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Trauma Grief & Humor As A Coping Mechanism Helping Scam Victims Understand How To Use Humor As A Coping Mechanism Scam Victim Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Originally Published: 2023 - Article Updated: 2024 Article Abstract The use of humor as a coping mechanism [...]
Scam Victim Recovery Fatigue Understanding The Impact Of Recovery On Victims The Scam Victim Recovery Process - A SCARS Insight Scam Victims Often Begin Recovery But Find They Give Up Early Before They Are Fully Recovered This Is Called: Recovery Fatigue Recovery Fatigue is a real thing and it affects people going through recovery programs for trauma, emotional distress, and even in drug and alcohol programs Introduction Recovery fatigue can [...]
Evolution In Pig Butchering Scams A Guest Editorial By Brad Gorka About A New Trend In Scams How Scams Work - A SCARS Insight Inevitable Evolution Of Crypto Pig Butchering Is Here - More Gifts From AI An Editorial By Brad Gorka, Cybersecurity Professional, CISO, and Information Security Leader About Brad Gorka: Provide Value and Be Valued. I do this by building exceptional teams. This means hiring the right people and [...]
Scammer Lures Used To Exploit Your Needs Methods Scammers Use That Exploit Your Vulnerabilities Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight Scammers Use And Exploit Victim Needs To Lure Victims In And Control Them Scammer Lures: Decoding Our Obsession With Needs And Greed Karl Marx famously said humans are "creatures of need." But as even this remark suggests, we’ve always been "creatures of want." "I’m not needy. I’m wanty." Scam [...]
Scam Victim Self-Hatred And Self-Loathing Recovering From Scams Is A Process Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Why Do Some Scam Victims Hate Themselves? Self-Hatred Is Common After A Relationship Scam It is common for people who have been scammed to feel a range of emotions, including anger, frustration, and self-blame. It is understandable that someone who has been scammed may feel upset with themselves for not recognizing the scam [...]
Trauma Counseling & Therapy Resources Trauma Counseling Helps Victims To Become Survivors The Recovery Process - A SCARS Guide Every Scam Victim Needs Support, Start With Trauma Counseling & Therapy Getting The Right Support From The Beginning Can Make All The Difference! This Is Why SCARS Recommended Trauma Counseling SCARS Recommends to all scam victims that they seek Trauma Counseling or Therapy! If you are experiencing a crisis in your [...]
CONTENT MOVED More Cognitive Biases - Part 2 The Just-World Bias The Self-Serving Bias False Consensus Effect Bias The Illusion of Control Bias
Scam Victim Revenge Why Do Scam Victims Feel The Need For Revenge? Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Chasing Revenge! Why Do Crime Victims Seek Revenge? Crime victims often seek revenge for a variety of reasons Some of the most common reasons include a desire for justice, a sense of powerlessness or vulnerability, and feelings of anger or frustration. The primary reason that crime victims seek revenge is a desire [...]
Scam Victim Support Groups The Why & How They Work Effectively Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight What Is A Crime Victims' Support Group? A crime victims' support group (such as for Scam or financial fraud victims) is a group of people who have experienced a type of crime and come together to provide emotional support and share information and experiences related to their experiences. These groups should be [...]
Repetition Syndrome in Scam Victims It Is A Common Reaction To Distress And Trauma! Scam Victim Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Do You Feel That You Are Experiencing Repetition Syndrome? It Is A Common Reaction To Distress And Trauma! What is Repetition Syndrome? Repetition syndrome, also known as "repetition compulsions," is a psychological phenomenon in which a person feels an intense need to repeat certain actions or behaviors that [...]
Anti-Scam FAQ: What is comforting about living in denial? Answer: Living in denial can be comforting because it allows a person to avoid dealing with difficult or uncomfortable emotions or situations. By denying the reality of a situation, a person can avoid feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or fearful. This can provide temporary relief and a sense of control over the situation. However, it is important to recognize that denial is not a healthy or sustainable [...]
Trauma Bias A Cognitive Bias That Affects Victims And Those Trying To Support Them Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight What is Trauma Bias? Trauma bias is a type of cognitive bias that can occur when people have preconceived notions or beliefs about trauma and its effects. This bias can influence how people perceive, interpret, and respond to traumatic events and the people who have experienced them. For example, someone [...]
