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Quick Check For Romance Scams Scam Basics A SCARS Insight Common Ways To Identify Romance Scams USE THIS PAGE AS A QUICK CHECK FOR SCAMS Scammers use many tricks during romance scams, but the outcomes are similar. Here are some common characteristics: SCAM TYPE: Investment Opportunities The scammer tries to lure victims into investing. The norm is that they ask victims to wire them money; alternatively, they email the victim [...]
The New World Order - Scamming in Southeast Asia Factory Scamming Is Exploding A SCARS Special Report Chinese & Southeast Asia (Cambodian) Partners Are Taking Cybercrime To An Industrial Level Prior to the pandemic, global transnational cybercrime was actually in decline. There were fewer victims in 2019 than in 2018 or 2017. SCARS Analytics showed a reduction of about40% per year for those 3 years. But with the pandemic, scams [...]
Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams The promise of Big Winnings is Just a Fantasy! How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight A Lottery Scam Is No Win For Its Victims You get a call, email, or letter saying you won a sweepstake, a lottery, or a prize — like an iPad, a new car, or something else. But you can tell it’s a scam because of what they do [...]
FBI Goes After Scammers & Cybercriminals With RAT A New FBI/IC3 Program A SCARS Insight The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Has A New Pet! Did you know that the FBI has an Internet Crime Complaint Center called IC3.gov? And did you know that IC3 has a Recovery Asset Team called RAT that, in 2021 alone, used its Financial Fraud Kill Chain (FFKC) to successfully place money holds on approximately [...]
Pig Butchering Investment Scams Official FBI Podcast Presented by SCARS Building A Digital Defense Against A New Romance + Cryptocurrency Scam Called "Pig Butchering" Listen to the Podcast below - Podcast will automatically play The Pig Butchering scam pulls on heartstrings and purse strings, and it is much easier to execute than regular emergency-based romance scams! The fraud is named for the way scammers feed their victims with [...]
Pig-Butchering Scam / Sha Zhu Pan - Training Manuals Scammer Training Guides Reprinted From REDDIT - Originally Posted by "cannabiccino" Training Guides Scammer Use For "Pig Butchering" Scams Our thanks to "cannabiccino" for this valuable information. As we have said for more than a decade, scammers are organized criminals that work in larger organizations. They outsource many of their activities, including training. They buy scripts and tools for outside providers! [...]
Beware Cloned Company Scams - Fake Investments The Growing Trend Of Large Scale Investment Scams A SCARS Insight Don’t Fall Victim To Fraudulent Investment Opportunities Portions courtesy of ActionFraud Investment scams can be hard to spot. Every year, victims lose thousands of pounds to criminals imitating genuine investment firms by clicking on adverts that lead them to fraudulent websites designed to replicate the page of a real investment firm. These [...]
Scam Slavery In Southeast Asia How Chinese Scammer Gangs Enslave Unsuspecting Chinese Citizens In Cambodia And Southeast Asia! A SCARS Insight Chinese National Scammers In Southeast Asia Can Literally Be Slaves To Scamming! Chinese Nationals Are Forced To Run Internet Scams From Cambodia They earn millions for their captors, sometimes paying with their lives! Lured or trafficked to Cambodia with promises of lucrative jobs, victims instead find themselves worked relentlessly [...]
The 4 Myths Of Criminal Use Of Cryptocurrencies Scammer Urban Legends A SCARS Insight A Lot Of Urban Legends Are Spread About Criminals Using Crypto! However, as with all things, the truth is important. Here are the 4 main myths! Here is the reality from our friends at Europol! Cryptocurrencies are a technical and financial innovation that offers major potential for the global economy. At the same time, they are [...]
New Crypto Payment Scam A SCARS Alert How Scams Work! There's a New Spin On Scammers Asking People To Pay With Cryptocurrency. It involves an impersonator, a QR code, and a trip to a store (directed by a scammer on the phone) to send your money to them through a cryptocurrency ATM. It works like this: Someone might call pretending to be from the government, law enforcement, or a local utility [...]
How To Quickly Recognize And Stop A Romance Scam About Romance Scams - How Scams Work A SCARS Insight How To Stop A Romance Scam In Its Tracks Millions of people go online in search of romance, and while it does work out for a lot of folks, there are also plenty of fishy people lying in wait! Scammers are always there impersonating real people and pretending to be interested [...]
