The Ethical Imperative of Radical Truth

The ethical imperative of radical honesty when supporting traumatized scam victims is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of their recovery.

When someone is reeling from the profound betrayal of a scam, the instinct of any compassionate supporter is to offer comfort, to soothe their pain, and to shield them from further distress. This kindness is essential, but it is not enough. True support is a delicate balance between gentle validation and the unwavering delivery of hard truths. It is an ethical duty that requires the supporter to hold a safe space for the victim’s suffering while simultaneously acting as a clear, honest mirror, reflecting the reality they must eventually confront to heal.

Support begins with listening. The victim must be allowed to vent their rage, cry their tears, and speak their confusion without fear of judgment. Their pain is real, their trauma is valid, they are worthy, and their feelings deserve to be heard and acknowledged. This is the foundation of trust. However, if support stops here, it becomes a form of false encouragement and gentle enabling. The victim can become trapped in a loop of suffering, their story reinforced by sympathetic listeners who are too afraid or unwilling to challenge the narrative of victimhood. This is where radical honesty becomes an ethical necessity. It is the act of telling a victim what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear, delivered with compassion but without softening the facts that are essential for their progress.

This “hard truth” is not about blame or cruelty. It is about rebuilding strength through information. It might mean gently pointing out that the person they are still defending is a criminal, not a misunderstood soul. It might mean stating plainly that the money they sent is almost certainly gone forever, and the only path forward is to stop pursuing it. It could involve explaining that their refusal to set boundaries or their continued focus on the scammer is actively sabotaging their own recovery. These truths are painful to hear, but they are the keys that unlock the cage of delusion and denial. Without them, the victim cannot make informed, intentional decisions about their future. They are navigating a treacherous landscape without a map, guided only by the false light of hope and illusion.

The ultimate goal of this radical honesty is to restore the victim’s agency. A scam strips away a person’s ability to trust their own judgment. The only way to rebuild that trust is to give them a clear, unvarnished picture of reality so they can begin to make sound choices for themselves. When a supporter is radically honest, they are essentially saying, “I believe you are strong enough to handle the truth.” This act of respect is more enabling than any amount of hollow sympathy. It shifts the victim from a passive recipient of comfort to an active participant in their own healing. It allows them to move from “Why did this happen to me?” to “Given that this happened, what will I do now?” In the end, radical honesty is not a betrayal of kindness; it is the highest form of it, because it honors the victim’s strength and gives them the tools they need to reclaim their life.

Prof. Tim McGuinness, Ph.D.
November 2025