Victims: Common Reactions To Crime How To Help Victims' Assistance Providers & Supporters In Understanding Their Reactions Extracted From The SCARS Mentor Training Program A Crime Victim's Common Reactions to Crime It is useful to know the common reactions that victims may experience when trying to cope with the crime Special thanks to the government of Canada for source material used in this guide. Principal Editor: Dr. Tim McGuinness, Director, [...]
Important Ways To Validate Scam Survivors For Family & Friends of Scam Victims Scam Victim Support & Recovery - A SCARS Insight After A Scam Ends All Victims Need Validation! Scam victims are disoriented, desperate, and unsure of everything. They need help to validate that they are the victim of a crime! How To Help Them The following will help friends and family members help victims by validating them! This [...]
Why Do Victims Believe Fake Scammer Videos Are Real? Psychological Factors That Make Victims Ignore The Truth The Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight Why Victims Do Not Recognize That The Videos That They Are Watching Are Being Faked? About Victim Engagement With Fake Videos It would seem obvious that the videos provided by scammers would be easy to confirm as fake, yet most victims do not recognize them [...]
SCARS Journalism & Ethical Publishing Standards About RomanceScamsNOW.com A SCARS Policy About SCARS Publishing on RomanceScamsNOW.com Masthead Owner: Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., a Florida Nonprofit Corporation. Publisher in Chief: Dr. Tim McGuinness, Managing Director, Board Member, and SCARS Officer Press Contact: Debby Montgomery Johnson, Director, Board Member, and SCARS Officer Editorial Advisory Board: Vianey Gonzalez, and others. Corrections We will revise our website and articles as needed [...]
Scam Victim Identity Crisis The Crisis That Comes After The Scam Ends! Victim Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight What’s An Identity Crisis And Could You Be Having One? In Additional to Everything Else, Who You are has Changed Because of the Scam A Scam Victim's Dilemma As you participate in a relationship scam, whether a regular romance scam or a "Pig Butchering" crypto investment scam, your whole persona is [...]
War On Scams: The SCARS Model To End Scams A Policy Statement About The War On Scams Presented by SCARS War on Scams: What Does It Really Take To Stop Scams? It Begins With A Complete Understanding That Everything Is Connected In The War On Scams We cannot ask any part of this complex problem to solve it for the whole. All the pieces have to come together to do [...]
Curiosity: A Powerful Tool for Processing Emotions After A Scam Scam Victim Recovery - Helping Victims To Recover Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight Scam Victim Recovery - After The Scam Ends, A Victim's Universe Closes In Immediately after the scam ends victims are desperate for information, but quickly they lose interest in the real information that can help them recover. Instead, they often grab onto the basic notions of [...]
Scam Victim Apathy - Scams Are Somebody Else's Problem A Look At Why Most Scam Victims Will Not Act Effectively The Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight Crime Victim Apathy - Somebody Else's Problem Does the experience of crime lead to individual disenchantment from life, friends and family, willingness to learn, willingness to help, and politics, or can it even stir activism (good or bad?) Research on non-electoral political [...]
Why Can I Not Stop Thinking About The Scammer? A Lesson In Letting Go For Your Own Sanity Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight Why Can I Not Stop Thinking About The Scammer(s) The ending of a relationship scam is one of the most painful things women or men can do No matter how long you were in the fake relationship, regardless of whether you ended things yourself or [...]
The Unique Shame Of Being Scammed Again After The First Scam Things Change Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight When A Victim Allows Themself To Become Scammed Again It Is Quite A Different Experience Than The First Time Notice that we said "allows" themself to be scammed again because it is a decision the second or third time around. However, every victim can recover from this! The first scam [...]
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Scam Victim Panic Attacks Helping Scam Victims Through Their Recovery Recovery Psychology - A SCARS Insight How Scam Victims Can Deal With Fear And Panic Attacks This article is addressed to new victims mostly. New victims, in the first couple of months after the scam ends, can be very fearful for their safety, sometimes the safety of family members, and especially about their future. Of course, most scam victims have [...]
Scam Victim Isolation Understanding and Overcoming Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight The Impact of Crime: Isolation on Victims First, It Is Necessary To Accept That Scam Victims Are Victims Of Crimes! Scam victims are as affected by these terrible crimes as many other types of victims - even though the trauma is not physical. Crime victims often suffer a broad range of psychological and social injuries that persist long [...]