Pig Butchering Scams - The New Romance & Investment Scam Combination Sweeping The World An Evolution In Romance Scams A SCARS Insight Pig Butchering Scams? What is that? It is the New Combination of Romance Scams & Investment Scams This new variation of scams began to immerge in 2020 and originated from China. The scam involves building a relationship, often romantic, with a victim before convincing them to make a [...]
How To Detect Scams In Someone You Know A Guide For Family & Friends You Can't Help Them Unless You Are Fairly Certain They Are Being Scammed - This Guide Will Help You To Know! A SCARS Insight What If Someone You Know Is A Victim Of Fraud Or A Scam? Here Are Signs To Look Out For The list of clues: A big change in their availability A change [...]
Resilience, Coping, Recovery, And Romance Scam Victims 'Resilience' in Scam Victims is the Capacity to Cope and Recover Quickly from Difficulties; a Mental Toughness Helping Scam Victims/Survivors to Understand the Importance of Resiliency in Their Recovery Scam Victim Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Originally Published: 2021 - [...]
Crypto-Scams To Avoid In 2021 Cryptocurrency Scams Information Courtesy of Malwarebytes A SCARS Insight Crypto-scams you should be steering clear of in 2021 Cryptocurrency scams are everywhere and victims are constantly falling for them This is one of those areas like stock and bond that can swallow the insufficiently educated. Any investment regardless of the type requires knowledge and a continuing commitment to education. You cannot just take [...]
Cryptocurrency Scams Rise 500% In 2020 A SCARS Scam Warning Cryptocurrency Investment Scam Reports At Record Level: The Facts That Suggest Caution Since October 2020, consumers have reported losing more than $80 million to cryptocurrency investment scams, an increase of more than ten-fold year-over-year, according to a new data analysis from the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC notes that cryptocurrency investment scams take on a variety of forms, [...]
Romance Baiting Scams Exploding Through The Pacific Rim & Southeast Asia This new scam technique combines romance scams and investment fraud Make sure you are reporting all scams! Romance Baiting Scams On The Rise A Romance Baiting Scam Is A Scam Where The Lure Is The Romance Then It Flips To A Fake Investment Scam Australians reported a record-breaking $37 million lost to Scamwatch last year for dating [...]
Reported Scammer Email Addresses - 2020 Part 3 Scammer Email Addresses That Have Been Reported To Be Used By Scammers SCARS RomanceScamsNOW.com Archives The following scammer email addresses have been reported by scam victims as being used by scammers through the SCARS|CDN™ Cybercrime Data Network. This information was submitted to SCARS for the specific purpose of public publication and does not violate any privacy laws or regulations. SCARS makes no claim on the accuracy [...]
Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens United States President Trump Issued a New Executive Order Government Actions - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract Cyber-enabled fraud has evolved into a global organized crime problem that causes billions of dollars in losses for American [...]
Cognitive Biases: Rational Actor Fallacy Playing a Role In Your Vulnerability & Susceptibility To Scams The Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The rational actor fallacy posits that individuals consistently make decisions based on logical reasoning and self-interest, overlooking the influence of [...]
The Framing Effect A Cognitive Bias That Affects Your Future Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight How We 'Frame' Information Influences Our Decisions The Framing Effect - Impacting Your Decisions About Your Future! The framing effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when our perception of an issue or decision is influenced by the way it is presented to us. In other words, we are [...]
Cybercrime Analysis - Using The Diamond Model To Help Victims Better Understand Their Crime A Technique To Help Quantify The Crime Cyber-Criminology - A SCARS Insight How To Apply The Cybercrime Analysis Diamond Model To Help Scam Victims Better Understand Their Scams And To Accept The Truth Faster The Diamond Model of Cybercrime Analysis can be applied to relationship scams to aid victims in better understanding the crime by providing [...]
Establishing The United States Task Force To Eliminate Fraud A Whole of Government Commitment Government Action - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The United States has established a centralized interagency task force to address widespread fraud affecting federal benefit programs and public funds, reframing fraud [...]
America's New Cyber Strategy U.S. White House Unveils President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America Governmental Actions - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The United States White House announced a national cyber strategy under President Donald Trump that aims to strengthen protections for Americans against cybercrime, [...]
Money Laundering 'Drop' Accounts Drop Accounts and the Hidden Financial Infrastructure of Transnational Cybercrime Catalog of Scams / How Scams Work - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract Drop accounts are bank or fintech accounts used temporarily to receive, move, and cash out funds derived from [...]
