Synthetic Pornography – A Growing Danger To The World

A SCARS Editorial

Author:
•  SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Photo Credit: Mark Pohlmann

Synthetic Pornography Is Revolutionizing What People Of Particular Tastes Can Have Now, All Through Generative AI

Synthetic porn, also known as deepfake porn, is a type of manipulated media that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create non-consensual pornography. It typically involves superimposing the face of a non-consenting person onto the body of someone else in a pornographic video, but it can be completely synthetic and generated by AI from nothing but a text description of what is desired.

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Binance & CEO Pleads Guilty Will Pay $4B For Cryptocurrency Money Laundering

Authors:
•  SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
•  United States Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice

Binance and CEO Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in $4B Resolution In Cryptocurrency Money Laundering Case

Binance Admits It Engaged in Anti-Money Laundering, Unlicensed Money Transmitting, and Sanctions Violations in Largest Corporate Resolution to Include Criminal Charges for an Executive

SCARS Analysis

Binance’s guilty plea in the $4B money laundering case is a significant development with far-reaching implications for the cryptocurrency industry and broader financial regulations. It demonstrates that governments are serious about holding cryptocurrency companies accountable for their role in preventing financial crimes, and it sets a precedent for future enforcement actions.

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Crypto Seizure Breaking News: Major Romance & Pig Butchering Scam Organization Disrupted

Author:
•  U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Justice

Cyber Scam Organization Disrupted Through Seizure Of Nearly $9M In Crypto

Government Seizes Crypto For The Victims

The Justice Department announced today the seizure of nearly $9 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. These seized funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses [wallets] allegedly associated with an organization that exploited over 70 victims through romance scams and cryptocurrency confidence scams, which are widely known as “pig butchering.”

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Psychological Triggers/Emotional Triggers – What They Are And How They Work

SCARS Recovery Psychology

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.

What Are Psychological Triggers or Emotional Triggers?

Why Do They Have So Much Control Over Our Emotions And Mind?

A psychological trigger is a stimulus that elicits or provokes a strong emotional or psychological response.

Psychological triggers can be anything from a sound or smell to a person or place, or something you read, or even a memory. They are usually associated with past traumatic or stressful experiences.

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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 effectively combat scams, focusing on online relationship scams, pig butchering investment scams, phone scams, and more.

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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 system of physical functions that take place inside the brain and elsewhere in your body. Your memories, feelings, thinking, abilities, biases, and beliefs are all electrochemical reactions happening in your brain, nervous and limbic systems.

Why is this important to know?

Because what you remember, believe, and feel is controlled by these systems. Your very identity is not anything close to as solid as you imagine it is. The criminals that scammed you do not fully understand this, but they know how to exploit it,

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FTC Takes Action Against Unsolicited Communications

By:
SCARS Editorial Team Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.; and the
United States Federal Trade Commission

FTC Joins FCC in Renewing Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Cross-Border Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Spam, Scams, and Illegal Telemarketing

Agencies are partnering with the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network

The Federal Trade Commission has joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in signing a renewed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between public authorities who are members of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network (UCENet). The MOU aims to promote cross-border collaboration to combat unsolicited communications, including email and text spam, scams, and illegal telemarketing.

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Contractualism

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Civilization Only Exists Because Of The Commitments That Bind Us All Together – This Is The Foundation Of Contractualism!

Who cares about Contractualism philosophy after you have been scammed? Does it help you recover or get your money back?

Actually, it does, it is the foundation of how we live and work together! That is what Contractualism is all about and why understanding it is so very important!

Most of you reading this have never studied moral philosophy, yet moral philosophy is the foundation of everything we do as a society. As the victims of crime, understanding that there are those who violate these moral philosophies makes it even more important for you to understand it as we all work together to hold it all together!

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Israel Police Bust Major Investment Fraud Organization

By SCARS Editorial Team, portions from Jerusalem Post and Finance Magnates

Israeli Police Bust Massive Online FX Investment Fraud, Arrest Six

Israeli police have arrested six people in connection with a massive online foreign exchange (FX) investment fraud that is estimated to have cost victims millions of dollars.

The suspects, who are all Israeli citizens, are accused of running a scam that involved setting up fake websites and social media accounts that purported to offer high-yield FX trading opportunities. They allegedly lured victims into investing their money by promising guaranteed returns but instead used the funds to enrich themselves.

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Qakbot Botnet Infrastructure Shattered After An International Operation Led By FBI/Europol

By Europol, U.S. Department of Justice and SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Qakbot Malware Victimized 700 000+ Computers, With At Least EUR 54 Million Paid In Ransoms Since 2007

The Qakbot action represents the largest U.S./Europol-led financial and technical disruption of a botnet infrastructure

What is Qakbot Malware?