Optimism Bias - Everything Will Be Fine There Is Nothing To Worry About! Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight Optimism Bias Affects Scam Victims Mostly After The Scam Ends - Leading Them To Be Scammed Again And Again Optimism bias (or the optimistic bias) is a cognitive bias that causes someone to believe that they themselves are less likely to experience a negative event. It is also known as [...]
Normalcy Bias - A Cognitive Bias The Normalcy Bias: Understanding the Cognitive Bias that Can Put You in Danger Cognitive Biases - What Could Go Wrong, Right? 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. Originally Published: 2022 - Article Updated: 2025 [...]
Never Again And Other Urban Legends You Are Too Smart Now To Be Scammed Again & Other Urban Legends Scam Urban Legends Series A SCARS Insight Urban Legends Are Everywhere In The Scam Victim Communities! They are spread by instant experts and other victims because they want to believe that they are true. But sadly, most are not and many contribute to making victims more vulnerable. Urban Legend: Being Strong-Willed [...]
What Is Addiction in Scam Victims? Helping Victims Understand What Happened To Them! The Psychology of Scams Series A SCARS Insight What Is It And How Does It Apply To Relationship Scams? Basic Definition A person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances [...]
Suggestibility & Scam Victims The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight It Is Important For Scam Victims To Better Understand Their Own Suggestibility Since It Influenced Not Only The Scam But Their Life After The Scam Let's Begin With What Suggestibility Is? Suggestibility is the quality of being inclined to accept and act on the suggestions of others. One may fill in gaps in certain memories with false information given by [...]
Scam Victim Relapse Scam Victim Recovery A SCARS Insight About 5%-10% or More Scam Victims Will Be Scammed Again The very sad truth is that many scam victims are scammed over and over. Our analysis shows that the average is about 3.4 times. However, it is hardest to help those that end their scam, begin recovery, and then let their emotions continue to take control of them - leading them [...]
The Role Curiosity Plays In Being Scammed The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Curiosity Is Well Recognized As A Human Blessing. Is It Also A Human Curse? Curiosity—the desire for information—underlies many human activities, from reading celebrity gossip to developing nuclear science. Tales about such things as Pandora’s box suggest that it is also a curse, but scientific evidence has been lacking to really understand its role in poor [...]
Urban Legends: JuJu/Voodoo - Hypnosis - Brainwashing The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Why Do Victims Want To Believe They Were Hypnotized Or Bewitched? Because It Can Be More Comforting Than The Alternatives A peculiar aspect of victim psychology after the scam is the desire to push away the guilt and blame by looking for fantastical explanations for what happened. Since almost all victims do not really know why [...]
Signs of Good & Bad Scam Victim Emotional Health The Psychology of Recovery A SCARS Insight After The Scam Ends, Victims Show Emotional Changes - Some Good And Some Bad Here Are Both Good And Bad Emotional States To Help You Self-Evaluate =========================== Signs of Poor Emotional Health Some warning signs can tell you whether your emotional health is vital or solid. Here are some signs to watch for that [...]
![Three Main Causes Of Anger In Scam Victims - 2022 [UPDATED 2025] - on the SCARS Institute RomanceScamsNOW.com - the Encyclopedia of Scams™](https://romancescamsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Anger-In-Scam-Victims.png "Three Main Causes Of Anger In Scam Victims - 2022 [Updated 2025] Anger In Scam Victims")
Three Main Causes Of Anger In Scam Victims Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Article Abstract As a scam victim, you might [...]
How To Report Facebook For Product Safety Violations Facebook Is A Consumer Software Product A SCARS Insight Facebook Is A Product! Even if it is FREE - it is still a product. That means it may be subject to consumer product safety regulations. Please Note: This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered the opinion of an attorney. Always consult a licensed attorney before [...]
Panic & Urgency Scams [VIDEO] SCARS Webinar May 21, 2022 In this edition of our SCARS Webinar Series, we talk about short-term scams where the scammers place the victim in panic and create a sense of urgency!. These scams are typically about some form of emergency or urgent situation where the victim has to send money immediately to avoid serious consequences. Hosted by SCARS Directors: Debby Montgomery Johnson & Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, [...]
Victim Vulnerability After The Scam - Physical Risks The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Scam Victim Warning: Something We Have Never Talked About! VULNERABILITY AFTER THE SCAM You have probably never considered this, but you are potentially in physical danger after your scam ends. Yes, just what we said. Let us explain ... After your crime ends you are vulnerable for many reasons, but the most obvious one is [...]