New United Nations UNODC Report on Corruption and Cybercrime Corruption - Cybercrime Feedback Loop: How Bribery, Complicity, and Digital Tools Supercharge Transnational Fraud Criminology - A SCARS Institute Insight Authors: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Portions by the UNODC Article Abstract Corruption and cybercrime form a mutually reinforcing system that lowers [...]
“Pao Fen” Payment Laundering Understanding “Pao Fen” Payment Laundering and What It Means for Scam Recovery How Scams Work / Criminology - A SCARS Institute Insight & Analysis Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Based on Research by: Fangzhou Wang and James D. Kelsay See Author Biographies Below [...]
Identifying Fake U.S. Soldiers - 2025 Techniques to Spot Fake Soldiers How Scams Work - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract Scammers continue to impersonate U.S., Canadian, U.K., and European soldiers to manufacture trust, push secrecy and urgency, and extract money through gift cards, crypto, “leave” [...]
How to Write/Email to Congress - Every Survivor's Guide Why Every Scam Victim and Family Member Should Email Congress Right Now Scam Survivor Activism - A SCARS Institute Guide Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. See Author Biographies Below Article Abstract Online scams have reached epidemic proportions, impacting [...]
Passwords vs. Passkeys - The New Reality Securing the Digital Self After a Scam: Why Passkeys Are the Future of Online Safety for Scam Victims and Passwords are Obsolete Online Safety - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract After a scam, rebuilding digital security is one [...]
Why Young Adults and the Elderly are Most Vulnerable to Cybercrime Digital Danger Zones: Young Adults and Seniors Face the Highest Risk of Cybercrime Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Institute Insight Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract Cybercrime affects everyone, but young adults and older adults face especially [...]
Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud FBI Warning About How Criminals Exploit Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Escalate Fraud, Impersonation, and Extortion Schemes FBI WARNING - Presented by the SCARS Institute Authors: • United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The FBI has issued a [...]
Hypothesis: The Expansion of Fraud is Only Limited by the Availability of Trained Criminals The Expansion of Fraud: Is It Limited Only by the Availability of Trained Criminals? Criminology - A SCARS Institute Analysis Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The expansion of fraud is increasingly viewed as being [...]
Social Engineering - An Updated Overview - 2024 Social Engineering is an Approach to Psychological and Neurologic Manipulation that can be done for Good or Bad and is at the Heart of Marketing, Politics, and Crime - Especially Cybercrime, Scams, and Fraud! Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Institute Insight Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams [...]
Website Spoofing and Typosquatting - Social Engineering and Cybercrimes Website Spoofing and Typosquatting: How Scammers Use Fake Domains to Trap Scam Victims through Social Engineering Techniques How Scams Work - A SCARS Institute Guide Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract Website spoofing and typosquatting are common cybercriminal tactics used [...]
Airlords/Air Lords African Crime Group Organization Violent Crime & Cybercrime Gang Organized Crime - A SCARS Insight Author: • SCARS Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract The Airlords/Air Lords, a clandestine African organized crime syndicate, operate in secrecy, making their origins and structure elusive. Thought to have emerged from rebel groups or militias thought reported to have come out of [...]
Cavalcante Cybercrime Gang Transnational Organized Criminal Enterprise from Brazil Profile How Scammers Operate - A SCARS Insight The Brazilian Cavalcante Cybercrime Gang - A Cybercriminal Group Attacking The Financial Infrastructure Of Brazil & Latin America Cavalcante Gang: In the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime, criminal organizations continually adapt, growing more sophisticated and elusive. The Cavalcante cybercrime gang, based in Brazil, is a noteworthy example of a criminal organization that has successfully [...]
Red Dragon Transnational Organized Criminal Enterprise Profile How Scammers Operate - A SCARS Insight The Red Dragon Group (RDG) Is A Transnational Criminal Empire Based In Taiwan But It Extends Its Reach Worldwide! The Red Dragon Organized Crime Group (also known as the Zhulian Gang 朱 418;幫) is a Taiwanese triad that was founded in 1968. It is one of the largest and most powerful triads in Taiwan, with an [...]
Fake Business Coaches And Get Rich Quick Schemes Fake Business Coaches, Dishonest Influencers, and Scammers Steal Tens of Millions How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight The Internet Is Full Of Fake Business Coaches, Influencers, And Scammers Offering Get Rich Quick Schemes For Just A Little Money Up Front! How Fake Business Coaches Present and Advertise Scams that are Guaranteed to Make Lots of Money with Guaranteed [...]
