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Trust - What This Means For Scam Victims A SCARS Webinar [VIDEO] April 2, 2022 Trust Is A Very Big Deal If You Are A Scam Victim Trust is a very difficult topic, full of guilt and shame, but if you can fully understand the truth of what trust is and means to all the people involved before, during, and after the scam - only then can you really begin [...]
2022 Scam Update - A Podcast With Dr. Tim McGuinness And Debby Montgomery Johnson A Joint SCARS & Woman Behind The Smile Production Learn About What Is Goin On Out There! We discuss the latest trends in scams and scammers, and also aspects of victim recovery. To learn more about this podcast visit: Stand Up Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson - Internet Radio Show | Facebook [...]
How You Think & Talk About Your Scam Affects Your Recovery The SCARS Scam Victim Recovery Program A SCARS Insight Many Scam Victims Want To Desperately Cling To The Fake Relationship, Rather Than Just Let Go For many traumatized scam victims, this is an avoidance mechanism. It helps deflect the pain by not fully accepting the situation as it is. You hear this in what they say as well as [...]
What To Do When Someone Close To You Experiences The Personal Trauma Of A Romance Scam For Families & Friends A SCARS Insight What To Do When Someone Close To Has Been In A Romance Scam The nature of life is such that, occasionally, we all experience traumatic events. We don't mean for them to occur - they just do. And when a friend or a close family member suffers [...]
Welcome To SCARS™ Your Leading Resource About Romance Scams SCARS Simple Smartphone Interface Major SCARS Links & Latest Publications Click Here for the Laptop/Computer/Tablet Interface SCARS Website & Social Media Links Find Information Related To Romance Scams SCARS Websites: SCARS RomanceScamsNOW.com (this website) SCARS ContraEstafas.org SCARS Corporate Site SCARS Bookstore & Mugshop SCARS Anyscam Reporting Scammers SCARS Scammer Photo [...]
Terminology For Scam Victims Scam Related Terms An Etymology Part 1 Derogatory & Related Scam Terms Used To Describe Victims A SCARS Insight SCAM RELATED TERMS THE WORDS WE USE DEFINE WHAT WE THINK ABOUT SCAMS AND ABOUT OURSELVES "In order to change the way outsiders view victims it starts with the way victims name and blame themselves." - Dr. Tim McGuinness, SCARS Director "Remember ... Talk about yourself the [...]
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! [...]
Scam Victim's 8 Steps To Improvement After The Scam A New Addition To The SCARS Recovery Program Books SCARS Publishing Book SCARS Wrote The Book On Scam Victim Recovery! In addition to the massive information published here on RomanceScamsNOW.com - free for all scam victims, families, and friends - SCARS also published guides and useful books available on our SCARS Company Store at shop.AgainstScams.org 100% of all profit goes to [...]
Common Health Scams What You Don't Know Can Kill You A SCARS Insight Portions Courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission Report All Fraud to the FTC Health Scams Not Only Steal Your Money But Affect Your Health! People spend billions of dollars a year on products and treatments in the hope of improving their health and fitness. But a lot of that money goes to companies that make fake claims [...]
Loneliness - Before And After The Scam The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Loneliness Can Lead You Into Scams And Prevent You From Recovering We have noted over the years that many (most) scam victims talk about being vulnerable to a romance scam because they were lonely. Is This Really True? Though our need to connect is an essential part of us, many of us frequently feel alone. But [...]
A Quick Way To Understand The Brain & Trauma [Infographic] Courtesy of NICABM A SCARS Psychology of Scams Insight An Infographic that Provides a Quick and Simple Way to Think about the Brain Could having a map of the brain help victims better understand the concepts of trauma and its effects on the brain? For example, just being able to show victims what part of the brain controls emotion, or [...]
