Scammer Techniques & Methods

View All of Our Encyclopedia of Scams Articles

Search Our SCARS Institute
Encyclopedia of Scams

Select Encyclopedia
Articles by Category

The Persistence of Danielle Delaunay as a Fake Identity – 2026

June 2nd, 2026|♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, 2026, Impersonation & Identity Theft Scams, Insights, Romance Scams & Relationship Scams, Scammer Techniques & Methods, WARNINGS, • ROMANCE IMPOSTER SCAM, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ HOW SCAMMERS OPERATE, ♦ IMPERSONATION GALLERIES, ♦ PSYCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♦ SCAM WARNINGS & ALERTS, ♦ SPOTING SCAMS - ANTI-SCAM TIPS CLUES & RED FLAGS|6 Comments
Read More

Bank Impersonation Scams – 2026

April 29th, 2026|♦ SCAM WARNINGS & ALERTS, 2026, Email & Phishing Scams, Financial Institution Impersonation, Identity Theft & Impersonation, Impersonation & Identity Theft Scams, Insights, Scammer Techniques & Methods, Spotting Scammers, WARNINGS, • BANK IMPOSTER SCAM, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ HOW SCAMMERS OPERATE, ♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, ♦ ONLINE SAFETY, ♦ SCAM BASICS, ♦ SCAMPEDIA: CATALOG OF SCAMS, ♦ SPOTING SCAMS - ANTI-SCAM TIPS CLUES & RED FLAGS|3 Comments
Read More

AI-Artificial Intelligences is Smart Enough to Manipulate Better than Scammers – 2026

April 20th, 2026|♦ AI - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, 2026, AI - Artificial Intelligence, AI-Driven/AI-Enabled Scams, Grooming & Manipulation, Guides, Hyper-Targeting, Online Safety, Psychology of Scams, Scammer Techniques & Methods, Social Engineering, Spotting Scammers, WARNINGS, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ HOW SCAMMERS OPERATE, ♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, ♦ PSYCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♦ SCAM WARNINGS & ALERTS, ♦ SCAMPEDIA: CATALOG OF SCAMS|0 Comments
Read More

Virtual Kidnapping & Extortion – Proof of Life Images or Videos – 2026

February 1st, 2026|2026, Blackmail & Extortion Scams, Insights, Online Safety, Scammer Techniques & Methods, WARNINGS, • OTHER TRUSTED PARTY SCAM, • RELATIVE/FAMILY/FRIEND SCAM, ♦ AI - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ HOW SCAMMERS OPERATE, ♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, ♦ SCAM BASICS, ♦ SCAM WARNINGS & ALERTS, ♦ SCAMPEDIA: CATALOG OF SCAMS, ♦ SPOTING SCAMS - ANTI-SCAM TIPS CLUES & RED FLAGS|0 Comments
Read More

“Pao Fen” Payment Laundering and What It Means – 2025

October 13th, 2025|♦ CRIMINOLOGY / VICTIMOLOGY, 2025, Anti-Money Laundering - AML, Crypto Investment Scams/Pig Butchering Scams, Cryptocurrency Scams, Cybercrime Analysis, Financial Fraud & Scams, Insights, Romance Scams & Relationship Scams, Scammer Techniques & Methods, SCARS Analysis & Research, ♦ ABOUT MONEY MULES, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, ♦ MONEY MULES, ♦ MONEY RECOVERY|0 Comments
Read More

Identifying Fake Crypto Investments (Pig Butchering Scams) – 2025 Edition

September 6th, 2025|♦ HOW SCAMS WORK, 2025, Crypto Investment Scams/Pig Butchering Scams, Cryptocurrency Scams, Guides, Insights, Money Recovery, Scammer Techniques & Methods, Spotting Scammers, • INVESTMENT SCAM, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ MONEY RECOVERY, ♦ SCAM BASICS, ♦ SCAM WARNINGS & ALERTS, ♦ SCAMPEDIA: CATALOG OF SCAMS, ♦ SPOTING SCAMS - ANTI-SCAM TIPS CLUES & RED FLAGS|0 Comments
Read More

The Danger of Scams – 6 Ways Scams Can Hurt You – 2025

August 1st, 2025|♦ HOW SCAMMERS OPERATE, 2025, Blackmail & Extortion Scams, Cybercrime, Emergency / Crisis / Disaster Scams, Extortion / Ransom / Sextortion, Impersonation & Identity Theft Scams, Insights, Online Safety, Scammer Techniques & Methods, Sextortion, ♦ CYBERSECURITY, ♦ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCAMS, ♦ ONLINE SAFETY, ♦ SCAM BASICS, ♦ SPOTING SCAMS - ANTI-SCAM TIPS CLUES & RED FLAGS|1 Comment
Read More

