Abstinence for Scam Victims – A Requirement For Healing

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

The Crucial Role of Abstinence for Scam Victims: Navigating the Path to Recovery

Introduction to Abstinence

The prevalence of scams has risen to alarming levels – of course, scam victims all know that already.

Scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to exploit unsuspecting individuals, leaving their victims emotionally and financially devastated. They are especially out looking for previous victims since they are even more vulnerable than they were before their first scam. This is a major reason why abstinence is so important during recovery. Not just to avoid being scammed again, but to avoid the even worse trauma that comes with additional scams.

For those who have fallen victim to scams, the journey through recovery is a process of healing wounds and making informed choices to ensure future well-being.

One such vital choice is the practice of abstinence – a conscious decision to avoid any contact with potential scammers or platforms where they abound, such as dating websites.

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Talking To Kids/Youth About Online Risk [VIDEO]

By National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (U.S. Government) and SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

How can parents encourage their children/youth to use online technology safely and privately – a NIST Video – used with permission

NIST Researchers Explore Best Practices for Talking to Kids About Online Privacy

Today’s youth are digital natives. They’ve never known a world without the internet or online technology. It is crucial they develop the skills and resilience to safely navigate these digital environments from an early age. At NIST, scientists conducted a study to find out how much these digital natives and their parents know about online security and privacy.

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Interpol Operation Jackal – Arrested Over 100

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

Interpol & Partners Target West African Cybercriminals In Major Raid Seizing Million Of Euros!

Interpol closing ranks on West African organized crime: more than EUR 2 million seized in Operation Jackal – tackling the global footprint of Black Axe and similar West Africa-based organized crime groups

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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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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 do it at very low cost or for free! These bulk email services can blast out millions of emails a day!

Scammers operate very much like telemarketers after the scam ends. They know that all it takes is a small percentage of victims to have doubts about themselves and the certainty that it was a scam or be curious or impulsive. They know that the victim’s own curiosity and impulsivity work in the scammer’s favor. Plus a significant number of victims in the weeks following the ending of the crime will still have lingering doubts about whether it was in fact a scam.

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FraudGPT – AI For The Bad Guys

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

FraudGPT: The New AI-Powered Cybercrime Tool

The rise of generative AI models has changed the fraud & cybercrime threat landscape drastically and FraudGPT is a new plateau in this new arms race..

Threat actors can now use these models, such as FraudGPT to create realistic and convincing phishing emails, malware, and other malicious content that is flawless (or almost flawless.)

In July 2023, a new AI tool called FraudGPT was discovered on the Dark Web. FraudGPT is a bot that can be used to create realistic phishing emails, cracking tools, and other malicious content. The tool is currently being sold on various Dark Web marketplaces and the Telegram platform.

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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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A Tragic Canadian Romance Scam Victim Story

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions CBC by Colleen Underwood (see below for source link)

A Calgary Woman Became A Victim And Was Scammed Out Of Nearly $500K In An Online Dating Scam

Another Victim Study In Victimology:

A Candian fell victim to a very typical romance scam and lost her life savings and money she borrowed.

As is often the case, a scam victim will be left in a devastated state grasping for answers and unless they find a competent professional support organization or counseling, are left on their own to try to understand what happened and to recover.

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Three Components Of Well Managed Victim Support Groups

Part 1 of the SCARS Official Handbook for Scam Victim Support & Recovery Groups

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

In The Creation And Management Of Victim Support Groups To Help Traumatized Scam Victims There Are A Range Of Required Components

In this series of articles about victim support groups we will explore what those components are, the application of best practices, and how best to support victims through to stability and recovery.

This is the SCARS Victim Support Model

The Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams has taken the best parts of over 120 years of recovery science – including the principles and fundamentals of Alcoholics Anonymous – and applied this to the victim support of traumatized & emotionally devastated financial fraud victims to help transform them into survivors.