The Sad Tale Of Glenda Seim The Story of a Romance Scam Victim who became a Money Mule then a Federal Convict at age 81 A SCARS Victim Story Glenda Seim, Convicted Money Mule! An 81-Year-Old Kirkwood Woman Pleaded Guilty To Being A "Money Mule" For An Online Scammer 81-year-old Kirkwood, Missouri woman pleads guilty to being "money mule" An 81-year-old Kirkwood woman pleaded guilty to [...]
Psychological & Emotional Abuse During A Romance Scam Manipulation & Control Often Include Abuse! SCARS Advocacy A Romance Scam Is A Form Of Violence There Is Also True Psychological & Emotional Abuse! As any scam victim can tell you, their scam left them profoundly changed. Sometimes they are in denial and simply cannot face it. Sometimes they lose themselves in their anger and rage. But almost all come out for [...]
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 [...]
This RomanceScamsNOW.com Page Has Moved Scam Victim Social Isolation Risks The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Click Here For The Page Click Here For Our Home Page
Hindsight Bias! You Knew It All The Time! Another Cognitive Bias Affecting Scam Victims The Psychology of Scams - A SCARS Insight You Knew It Was A Scam All The Time Right? Have you ever noticed that events seem more predictable after they have already happened? The results of an election, for example, often seem more obvious after the tallies have been counted. They say that hindsight is 20/20. In [...]
Shame - Secrets & Lies The Psychology of Scams Scam Victim Recovery - A SCARS Insight A Common Response To Shame Is To Hide This Can Happen Both During The Scam And After It One of the ways the scam victims hide from the reality of their situation is by lying about their real situation. This deception of friends and family may seem like the thing to do at the [...]
Guide To Managing An Anti-Scam Group - Part 1 A Series To Help Improve Amateur Anti-Scam Group Effectiveness SCARS Guidance For Caring For Traumatized Scam Victims Every Day The Are New Anti-Scam Groups Created On Social Media Sadly, Almost All Of Them Are Amateurs And Poorly Managed However, as the world leader in supporting traumatized scam victims SCARS wants to help spread professionalism and knowledge to help amateur groups better [...]
How To Talk With Someone Suffering From Trauma For Family & Friends A SCARS Insight - Psychology of Scams Trauma - Helping Family Or Friends Through It! It can be difficult to know how to help someone you love and care for when they have gone through a distressing or frightening event. It’s natural to want to make someone you love and care for feel better again, but it’s important [...]
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 [...]
Trauma-Induced Fear May Cause Paranoia Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight How Trauma Can Cause Paranoia Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even milder forms of trauma has a variety of symptoms that present differently in each individual who has experienced a traumatic and life-altering event, such as a romance scam or other type of relationship fraud. Traumatic experiences lead to psychological trauma which can leave one feeling helpless and struggling [...]
After A Scam, No One Can Tell You How You Will React Trauma and the Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Victim Trauma Response After The End Of A Relationship Scam Is Complex It is always important to remember that trauma does not always manifest the same in everyone. So much depends on a person's resilience to determine the lasting effects of their trauma. Additionally, many victims may believe that [...]
Who We Can Help? A SCARS Policy On Our Services SCARS Policy Clarification: SCARS is an organization that assists victims of online fraud and scams. Our support groups are specifically for those affected by these crimes - meaning online crimes where the victim never really knows the criminal. You can learn more about us at www.AgainstScams.org We do not offer support group services for victims of all crimes - our [...]
Using Rituals To Help Scam Victims To Recover! The Psychology of Recovery A SCARS Insight Provided for educational purposes only and as a topic to be discussed with your professional mental healthcare provider. The Importance of Ritual to Mental Health After Your Scam In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, developing personal rituals can help you feel in control over your own life. Rituals are actions that have [...]
Do You Hate Your Scammer? Hate Is An Incredibly Destructive Emotion That Prevents Recovery After A Scam! A SCARS Insight Why Do You Hate Your Scammer? Originally Published 2018 / Updated September 2021 We Have A Few Serious Questions For Scam Victims: Do You Know Who Your Scammer Is? Do You Hate Your Scammer? Can You Ever Forgive Your Scammer? When You Say To Yourself That You Can't Forgive Your [...]