IMPORTANT FOR NEW VICTIMS
New Scam Victim Basics
What to Do Now

IMPORTANT FOR NEW VICTIMS
Free Safe & Private Healing & Support Community

IMPORTANT FOR NEW VICTIMS
Free Scam Survivor’s School

IMPORTANT FOR NEW VICTIMS
Where to Report the Crime
How to Prepare & Report

LEARN TO AVOID
Encyclopedia of Scams

LEARN TO HEAL & RECOVER
ScamsNOW Magazine

LEARN WITH FREE COURSES
SCARS Institute Academy

LEARN THE SCIENCE
Scam Psychology

Legal Disclaimer:

The content provided on this platform regarding psychological topics is intended solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The publisher makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information presented. The content is designed to raise awareness about various psychological subjects, and readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and verify information independently.

The information presented does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any psychological disorder or disease. It is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers are advised to seek the guidance of a licensed medical professional for any questions or concerns related to their mental health.

The publisher disclaims any responsibility for actions taken or not taken based on the content provided. The treatment of psychological issues is a serious matter, and readers should consult with qualified professionals to address their specific circumstances. The content on this platform is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, a therapist-client relationship.

Interpretation and Definitions

Definitions

For the purposes of this Disclaimer:

  • Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Disclaimer) refers to Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. (registered d.b.a. “SCARS”,) 9561 Fountainbleau Blvd., Suit 602, Miami FL 33172.
  • Service refers to the Website.
  • You means the individual accessing this website, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.
  • Website refers to RomanceScamsNOW.com, accessible from https://romancescamsnow.com

Website Disclaimer

The information contained on this website is for general information purposes only.

The Company assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.

In no event shall the Company be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents on the Service at any time without prior notice.

The Company does not warrant this website in any way.

External Links Disclaimer

This website may contain links to external websites that are not provided or maintained by or in any way affiliated with the Company.

Please note that the Company does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites.

Errors and Omissions Disclaimer

The information given by SCARS is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Even if the Company takes every precaution to ensure that the content of this website is both current and accurate, errors can occur. Plus, given the changing nature of laws, rules, and regulations, there may be delays, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information contained on this website.

SCARS is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.

Fair Use Disclaimer

SCARS may use copyrighted material that has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Company is making such material available for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

The Company believes this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the United States Copyright law.

If You wish to use copyrighted material from this website for your own purposes that go beyond fair use, You must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Views Expressed Disclaimer

The Service may contain views and opinions which are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other author, agency, organization, employer, or company, including SCARS.

Comments published by users are their sole responsibility and the users will take full responsibility, liability, and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written in or as a direct result of something written in a comment. The Company is not liable for any comment published by users and reserves the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever.

No Responsibility Disclaimer

The information on the Service is provided with the understanding that the Company is not herein engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, medical or mental health, or other professional advice and services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal, medical or mental health, or other competent advisers.

In no event shall the Company, its team, board of directors, volunteers, or its suppliers be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with your access or use or inability to access or use the Service.

“Use at Your Own Risk” Disclaimer

All information on this website is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.

SCARS will not be liable to You or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information given by the Service or for any consequential, special, or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Disclaimer, You can contact Us:

  • By email: contact@AgainstScams.org

PLEASE NOTE: Psychology Clarification

The following specific modalities within the practice of psychology are restricted to psychologists appropriately trained in the use of such modalities:

  • Diagnosis: The diagnosis of mental, emotional, or brain disorders and related behaviors.
  • Psychoanalysis: Psychoanalysis is a type of therapy that focuses on helping individuals to understand and resolve unconscious conflicts.
  • Hypnosis: Hypnosis is a state of trance in which individuals are more susceptible to suggestion. It can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and pain.
  • Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a type of therapy that teaches individuals to control their bodily functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure. It can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including stress, anxiety, and pain.
  • Behavioral analysis: Behavioral analysis is a type of therapy that focuses on changing individuals’ behaviors. It is often used to treat conditions such as autism and ADHD.
    Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology is a type of psychology that focuses on the relationship between the brain and behavior. It is often used to assess and treat cognitive impairments caused by brain injuries or diseases.

