• PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS Archives

Fear Of Contagion: Why Scam Victims Are Harshly Judged And Blamed 2023

Fear Of Contagion: Why Scam Victims Are Harshly Judged And Blamed Helping Both Victims and Families or Friends to Better Understand Author: • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Fear Of Contagion – The Hidden Fear of Crime Victims: How Nonvictims Engage In Denial, Projection, And Extreme Judgmentalism Against Scam Victims After a scam, victims experience a unique reaction based Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-11-26T17:26:22-05:00November 26th, 2023|Categories: • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D., Vianey Gonzalez|Tags: Fear Of Contagion, Judgment, Scam Victims, Victim Blame, Victim Judging|

Striatum – Psychology of Scams 2023

Striatum – Inside the Brain of a Scam Victim Psychology of Scams Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Striatum – Our Journey Into The Brain Of Scam Victims Continues The striatum is a cluster of interconnected nuclei that form a part of the basal ganglia, a group of structures in the brain that are involved in motor control, Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-11-11T21:28:26-05:00November 11th, 2023|Categories: • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D., Vianey Gonzalez|Tags: Dopamine, Psychology of Scams, Striatum, The Human Brain|

Scammers Are The New Boogeymen! 2023

Scammers Are The New Boogeymen! Author: Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Scammers, Fraudsters, And Con Artists Have Gained A Formidable Reputation As The New-Age Boogeymen, Lurking In The Digital Shadows, Waiting To Pounce On Unsuspecting Victims. While there’s no denying the existence of scams and their devastating consequences, it’s essential to differentiate between the real threat and irrational fear. Let’s explore the rise of scammers as the new boogeymen and the implications of this growing fear on society’s ability to Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-10-26T05:10:28-04:00October 26th, 2023|Categories: • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D.|Tags: Boogeyman, Boogeymen, Irrational Fear, Scammers|

Conformity & Romance Scams And How It Affects Scam Victims 2023

Conformity & Romance Scams And How It Affects Scam Victims By: • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. One Of The Types Of Manipulation You Experienced Was Of Your Own Making! But Was Still Not Your Fault! Conformity is the act of changing your behaviors in order to fit in or go along with the people around you. Conformity Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-10-05T20:05:13-04:00October 5th, 2023|Categories: • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D., Vianey Gonzalez|Tags: Affects Scam Victims, Conformity, Fraud Victims, Romance Scams, Scam Victims|

Shifting Baseline Syndrome (SBS) And Scam Awareness

Shifting Baseline Syndrome (SBS) And Scam Awareness Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A Question Often Asked Is Why Doesn't Scam Awareness Training And Information Reduce Victimization? The Answer May Just Be Shifting Baseline Syndrome! Humans tend to prioritize risks based on immediate threats, and one of the ways we identify immediate threats is by rapid changes in our environment, such Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-10-10T14:45:11-04:00September 30th, 2023|Categories: ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D.|Tags: Public Awareness, SBS, Scam Awareness, Scam Victims, Scams, Shifting Baseline Syndrome|

Relationship Scams And Their Impact On Memory

Relationship Scams And Their Impact On Memory By: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Memory And Your Recollections Of A Relationship Scam Can Be Wrong! The very first thing to know about memory after you have been in a relationship scam is that trauma has a profound impact on your mind. You are not what you think you are. You are a Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-10-04T10:38:30-04:00September 25th, 2023|Categories: ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, 2023, Tim McGuinness Ph.D., Vianey Gonzalez|Tags: Brain Functions, Distorted Memories, False Memories, Grief, Memory, Relationship Scams, The Brain, Trauma|

A Temporoparietal Junction (RTPJ/LTPJ) Theory Of Relationship Scams

A Temporoparietal Junction (RTPJ/LTPJ) Theory Of Relationship Scams By: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Vianey Gonzalez – Psychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Does The Right And Left Temporoparietal Junction (RTPJ/LTPJ) Of The Human Brain Play A Role In Believing Narratives Or Stories Communicated To Scam Victims By Criminals In Trust-Based Relationship Scams Or Fraud? Please Note: This article about the right and left temporoparietal junction is for educational purposes Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-09-20T01:44:21-04:00September 20th, 2023|Categories: ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, 2023|Tags: Amygdala Hijack, Grief Processing, RTPJ/LTPJ, Temporo-Parietal Junction, Temporoparietal Junction, Theory|

Projection And Scam Victims

Projection And Scam Victims By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Projection Is A Psychological Defense Mechanism It involves painting one’s own thoughts, views, feelings, and characteristics to someone else instead of seeing what is actually there! With romance or other forms of relationship scams (including pig butchering scams) and their aftermath, psychological projection can play a significant role both during and after the scam. Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2023-08-12T06:30:16-04:00August 12th, 2023|Categories: • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Projection, Recovery from Scams, Recovery Psychology, Relationship Scams, Scam Victims, Victim Psychology, Victim Recovery|