Scam Urban Legends: Anti-Scam Groups Are All Good Helping To Set The Record Straight With thousands of amateur and pretend anti-scam groups on social media, many spread misinformation, fake news, and urban legends, instead of the real situation and knowledge. These guides will help provide confirmed and correct information you can rely on in your avoidance, discovery, and recovery. First Principals SCARS is a formal crime victims' assistance and crime [...]
Romance Scams Life Cycle SCARS Webinar May 14, 2022 Report The Crime You are the victim of organized transnational criminals! Take this seriously. The reason scams are so out of control is that only about 1% of victims report these crimes! Every report matters! Police may not chase after the scammers but the reports help the government to extradite them! Reporting also restores your power and [...]
SCARS Webinar: Money Mules [VIDEO] Understanding How Victims Are Manipulated Into Becoming Accessories A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] May 7, 2022 It Is Common For Scam Victims To Be Manipulated - Against Their Will Or Knowledge Into Becoming Money Mules Don’t Be a Mule: Awareness Can Prevent Crime What Is a Money Mule? A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone [...]
SCARS Webinar: Romance Scams #1 [VIDEO] Pig Butchering Fraud & Military Impersonation Fraud A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] April 30, 2022 Romance Fraud has been with us for hundreds of years at least. Fraudsters pretending to be in love to gain money is commonplace! But they have been online since the early 1990s. Our team began educating about them starting in 1991. Did You Know? It is estimated that 50% [...]
SCARS Webinar: Telling Your Story Part 2 [VIDEO] Telling Your Family & Friends A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] April 23, 2022 Every Scam Victim Need To Tell Their Story An excerpt from our upcoming SCARS Gold Book on Telling Your Story First, understand that this is not going to be easy! But it is easier than hiding the secret inside! By sharing your story you will reduce your trauma and improve your [...]
Deborah - A Romance Scam Victim's Story SCARS Scam Victims' Assistance & Support Every Romance Scam Victim Faces An Uphill Battle After Their Scam Most victims face trauma that can last indefinitely if they do not find proper professional support. SCARS recommends that all relationship scam victims get both local trauma counseling or therapy and join a professionally managed support group, and stay away from amateur anti-scam [...]
Telling Your Story - Part 1 The Police [VIDEO] A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] April 16, 2022 Every Scam Victim Need To Tell Their Story That Process Begins With Telling The Police! We explore the topic of how to do this in great detail, starting with getting organized - how to talk to them and what you need from them in the process. Our SCARS Webinar Presentation on How To Tell [...]
Scam Victim Grooming - Turning On The Instant Emotions The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Grooming - Dominating Through Manipulation When grooming is discussed, it’s often in the context of adults using the manipulation tactic to abuse and exploit children. However, children are not the only population at risk of being groomed. Many adults in toxic or abusive relationships will experience grooming as their partner’s attempt to build a [...]
Reporting Scammers - How To Tell Your Story To Your Local Police! Reporting Scammers & Surviving The Reporting Process Law Enforcement - A SCARS Guide Telling The Police - Reporting Scammers In The Very Beginning, You Must Report This Crime Telling the local police becomes your first real experience with telling your story by Reporting Scammers. Reporting Scammers really matters, you are going to be facing another real person and [...]
Justice - What This Means For Scam Victims A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] April 9, 2022 Every Scam Victim Wants Justice But What Is It Really? We explore the topic of what Justice is, how it works in the Criminal Justice System worldwide - how police work, and who victims should report to. Our SCARS Webinar Presentation on JUSTICE deals with something that few scam victims really understand and what is [...]
What Is The Difference? Between A Scam Victim And A Scam Survivor? A SCARS Insight Are You A Victim Or A Scam Survivor? An Exploration Of Mindsets As an organization, we have had the opportunity to observe the victims of scams for many years. We have had the benefit of expanding our knowledge by professionalizing our activities as registered crime victims' assistance and support providers, in applying victimology and criminalistics, [...]
SCARS 2022 Webinar Series Presented by SCARS Our Focus is on Romance Scams in All of their Forms & Topics The SCARS FREE Webinar Series Presented live Saturdays at 11 am (Eastern Time) Come and join us - we will post the link to each webinar on this page in advance of the webinar. We suggest that you subscribe to our notifications and newsletter to stay up to date on [...]
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