Qakbot is a ‘banking trojan’ type of virus or malware that has been around since 2007

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Human Trafficking & Scam Slavery – UN Issues New Report

By United Nations and SCARS Editorial Team

UN Report: Scam Slavery Is A Form Of Human Trafficking In Which People Are Forced To Work In Scam Call Centers

SCARS Overview

The victims are often lured with promises of good jobs and high salaries, but once they arrive at the call center, they are forced to work long hours under abusive conditions. They are also often threatened with violence or deportation if they try to escape.

Southeast Asia is a major hub for scam slavery. The region is home to a large number of poor and unemployed people who are vulnerable to exploitation. The perpetrators of scam slavery often target these people with promises of easy money.

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Indian Scammer Call Center Shut Down 84 Arrested

By SCARS Editorial Team, Portions by The420

A Major Bust For Indian Cybercrime Police In Shutting Down A Large Scammer Call Center In Noida India

A total of 84 scammers/call center workers were arrested!

About Indian Scammer Call Centers

Scam call centers in India are a major problem, and they have been for many years. These call centers prey on people all over the world, using a variety of techniques to scam them out of their money. Some of the most common scams include:

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The Ghana Scammers Game Is Alive And Well

By Thomson Reuters Foundation, with comments by the SCARS Editorial Team

Ghanaian Scammers – Youth Fall Out Of Poverty As Romance Scammers – But That Is No Justification For Criminality

SCARS Comment: While this may be true, people struggle everywhere to make a living and the vast majority of them do it honestly! There is never an excuse in being poor and turning to crime! This is true for Ghana scammers, and cybercriminals everywhere else.

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Scam Victim Suicides Are Up – New Data Hints

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Risk of Suicides in Scam and Financial Fraud Victims Is Sharply On The Rise

Scams and financial fraud can have a devastating impact on victims, both financially and emotionally. In some cases, the emotional toll can be so great that victims may feel like they have no other way out but to commit suicide and take their own life.

Suicides Risk

The risk of suicide is especially high among elderly victims. A study by the National Center for Victims of Crime found that the rate of suicides among elderly scam victims is twice as high as the national average. Add on the loss of their life savings and the impact is obvious!

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Cryptocurrency Home Invasion Armed Robbery

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., and third-party sources

A Significant New Escalation In The Theft Of Cryptocurrency – Violent Home Invasions

Durham, North Carolina Police & The FBI Are Investigating A Terrifying Home Invasion Involving Cryptocurrency Theft

A Durham, North Carolina couple endured a harrowing ordeal during a recent home invasion, where they were targeted for their cryptocurrency holdings. According to authorities, two armed men, disguised as construction workers, approached the couple’s Wells Street residence.

Once inside, the assailants, identified as Remy Ra St. Felix and Elmer Castro, brandished handguns and restrained the elderly couple using zip ties. The terrified victims, both 76 years old, were then coerced into transferring a significant amount of cryptocurrency, totaling $250,000, to an undisclosed account.

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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 the case of scams, the intertwining of magical and fantasy delusions with unrealistic beliefs can enslave victims, making it challenging for them to recover from the emotional and financial devastation.

This article examines the psychological mechanisms at play, shedding light on how magical delusional thinking plays a pivotal role in perpetuating the cycle of deception.

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Is The Nigerian EFCC Serious Again?

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions EFCC

After Nearly A 3 Week Hiatus, The Nigerian EFCC Is Back Arresting Scammers!

After the abrupt removal of the Nigerian EFCC Chairman and the appointment of his replacement, the EFCC’s enforcement took a nose dive!

Many are questioning the Nigerian government’s commitment to eradicating online criminals/cybercriminals from Nigeria. And the hiatus of the last 3 weeks is not speaking well of their efforts.

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Facebook Is Using Your Tax Data!

By AP – Associated Press / reprinted

3 Major Tax Prep Firms Shared ‘Extraordinarily Sensitive’ Data About Taxpayers With Meta, Lawmakers Say

Three large tax preparation firms sent “extraordinarily sensitive” information on tens of millions of taxpayers to Facebook’s parent company Meta over the course of at least two years, a group of congressional Democrats reported on Wednesday.

They say some of that data was then used by Meta to create targeted advertising to its own users, other companies, and to train Meta’s algorithms.

The Democrats’ report urges federal agencies to investigate and potentially go to court over the wealth of information that H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer shared with the social media giant.

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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 one’s existing beliefs instead of being open to changing them. This is antithetical to scam victim recovery!