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Family Takes Legal Action Against Banks After Navy Veteran Loses $3.6 Million in Wire Fraud Scheme

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

Family Files Lawsuit Against Banks After Veteran Loses $3.6 Million in Wire Fraud Scheme The family of a veteran who fell victim to a devastating wire fraud scheme has taken legal action against multiple banks involved.

A Navy veteran’s family is pursuing legal action against banks and credit unions in Virginia, claiming they should have taken stronger measures to prevent the veteran’s substantial losses in an apparent wire fraud scheme. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the late Larry Cook’s estate, accuses Wells Fargo and Navy Federal Credit Union of negligence and other claims. According to court documents, Cook initiated 74 international wire transfers through Navy Federal and one transfer through Wells Fargo. The family suspects Cook was deceived by a phishing scam, resulting in unauthorized transfers. The case raises concerns about financial institutions’ responsibility in protecting customers from fraud and the need for enhanced prevention measures.

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Changes In A Scam Victim’s Life

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

After A Scam Or Crime Is Over, Its Victims Are Left To Figure Out How To Go Forward And What Changes Need To Be Made In Their Life!

Scam victim changes come at every stage of the post-crime recovery. They vary from stage to stage as the person goes from being a victim to a survivor to a thrive! At each stage, different changes are needed both for safety and to allow emotional and psychological recovery.

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Scam Victims Use Work To Avoid Healing

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

When Scam Victims Throw Themselves Into Their Work After A Scam It Can Be To Avoid Confronting What Has Happened To Them

When scam victims experience trauma, it can have a profound impact on their emotional well-being and daily lives.

In some cases, trauma survivors may immerse themselves deeply in their work as a coping mechanism to avoid thinking or feeling the pain associated with their traumatic experiences.

Trauma can have a profound impact on a scam victim, both emotionally and mentally. In some cases, traumatized victims may find it difficult to cope with their emotions and may turn to work as a way to avoid dealing with their trauma.

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Scam Victims & Mental Health Blaming

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

Mental Health Blaming For Scam Victims Is An Insidious Undermining Of Those Struggling To Heal And Recover

Let’s be clear, we are not talking about mental health conditions such as psychopathy or narcissism. We are talking about the vastly common depression and anxiety disorders that may affect as many as half of our population and other debilitating disorders that prevent normal people from living their best lives.

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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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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 limits about how you expect to be treated.

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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

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The Tao – The Philosophy of the Path to Recovery

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

Tao – This is the Way

A relationship scam is a vicious crime that has the potential not only to be devastatingly traumatic but can almost destroy the very soul of its victims. The Tao – the way – offers an approach to recover from the crime and the devastation to the self that the scam inflicts.

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Taol – Native American Talking Circles – A Perfect Recovery Model For Scam Victims

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

Taol – The Native American Talking Circle And How We Apply It In Your Recovery!

Taol – A reprint from a Native People’s Conferrence

“Taol, or traditional talking circles, is a traditional Native American practice that SCARS uses to help traumatized crime victims recover,” according to what I presented in a recent conference.

“Taol is a safe space where victims can share their stories with others who have been through similar experiences. This can help victims to feel less alone and to begin to heal from their trauma.”

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Cybersecurity Failure Is Inevitable – Plan For It

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

The Saying NEVER SAY NEVER Is More Applicable In Cybersecurity & Online Safety Than Ever

Businesses are aware they need to plan for their cybersecurity, but they don’t know they also need to plan for their failure!

All cybersecurity is ultimately dependent on people, and people fail.

In fact, people almost always fail – not every day, but eventually, someone will make a mistake. Cybersecurity must do the right things 100% of the time, but the bad guys only need one mistake.

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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 was something to the effect that they needed to learn the material because “You don’t want to be the one that lets a breach happen!” That is blame!

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The Power of Slowness: Navigating Cyber Threats with Deliberation

A new approach to personal & corporate cybercrime avoidance – slowness!

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

Is Slowness the Answer?

Let’s admit the truth.  Almost all cyber & online safety training is failing!

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