You Made A Mistake An Editorial About Responsibility & Recovery A SCARS Commentary What Do We Mean By Saying That Every Victim Made A Mistake? You have all heard us say that the victim is not to blame, right? Yet we also say the victim made a mistake? This seems impossible to reconcile! For example: this is equivalent to someone that drives during winter but did not check for road [...]
Living under Manipulation for Too Long Leaves Victims Traumatized An Exploration of the Short-Term & Long-Term Effects of Long-Term Relationship Scams 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. Originally Published: 2021 - Article Updated: 2024 Article Abstract Long-term exposure to romance scam manipulation can leave victims [...]
For Family & Friends - Article Catalog Helping Family & Friends of Scam Victims The basics of relationship scams, what to look for, and how to help! A SCARS Topic Collection Information For The Friends & Family Of New Scam Victims Before and after the scam, the victim is going to be under strong manipulation and going to be confused, in denial, maybe angry, certainly traumatized, and you need to [...]
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 - [...]
Diversions - One Of The Ways That Scammers Manipulate Their Victims - One Of The Ways That Scammers Manipulate Their Victims
How To Know If You Are In Scam or Recovery Denial? Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight How to Know if I’m in Denial About Your Scam? Waking up day in and day out afraid or angry or refusing to deal with the reality in front of you isn’t a way to be happy. Neither is trying to ignore what happened to you! The tendency to dismiss mounting [...]
Scam Victim Recovery Is Not A Mystery Follow The Process, Avoid Amateurs, Make A Commitment About Scam Victim Recovery A SCARS Insight Recovery Is Not Mystical - It Is Mechanical Scam Victim Recovery is about following the recovery process. May scam victims talk about their confusion about recovering. They don't know what to do or how to recover. Yet this process only requires two things: following the process [...]
SCARS Publishes New Self-Help Recovery Guide SCARS Re-Launches The SCARS Steps Program In Book Form From SCARS Publishing SCARS Is Very Proud To Launch Its Latest Publication: The SCARS GREEN BOOK! Our New Self-Help SCARS Steps Recovery Guide SCARS Re-launches the SCARS Steps Program in book form to provide easier access and more flexible availability of this important program! It is a scam recovery guide for scam victims that [...]
The Fear of Missing Out and Romance Scams The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight The Grass Is Always Greener - Except When It's Fake! Did FOMO Get You Too? FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is really nothing more than viewing the distant grass as greener than the lawn you’re standing on. This applies to both single people and people in committed relationships. In both cases, it is [...]
Disengaging From A Fake Scam Relationship The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight How Do You Free Yourself From A Scam Romance Relationship? Many Scam Victims Are Not Only Head Over Heels In Love With The Scammer But Also Addicted To The Relationship After the scam ends there is a huge hole in your life and a profound need - in fact, a dependency on that relationship In [...]
Forgiveness and Scams - Why It Matters So Much! The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight What Is Forgiveness? Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. What is forgiveness and how does it happen? We talk so much about forgiveness, throw around so many [...]
Spotting Scams & Anti-Scam Tips - Article Catalog The Clues & Tips To Help You Avoid Scams & Scammers From the basics to detailed red flags! Learn how to avoid scams now and in the future! A SCARS Topic Collection Updated: August 9, 2021 Scams Are Complex And Contain Hidden Dangers! Staying Safe Online Requires That you Have More Than Attitude & Intelligence! It Requires Specialized Knowledge! In [...]
Recovery from Scams - Article Catalog The Pathway for Recovering Scam Victims From the basics to self-help to moderated professional recovery! Learn what recovering from a relationship scam is all about! A SCARS Topic Collection After The Scam, Your Life Is In Chaos! Impulses Are Driving You In All Directions But There Is A Right Path For Scam Victims! After your scam, you have to gain enough control and commitment [...]