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Coming In Contact With Forced Labor Scammer Slaves

By Rika Takebe, Vice Director, NPO Charms – a Janaese Nonprofit Supporting Japanese Scam Victims [on Facebook]

What should I do if a scammer I had contact with reveals that they are a victim of human trafficking and forced labor by a fraudulent organization?

There are limited direct actions you can take. While there is no guarantee of rescue, you can provide information to human rights organizations that fight against human trafficking. This may increase the chances of rescuing the forced labor victims.

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Pedophile Extortion Scam By West Africans

By French & Belgium Police, and SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Extortion Scam: West African Scammers Accuse Men Of Being Sexual Predators – Some Took Their Own Life!

Police in France and Belgium say they have arrested 19 members of gangs involved in this extortion scam who sent people fake court summonses that accused them of viewing images of children being sexually abused.

People who received the extortion messages were threatened with prosecution and tricked into paying thousands of Euros in supposed fines.

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49 Scammer Nigerian Gang Taken Down

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

49 Scammers Arrested In Another Major Raid In Nigeria – Another Gang Taken Down

The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Arrests 49 Internet Fraud Suspects in Ekiti, Oyo, Nigeria

In a typical week, the Nigerian EFCC is taking down 2-3 small-medium-sized gangs a week. Unfortunately, almost never large-scale organizations.

Operatives of the Ibadan, Nigeria Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 47 (forty-seven) suspected internet fraudsters, plus 2 others – 49 total

The Nigerian suspects were arrested at Ikere Road and Iworoko areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State following intelligence on their alleged cyber fraud activities in the State.

The Nigerian suspects are Adeyemi Joshua Adeniran, Ajaye Redmond Damilare, Nwaji Mathew, Jegede Boluwaji Victor, Oyetunji Sunday Wole, Damilola Awopetu Ayomide, Ajayi Temitope Ayomide, Babajide Adebisi Victor, Balogun Precious Akinwale, Obie Jacob Onatakaroma, Olonitola Olamilekan, Ajewole Ojo Kayode, Aina Toluwani Emmanuel, Adebayo Akinwumi Oluwadamilare, Omowaye Oluwatosin Olamilekan, Oyewale Francis Oyomilekan, Arowolo Ayomide Gift, Shotonwa Babatunde Omotoyosi, Ochochie Silas Ochola, Ojo Seyitan David, Onile Ayodeji Raphael, and Abiodun Oluwatosin Opeyemi.

Others are: Adebayo Gbenga Musbau, Oyebade Ayomide Olamide, Egunjobi Samuel Gbenga, Oladokun Toheeb Adeko Save la, Adesola Benjamin Adebowale, Edamisan Olakunle, Adesola Isaac Babatunde, Oyewole Gideon David, Lawal Tosimile Moses, Adeleke Adekunle Samson, Oladiti Abiodun Akanji, Ajayi Charles Temitayo, Adeyemi Oluwasegun Adeboye, Ernest Solomon Temitope and Atoun Olalekan Timilehin.

The rest are: Olorunyomi Sina Ayo, Babatunde Emmanuel Babalola, Read More …

Police Chiefs & Sheriffs: Use GoFundMe To Raise Money To Fight Cybercrime, Scams, And Fraud – And Obtain Tools & Training

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

The Fight Against Cybercrime Is As Much A Local Fight As a National Or International Fight

Local police & sheriff departments are the first responders for their citizens, but in the war against cybercrime, most of them have thrown up their hands and told their citizens there is nothing they can do!

But there is very much they can do, especially when it comes to tracing and recovering the money!

However, local police need financial support to get the tools, training, and even personnel needed to do the job well.

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Canadian Man Convicted in Multimillion-Dollar Psychic Mass-Mailing Fraud Scheme

By U.S. Department of Justice

A Federal Jury in the Eastern District of New York convicted a Canadian man today for perpetrating a decades-long mass-mailing Psychic fraud scheme that stole more than $175 million from victims in the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Patrice Runner, 57, a Canadian and French citizen, operated a mass-mailing Psychic fraud scheme from 1994 through November 2014.

As part of the scheme, Runner sent Psychic letters to millions of U.S. consumers, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable.

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Nigerian National Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison for International Scheme That Defrauded Elderly U.S. Victims

By United States Department of Justice

A Nigerian national, who was previously extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom, was sentenced to 82 months in prison on June 21, 2023, for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.

According to court documents, Emmanuel Samuel, 39, a Nigerian, was part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal.

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Dear Police Officers: Write An Email

Make The Extra Effort For Your Transnational Scam/Fraud Victims

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Attention Police Officers & Leadership Concerned With Fraud

As a local police officer, you probably never considered this, but YOU CAN send a local victim’s complaint to police agencies in other countries on behalf of your local victims!

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