ScamsNOW!
The SCARS Institute Magazine about Scam Victims-Survivors, Scams, Fraud & Cybercrime
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.
Insights Into Victim Projection
During the Scam:
Scammers often use manipulation tactics to create a false persona that appeals to the victim’s desires and needs. Victims might project their own positive qualities, hopes, and expectations onto the scammer. They may perceive the scammer as the embodiment of their ideal partner, overlooking initial red flags or inconsistencies due to the projection of their own desires onto the scammer’s persona. Thus the victim’s own projection becomes an asset in the scammer’s grooming toolbox.
After the Scam:
Once the scam is revealed, victims might experience a range of emotions, including embarrassment, shame, anger, and self-blame. Psychological projection can come into play as victims struggle to accept their own vulnerability and mistakes. Instead of fully acknowledging their own emotions and actions, they might project their negative feelings onto others, including the scammer, law enforcement, or even themselves. For example, a victim might find it easier to believe that the scammer was truly in love with them but forced into the scam due to external circumstances, rather than accepting that they were manipulated. This projection allows the victim to preserve a more favorable image of the scammer, which can complicate the healing process. Additionally, victims might project their self-blame onto themselves, feeling that they should have seen the signs or should have been more cautious – of course, this is hindsight bias. This self-blame can hinder their emotional recovery and self-esteem.
Projection During Recovery
Psychological projection can affect scam victims during their emotional recovery in several ways too:
- Denial of Reality: Projecting positive qualities onto the scammer or blaming external factors can prevent victims from fully accepting the reality of the scam. This denial can prolong or bypass the healing process and hinder their ability to learn from the experience and recover successfully.
- Impaired Trust: Projection can lead to misplaced trust and skepticism. Victims might struggle to trust genuine people and relationships, fearing that they will again project their desires onto someone who doesn’t have their best interests at heart – assuming they are even aware that they are projecting. This is yet another reason why abstinence is important after the scam ends.
- Interpersonal Challenges: Victims who project their negative feelings onto others might find it difficult to form new healthy relationships or seek support from friends and family. They may view others who are simply having a hard time understanding the nuances of the criminal’s manipulation as being judgmental and hostile.
- Stifled Healing: Projection can interfere with the necessary self-reflection and processing of emotions (especially grief) that is crucial for healing. It can prevent victims from taking responsibility for their own emotions and decisions, causing them to ignore the need for professional help!.
Recovering from a romance scam involves coming to terms with one’s own vulnerability, learning from the experience, and rebuilding emotional well-being.
To do this effectively, victims should strive to recognize and address any tendencies toward projection, seek professional support if needed, and engage in a process of self-compassion and self-forgiveness. This can help them move forward with a clearer understanding of their emotions and a healthier perspective on relationships.
Summary
Remember, this is but one piece in the 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that is learning to recover! Some of you have a sense of the picture it presents, but newer victims are still looking for the corners! Have patience, you will find the pieces if you continue to follow the recovery path!
Resources:
- Sign up for SCARS professional support & recovery groups, visit support.AgainstScams.org
- Find competent trauma counselors or therapists, visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
- Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
- Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
- Learn more about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
- Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainsstScams.org
- Donate to SCARS and help us help others at donate.AgainstScams.org
More:
- Psychology of Scams – Article Catalog (romancescamsnow.com)
- Suggestibility – A Victim Vulnerability (romancescamsnow.com)
- What Really Are Vulnerabilities That Lead To Scams? (scamsnow.com)
- Cognitive Biases Catalog (romancescamsnow.com)
- Hindsight Bias! You Knew It All The Time! (romancescamsnow.com)
- Changes In A Scam Victim’s Life (scamsnow.com)
- Emotional Triggers – What Are They And How To Cope With Them (romancescamsnow.com)
- Impact of Crime Victimization (romancescamsnow.com)
- Victims: Common Reactions To Crime (romancescamsnow.com)
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ARTICLE RATING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 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!
- Insights Into Victim Projection
- Projection During Recovery
- Summary
- Resources:
- More:
- SCARS Institute™ ScamsNOW Magazine
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. [SCARS]
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
SCARS Institute now offers a free recovery program at www.SCARSeducation.org
Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors, please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and not to blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and help victims avoid scams in the future. At times, this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims; we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens, and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
SCARS INSTITUTE RESOURCES:
If You Have Been Victimized By A Scam Or Cybercrime
♦ If you are a victim of scams, go to www.ScamVictimsSupport.org for real knowledge and help
♦ Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
♦ To report criminals, visit https://reporting.AgainstScams.org – we will NEVER give your data to money recovery companies like some do!
♦ Follow us and find our podcasts, webinars, and helpful videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RomancescamsNowcom
♦ Learn about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
♦ Dig deeper into the reality of scams, fraud, and cybercrime at www.ScamsNOW.com and www.RomanceScamsNOW.com
♦ Scam Survivor’s Stories: www.ScamSurvivorStories.org
♦ For Scam Victim Advocates visit www.ScamVictimsAdvocates.org
♦ See more scammer photos on www.ScammerPhotos.com
You can also find the SCARS Institute on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TruthSocial
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this and other SCARS articles are intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
Note about Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices have the potential to create psychological distress for some individuals. Please consult a mental health professional or experienced meditation instructor for guidance should you encounter difficulties.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here
If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair, please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.
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A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish. Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors’ experience. You can do Google searches, but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
The moment I realized I had a financial loss due to a scam I realized that I felt shame, guilt, and I felt, at that time, gullible. It has been nearly 10 months since that day. With the help of SCARS I have been able to turn those feelings around and reframe them. I accepted that I had experienced a crime. With the SCARS affirmation I can sincerely say, “It was not my fault”. Ten months ago, I felt it was my fault, but I can say with assurance I have not projected my feelings onto another person, law enforcement or the scammer. The scammer in my mind is an expert criminal who groomed and manipulated me without my consent. I broke free of that control on my own, have turned my life and my thinking toward education, protection and self care so eventually I will be able to help another who found themselves on this path.
After a few months and a lot of SCARS articles I now understand & believe my scammers were only there for my money.