Why Scammers Don’t Give Up

Why Scammers Don’t Give Up By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Almost Every Victim Continues To Receive Emails, Texts, Messages, Or Phone Calls From Their Scammers Even After The Scam Has Been Discovered And Ended! Why do scammers do this? Don’t they know they are not getting any more money? In today’s world, it takes no effort at all for scammers to send out mass emails, texts, messages, and even phone calls. There are thousands of online services that will Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-08-05T18:54:19-04:00August 5th, 2023|Categories: ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, 2023|Tags: Cognitive Bias, Recidivism, Relationship Scams, Rescammed, Romance Scams, Vulnerabilities|

Magical Thinking – How Biased & Delusional Thinking Enslaves Scam Victims

How Magical Biased & Delusional Thinking Enslaves Scam Victims By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. The Enchanting Deception: Unraveling How Delusional Thinking Entraps Scam Victims The Shackles of Fantasy (Magical Thinking): In a world filled with the allure of magic and fantasy, it is easy to be captivated by extraordinary promises and grand illusions – this is the root of Magical Thinking. Unfortunately, this same allure can become a dangerous trap, leading individuals into the realm of delusional thinking. In Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-22T09:43:13-04:00July 22nd, 2023|Categories: • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • SCAM / FRAUD VICTIM SUPPORT & RECOVERY, • SCAM/FRAUD VICTIMS, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Cognitive Bias, Delusional Thinking, Magical Thinking, Psychology of Scams, Victim Recovery|

Scam Victim Commits Crimes For Their Scammers

Scam Victim Commits Crimes For Their Scammers By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A Japanese Scam Victim Embezzled Millions From Her Employer! Why did this romance scam victim embezzle?! Simply, she was under the control of criminals; it’s nothing more complicated than that! Nisshin’s a 66-year-old woman and scam victim was suspected of embezzling 10 million yen (USD$71,613 dollars) from her employer! Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-19T21:00:29-04:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: ♠ CRIMES & CRIMINALS, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • POLICE/LAW ENFORCEMENT, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • VICTIM STORY, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, 2023|Tags: Embezzlement, Romance Scam, Scam Victim, Stealing Money|

What Really Are Vulnerabilities That Lead To Scams?

What Really Are Vulnerabilities That Lead To Scams? By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. What Are Victim Vulnerabilities And What Do We Mean By Them? We often talk about victim vulnerabilities as though they magically explain everything about why people are victimized by scams & financial fraud. But what are they really? The purpose of this article is to help all scam victims and their families and friends to understand that vulnerabilities can be varied, that many are just part Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-19T13:24:29-04:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • SCAM / FRAUD VICTIM SUPPORT & RECOVERY, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Psychology of Scams, Victim Vulnerabilities, Victimology, Vulnerabilities, Vulnerable|

The Scout Mindset And Scam Victims

The Scout Mindset And Scam Victims By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A Curious Case Of Opposing Mindsets: Scout Mindset & Soldier Mindset What Is The “Scout Mindset” The scout mindset is a way of thinking that emphasizes curiosity, unbiased truth-seeking, and facing reality, even if that reality is unexpected. In the context of scam victims/survivors, we call these “realists.” It is the opposite of the “soldier mindset”, which is a natural tendency to use motivated (biased) reasoning to defend Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-08T18:58:55-04:00July 8th, 2023|Categories: • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • SCAM / FRAUD VICTIM SUPPORT & RECOVERY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Cognitive Bias, Confirmation Bias, Explorer Mindset, Scam Victim Mindsets, Scout Mindset, Soldier Mindset|

Scam Victim Resiliency – Why It Is So Much Worse After The Scam

Scam Victim Resiliency – Why It Is So Much Worse After The Scam By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Resiliency After The Scam Is Over Is Rarely What Victims Think It Is! Before we can explore what resiliency is for scam survivors after the crime is over, we first have to explore what resiliency is. What Is Emotional Resiliency? Emotional resilience is the ability to adapt to and recover from difficult or challenging experiences. It is a dynamic process that Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-07T17:27:00-04:00July 7th, 2023|Categories: • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • SCAM/FRAUD VICTIMS, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Psychology of Scams, Recovery Psychology, Relationship Scams, Resiliency, Scam Victim, Tim McGuinness Ph.D.|

Thoughts About Boundaries

Thoughts About Boundaries By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Boundaries & No Self Limits – A Leading Cause Of Scams What Are Boundaries and Why Do YOU Need Them? Boundaries are imaginary lines that separate us from each other. It separates your physical space, your feelings, needs, and responsibilities from others. Your boundaries also tell other people how they can treat you – what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Without boundaries, people may take advantage of you because you haven’t set Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-04T02:26:49-04:00July 4th, 2023|Categories: • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Boundaries, Psychology of Scams, Recovery Psychology, Victim Self-Help|

Synchronicities? Is There A Relationship With Scams?