Malvertising Dangers! Malware Delivered Through Ads Online Safety - A SCARS Insight Malvertising: Those Online And Social Media Ads Are Not All That They Seem, Some Are Malware Lures To Trap The Unweary! Malvertising: Malicious Advertising Malvertising is a type of online advertising that is used to deliver malware to users. This is done by injecting malicious code into legitimate online advertising networks. The malicious code can then be used [...]
U.S. Cybercrimes Law Enforcement & Policing Agencies A Complete Directory of State & Federal Cybercrime Law Enforcement Agencies or Units Victim Advocacy - A SCARS Guide United States United States Law Enforcement or Regulatory Agencies U.S. Criminal Investigative Agencies U.S. Secret Service – the Secret Service wants to talk to you Find the nearest U.S. Secret Service Field Office to youhttps://www.secretservice.gov/contact/field-offices Crypto Scams can also be reported by email to: CryptoFraud@SecretService.gov Victims who require [...]
SCARS Newsletter March 4th Edition Welcome to our next edition of the SCARS Newsletter In this issue of our Official SCARS Newsletter, we are going to share information that all victims need to know about money recovery and financial safety. Remember to visit the rest of www.RomanceScamsNOW.com to learn more and stay informed! Focus Topic of this Issue of the SCARS Newsletter Scam [...]
The Biden Administration Announced Their Goals For Cybersecurity & Cybersafety An Official White House Announcement Scam Victim Advocacy - A SCARS Analysis The Biden Administration Announced Their Goals For Cybersecurity & Cybersafety A SCARS Analysis With this announcement, the Biden Administration is declaring their intentions for how to solve the cybersecurity & cybercrime national emergency that is victimizing the whole of the United States population and businesses. Yet, as we [...]
Fraud: Threat to National Security Reclassifying These Crimes To Create Real Awareness & Action Advocating On Behalf Of Victims - A SCARS Special Report The United Kingdom Has Already Accepted This, But Now The United States Is Feeling It Too! Fraud Set To Be Upgraded As A Threat To National Security The United States Government and the UK Government plan will see the crime reclassified and treated as seriously as [...]
Working With & Understanding Your Local Police What Law Enforcement Can & Cannot Do! Crime Victims' Advocacy - A SCARS Insight Getting The Local Police On Your Side Has Everything To Do With Understanding Their Role! What Is The Role Of Local Police And What Can They And Can't They Do? Your local police are responsible for maintaining law and order within their communities. They have a wide range of [...]
SCARS Q&A Questions & Answers 11/9/2022 With Special Guest Erin West A SCARS Presentation A SCARS Question & Answers Presentation With Special Guest Erin West, Prosecutor, Santa Clara County, California And SCARS Board Members: Dr. Tim McGuinness (USA), Debby Montgomery Johnson (USA), and Vianey Gonzales (Mexico) On today's SCARS Q&A we explore Pig Butchering Crypto Relationship/Investment Scams, Real Money Recovery, Money Mules, the Criminal Justice Systems and Law Enforcement, Scams, [...]
An Updated Compendium Of Confidence Tricks A Collection of Scams & Cons A SCARS Insight Confidence Tricks And Scams And Frauds Confidence tricks and scams are difficult to classify because they change often and often contain elements of more than one type. Throughout this list, the perpetrator of the confidence trick is called the "con artist" or simply "artist", and the intended victim is the "mark". Particular scams are mainly [...]
Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth talks with Brett Johnson [VIDEO] About Scams & Cybercrimes In Today's World SCARS Insight Interview A New Video from SCARS! A SCARS Insight Interview The World Of Cybercriminals & Scams Is Not What Many Tell You About It is a world of both professionals and services that allow almost anyone to become a cybercriminal with ease. Hear about this world as SCARS' Managing Director [...]
FBI Releases 2020 Internet Crime Report In 2020, while the American public was focused on protecting our families from a global pandemic and helping others in need, cybercriminals took advantage of an opportunity to profit from our dependence on technology to go on an Internet crime spree. These criminals used phishing, spoofing, extortion, and various types of Internet-enabled fraud to target the most vulnerable in our society - medical workers searching for personal protective [...]
SCARS™ Special Report: UNODC Cybercrime And COVID19 Risks and Responses During the global Chinese Coronavirus Pandemic scammers & cybercriminals worldwide are working overtime to take advantage of this unique opportunity to scam tens of millions of victims. The following is the analysis of this situation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - a United Nations oversight body tracking global transnational crime trends. This report is from the UNODC Cybercrime and Anti-Money Laundering [...]
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