The Strange Case Of Scam Victim Information Avoidance Scam Victimology & Victim Recovery A SCARS Insight The Biggest Mistake Scam Victims Make Is Believing They Are Done With Scams! Scams are Always There Waiting for that Next Mistake! One of the strangest, yet somewhat understandable mistakes that many scam victims make is believing they will never be scammed again! In fact, they go so far as to deliberately avoid [...]
After The Scam - Victims Frequently Engage In Self-Defeating Behaviors Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Self-Destructive Behavior & Scam Victims After the scam, how you view yourself is important! After the scam ends and you discover the truth, you are in a state of shock! You don't know what to do, but you have to do something or you will explode! But it seems like everything you [...]
What Kind Of People Are Most Likely To Be Scammed? Scam Victimology A SCARS Insight Who Is Likely To Become A Victim? The Answer Is More Surprising Than You Might Think! Over the last 6 years, SCARS has provided services to nearly 7 million scam & cybercrime victims. Through our interactions within our support groups, website visitor comments, emails, and other communications we have learned important insights about [...]
Long-Term Fear & Phobias For Scam Victim Trauma Many Scam Victims Experience Ever-Present Fears And Phobias Following Their 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. Originally Published: 2021 - Article Updated: 2024 Article Abstract After experiencing a scam, many victims develop long-term fears and [...]
Scam Grooming: Using Persuasion To Establish Rapport The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Scammers Are Very Clever And Precise In Their Use Of Personal Language & Persuasion Using The Power Of Persuasion To Groom Scam Victims It seems strange to think of scammers using precise language when their grammar is so bad, but grammar aside, their use of pronouns and endearments, and other persuasive techniques are designed [...]
Psychological Shock - After A Scam & In The Future The Psychology of Scams By SCARS How To Deal With Unexpected Traumatic Events Psychological shock is when you experience a surge of strong emotions and a corresponding physical reaction, in response to a (typically unexpected) stressful or traumatic event. It can be from a number of traumatic events, going through a breakup, experiencing the death of a loved [...]
Future Faking Future Planning As A Manipulation Tactic Of Scammers Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight How Scammers Can Lure Victims with "Future Faking" The Real Reason Those Fantasies Of A Wonderful Future Together Never Came True? It Was All Lies! But it sounded wonderful - right? Adapted from a Psychology Today article by Elinor Greenberg Ph.D. According to Psychology Today ... Most normal relationships follow a fairly predictable [...]
Sadness & Scam Recovery SCARS Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Are You Sad? Being unwilling to experience sadness can hold you back from recovering after a romance scam. But if you can experience it & share it you can move forward! About Sadness Sadness is a normal human emotion that every single person will experience at stressful or somber times. A number of life events can leave people feeling [...]
The Scam Is Over But You Are Still Being Manipulated A SCARS Psychology of Scams Insight You Were Romance Scammed You discovered the scam and ended it, but you are still being manipulated by the scammer! For some victims, this can go on for months or even years after the scam ends! Scammer's Goals Think for a moment about the scammer's goals during your scam? They had five primary [...]
Romance Scams Trauma Recovery Tips A SCARS Recovery Insight Scam Victim Frequently Suffer From Trauma Here are tips from recognized experts to provide a direction for scam victims or any individual that may be suffering These are only a general guide, but if you feel that you are experiencing trauma see below for a link to trauma professionals that can help. Recovery Tip 1: Get Moving Trauma disrupts [...]
What Drives People To Be RomanceScammed? The Psychology of Scams A SCARS Insight Why Do People Accept Scams? What We Are Really Asking Is Why People Believe In Fantasies? What is it about us humans that we are so willing to believe a fairytale? Yet, so often that is exactly what we do! This is not intended to shame victims - far from it, this is intended to help victims [...]
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