks truth to you, it is often because you are hearing it through the filter of shame or denial. That alone can tell you where you stand in your recovery. Being triggered does not mean the message is wrong. It means there is something you still need to face. You are not being punished. You are being reminded. This article is direct because recovery demands clarity. Avoidance and self-flattery will not protect you. Only truth will.
Money Mule U.S. Federal Consequences
Money Mule U.S. Federal Consequences WARNING: THIS IS GOING TO BE HIGHLY TRIGGERING. This is based on what we know right now. This does not mean that you personally are at risk for these, but you should speak with a criminal defense attorney to understand your own situation. Being a money mule in the United States is illegal and carries severe consequences, including criminal prosecution, a potential federal prison [...]
Fake Passport Services
Fake Passport Services A little-known but highly organized online possibly-criminal industry is quietly profiting from misleading passport renewal websites that target people searching for help with routine government services. These sites are designed to appear official and rank prominently in Google search results for phrases such as “renew my passport.” In many cases, they appear above the legitimate U.S. Department of State website, despite offering no services beyond what [...]
The United States Scam Center Strike Force
The United States Scam Center Strike Force We have told you that this administration has been taking scams seriously for a while, but now the action plan has been revealed. What the Scam Center Strike Force is: The Scam Center Strike Force is a newly established (November 2025) interagency U.S. law enforcement initiative created in late 2025 to combat large-scale cryptocurrency investment scams and other cyber-fraud operations run from [...]
Relationship Scams – Real-Time Face-Swap Apps
Real-Time Face-Swap Apps The emergence of real-time face-swap technology, as used by sophisticated scamming collectives like the "Yahoo boys," represents a terrifying evolution in romance fraud. In these scams, a victim believes they are having a live video call with their love interest, but they are actually interacting with a digital puppet. As described in recent exposes, a female scammer may be on the call, but the victim sees [...]
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!