SCARS and the members of the SCARS Team do not engage in any of the above modalities in relationship to scam victims. SCARS is not a mental healthcare provider and recognizes the importance of professionalism and separation between its work and that of the licensed practice of psychology.

SCARS is an educational provider of generalized self-help information that individuals can use for their own benefit to achieve their own goals related to emotional trauma. SCARS recommends that all scam victims see professional counselors or therapists to help them determine the suitability of any specific information or practices that may help them.

SCARS cannot diagnose or treat any individuals, nor can it state the effectiveness of any educational information that it may provide, regardless of its experience in interacting with traumatized scam victims over time. All information that SCARS provides is purely for general educational purposes to help scam victims become aware of and better understand the topics and to be able to dialog with their counselors or therapists.

It is important that all readers understand these distinctions and that they apply the information that SCARS may publish at their own risk, and should do so only after consulting a licensed psychologist or mental healthcare provider.

SCARS IS A DIGITAL PUBLISHER AND DOES NOT OFFER HEALTH OR MEDICAL ADVICE, LEGAL ADVICE, FINANCIAL ADVICE, OR SERVICES THAT SCARS IS NOT LICENSED OR REGISTERED TO PERFORM.

IF YOU’RE FACING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY, OR VISIT THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM OR URGENT CARE CENTER. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE FOLLOWING ANY MEDICALLY RELATED INFORMATION PRESENTED ON OUR PAGES.

ALWAYS CONSULT A LICENSED ATTORNEY FOR ANY ADVICE REGARDING LEGAL MATTERS.

A LICENSED FINANCIAL OR TAX PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE ACTING ON ANY INFORMATION RELATING TO YOUR PERSONAL FINANCES OR TAX RELATED ISSUES AND INFORMATION.

SCARS IS NOT A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR – WE DO NOT PROVIDE INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR BUSINESSES. ANY INVESTIGATIONS THAT SCARS MAY PERFORM IS NOT A SERVICE PROVIDED TO THIRD-PARTIES. INFORMATION REPORTED TO SCARS MAY BE FORWARDED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS SCARS SEE FIT AND APPROPRIATE.

This content and other material contained on the website, apps, newsletter, and products (“Content”), is general in nature and for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for licensed or regulated professional advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider, lawyer, financial, or tax professional with any questions you may have regarding the educational information contained herein. SCARS makes no guarantees about the efficacy of information described on or in SCARS’ Content. The information contained is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible situations or effects. SCARS does not recommend or endorse any specific professional or care provider, product, service, or other information that may be mentioned in SCARS’ websites, apps, and Content unless explicitly identified as such.

The disclaimers herein are provided on this page for ease of reference. These disclaimers supplement and are a part of SCARS’ website’s Terms of Use. 

All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2023 Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. (Registered D.B.A SCARS) All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide. Third-party copyrights acknowledge.

U.S. State of Florida Registration Nonprofit (Not for Profit) #N20000011978 [SCARS DBA Registered #G20000137918] – Learn more at www.AgainstScams.org

View the claimed and or registered indicia, service marks, and trademarks of Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Contact the law firm for the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated by email at legal@AgainstScams.org

Disclaimer on the SCARS Institute’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Writing

The SCARS Institute writers use artificial intelligence as one of several tools in the preparation, research, review, and production of educational material. AI does not replace our writers, editors, subject matter experts, researchers, or human judgment. People write, review, revise, approve, and publish our work.

Because of the way we write, some AI writing detectors can produce false positives and label human-written or heavily human-edited material as AI-generated. Those results should be treated with caution.

One reason is our writing style.

SCARS Institute material is written for people who have experienced trauma, fraud, betrayal, grief, shame, confusion, and other forms of emotional distress. That changes how we structure information. We use clear lead-ins, repeated concepts, section breaks, restatement of difficult ideas, and deliberate reinforcement of major points. We do this because a traumatized reader can struggle with concentration, working memory, attention, information retention, and cognitive overload. A sentence that seems repetitive to a casual reader can help someone under stress understand and remember the point being made.

Our writing is also highly structured. We have people on our team who were trained in older newspaper writing, technical writing, educational writing, and writing designed for high comprehension. We use established editorial practices drawn from sources such as The Chicago Manual of Style and The Yahoo! Style Guide, along with our own editorial rules developed for victim education.

There is an irony in that. Modern AI systems were trained on large amounts of professional writing produced in many of these same styles. Clean grammar, orderly paragraph structure, consistent terminology, repeated explanation, clear sectioning, and formal editorial discipline can all resemble the patterns that AI detectors associate with machine-generated text.