Synchronicities? Is There A Relationship With Scams? By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Synchronicities: For Scam Victims Coincidences Are Everywhere! Or Are They? What are Synchronicities? Synchronicities are meaningful coincidences or occurrences that seemingly have no causal relationship but are deeply resonant or significant to the individuals experiencing them. These events often appear as striking coincidences, where multiple events or circumstances align in a way that feels meaningful or purposeful. Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2023-07-04T02:19:46-04:00July 3rd, 2023|Categories: • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Carl Jung, Coincidences, Philosophy, Psychology, Random Happenings, Synchronicities, Synchronicity|

Scam Victim’s Sacred Beliefs & Their Brain

Scam Victim’s Sacred Beliefs & Their Brain An Essay About Scammer Manipulation & Victim Recovery By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Sacred Beliefs & The Brain In A Very Real Sense, A Relationship Scam Is A Full-on Attack On Your Sacred Beliefs! When we refer to “sacred beliefs” in this article, we are referring to a victim’s closely held core beliefs, not to their religious beliefs. The Brain & Sacred Beliefs Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2023-09-23T06:39:18-04:00July 2nd, 2023|Categories: • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • ARTICLES & REPORTS, • RECOVERY PSYCHOLOGY, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Belief System, Brain, Core Beliefs, Identity Crisis, Sacred Beliefs, Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, vMPFC|

The Subtle Sabotage Of Blame In Cybersecurity & Online Safety

The Subtle Sabotage Of Blame In Cybersecurity & Online Safety By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Blame in Cybersecurity & Online Safety is Rampant! We all do it, we all blame someone for something. Sometimes blame is justified, sometimes there is cause, and it is very hard to remove it from your vocabulary – but it is always destructive. I recently heard a cybersecurity training professional tell a story about motivating a corporate team to do better with cybersecurity. It Read More ...

SCARS Editorial Team2023-06-25T21:44:36-04:00June 22nd, 2023|Categories: • CYBERSECURITY, • EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY, • ONLINE SAFETY, • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Blame, Blaming, Corporate Victims, Psychology of Scams, Scam Victims, Tim McGuinness Ph.D.|

What is the Purpose of Gaslighting?

What is the Purpose of Gaslighting? By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Gaslighting is all about Manipulation & Control Online social engineering relationship & other scams rely heavily on the technique of “Gaslighting” to hold and manipulate its victims. Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2023-06-22T08:20:33-04:00June 22nd, 2023|Categories: • PYSCHOLOGY OF SCAMS, • SCAM / FRAUD VICTIM SUPPORT & RECOVERY, • VICTIMS & VICTIMOLOGY, ♣ FEATURED ARTICLES, 2023|Tags: Gaslighting, Manipulation, Psychology of Scams, Scam Victims, Tim McGuinness Ph.D.|

FTC Victim Predators

Attn: Federal Trade Commission

There is a WAR going on against scam victims!

A war where for-profit companies are exploiting and deceiving the victims of scams and financial fraud!

WE ASK THE FTC TO STOP EXPLOITATION OF SCAM VICTIMS NOW!

This war is being led by predatory for-profit companies that want more of these desperate and panicked crime victims\' money or to lead them away from legitimate support!

These companies claim they can get the victim\'s money back or that they will investigate the crime and have the criminals arrested - neither they can do. The victim usually receives a document or two and nothing more for the thousands of dollars they pay in advance for these services. Services that within the United States these companies must be licensed as private investigators to even provide any crime investigations or money recovery services, yet almost all of these companies lack state licenses.

There are cryptocurrency tracing companies that use automated tools to generate a paper report and charging scam victims thousands of dollars in advance for this service! These victims are desperate for help and looking for answers, and instead of sending them to real victims\' assistance providers they are pulling them in and costing them more of the precious little money they have left! What the scammers do is bad enough, but these real companies are exploiting victims one more time!

We call on the Federal Trade Commission to begin exploring this exploitation of crime victims - specifically scam or financial fraud victims by private investigating, money recovery, and other for-profit companies service companies!

We believe that this falls under the Commission\'s authority to regulate deceptive trade practices.

This is despicable and deceptive trade practice that should be banned in the United States without proper state licensing and full and complete disclosure about what they can and cannot do. We also believe the companies and their principals operating without proper legal licenses now should be banned from these activities permanently.

Please do what YOU can to bring this to the attention of the FTC Chair and staff!

Thank you!

Vianey Goes and Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., Directors,
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
A crime victims\' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit supporting scam victims worldwide for free!
contact@againstscams.org

**your signature**