That does not mean the text was written by AI.

AI writing detectors do not determine authorship. They estimate patterns. Those patterns can appear in AI-generated writing, human writing, professionally edited writing, academic writing, technical writing, legal writing, journalism, and highly structured educational material. A detector can flag human work because the prose is regular, grammatical, repetitive by design, or tightly organized. It can also fail to flag text that was produced with extensive AI assistance.

We do use AI in our editorial process.

Our team can use AI to help locate research, compare sources, identify missing questions, test possible ways of framing a subject, organize complex material, check structure, review grammar and spelling, identify unclear passages, and help us see where an explanation needs more work. AI can also help with proofreading and consistency across long educational materials.

Those functions are similar to using search tools, grammar checkers, reference software, editorial software, dictionaries, style guides, and research databases. The tool can assist the work. It does not carry responsibility for the finished publication.

Our human team does.

Our writers write every article or story. Every SCARS Institute publication goes through human review and editing. We decide what belongs in the material, what does not, what claims require support, what wording is appropriate for traumatized readers, what examples are responsible, and whether the final work reflects our standards. We reject suggestions that do not meet those standards. We rewrite material when it does not sound like us, does not fit the subject, or does not serve the people we are trying to help.

We also maintain a consistent page structure in each our websites, which can be different in each website. Headings, section order, terminology, metadata, internal links, explanatory blocks, and other page elements follow patterns that help readers find information and help search engines and AI systems understand what each page is about. That structure is deliberate. We want a scam victim searching for a specific problem to find the right material, and we want machines indexing our sites to understand the subject accurately enough to present it when someone asks for help.

This can make our pages look even more regular to automated detection systems.

We are not interested in disguising our use of AI, and we are not interested in pretending that modern publishing happens without digital tools. We are interested in producing accurate, readable, responsible material for people who need it.

AI assists parts of that work.

Humans remain responsible for the writing, the judgment, the editing, and the final publication.

SCARS Institute Team

SCARS Institute - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

SCARS Institute™ Encyclopedia of Scams™ RomanceScamsNOW.com
Continuously Published for 26 Years – Since 2000
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. [SCARS]

is a publication of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. [registered dba SCARS]

  • Join the SCARS Institute Survivors Support Community www.SCARScommunity.org
  • Corporate Address: 9561 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 602, MIAMI, FL 33172
  • Email: contact@AgainstScams.org
  • Phone: (786) 835-7947 (Sorry, Phone Based Support Is Not Available)
  • Please Note: On-site and Phone Support Not Available

To use this website, You Must Read and Agree to the SCARS Legal Policies and Terms and Conditions

Find SCARS™ All Across The Web & Social Media

LEGAL STATEMENT

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Website and All Original Content, Concepts, and Intellectual Property Copyright © 1995 – 2026 | All Rights Reserved | Third-party Copyrights Acknowledged | Some Images Reproduced As Legal Record Of Criminal Use By Third-parties | Evidence Photos Used To Report Their Use In Criminal Fraud | In Some Cases The Persons Pictured In Photos Are Victims Of Identity Theft Unless Otherwise Indicated

Scam Victim’s Stories are presented with the permission of the author.

SCARS Institute™, Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams™, Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams™, SCARS|RSN™, Romance Scams Now™, SCARS|EDUCATION™, SCARS|SUPPORT™, SCARS|INTERNATIONAL™, SCARS|CHINA™, SCARS|UK™, SCARS|CANADA™, SCARS|LATINOAMERICA™, SCARS|MEMBERS™, SCARS|CDN™, Cybercrime Data Network™, AgainstScams™, Act AgainstScams™, Sludge Report™, Scam Victim Support Group™, RSN Steps™/SCARS Steps™, ScamCrime™, ScamsOnline™, Anyscam™, Cobalt Alert™, SCARS|GOFCH™, Global Online Fraud Clearinghouse™, SCARS|CERT™, RED BOOK™, BLUE BOOK™, GREEN BOOK™, Scam Organizer™ – in any form are trademarks of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated | Contact us at contact@AgainstScams.org for any issues about content displayed. visit To Learn More About SCARS Trademarks, Service Marks, and Indicia

Second-Party Fraud - Financial Fraud - Facilitated By Money Mules - What It Is - How It Works - 2026 niprc1.png1 150x1501 11
Go to Top