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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The Mail Is No Longer Safe In The United States

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

The Mail & the Post Office has been a Disaster For Decades

The U.S. Postal Service does a great job with the mail, and has great people doing a hard job! But this appears to be a losing battle!

The simple fact is that the mail does not always go through. If it did then there would be no FedEx, DHS, or UPS. Those companies were the response to a real problem of USPS reliability and performance. After all who pays much higher prices for service if the government service is reliable and safe?

Now we have arrived at a point that is no longer reliable, that the United States Mail is highly vulnerable.

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Google Will Use Everything You Publish To Feed Their Generative AI

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

Google’s New Privacy Policy Opens the Door to Web Scraping

Google has updated its privacy policy to allow the company to scrape any publicly available data for use in its artificial intelligence (AI) projects. This means that Google could potentially collect and analyze everything you post online, including your social media posts, blog articles, and even comments on public websites.

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Social Media Prohibition!

US Judge Blocks Biden Officials From Contacting Social Media Sites

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

A Major Blow To The Biden Administration’s Attempts To Control Social Media

The Attorney Generals for Louisiana and Missouri have filed a lawsuit alleging that the federal government is unlawfully censoring conservative viewpoints in violation of the First Amendment.

A federal judge, Terry A. Doughty, has ruled that several Biden administration officials are prohibited from contacting social media companies regarding the moderation of posts protected by the First Amendment.

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Federal Trade Commission Going After Fake Reviews

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

Federal Trade Commission Announces Proposed Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a new rule to stop marketers from using illicit review and endorsement practices such as using fake reviews, suppressing honest negative reviews, and paying for positive reviews, which deceive consumers looking for real feedback on a product or service and undercut honest businesses.

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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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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.

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Bank Account Takeover Fraud Can Happen To You! A Victim’s Story!

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

This Chase Bank Account Customer Lost Here Life Savings To Bank Account Takeover Fraud And The Bank Blames Her!

A small business owner lost her life’s savings when scammers pretending to be Chase bank employees defrauded her out of $160,000 by taking over her account.

Chase refused to refund any of her money, saying she did not take appropriate steps to protect her account.

Experts say the bank should adopt stricter security measures to protect customers.

Anna Werner reports in this video!

About Bank Account Takeover Fraud (Scams)

A bank account takeover (BATO) phone scam is a type of fraud in which the scammer calls the victim and pretends to be from their bank. The scammer may say that there is suspicious activity on the victim’s account and that they need to verify the victim’s information in order to protect their account. The scammer will then ask the victim for their personal information, such as their Social Security number, bank account number, and PIN. Once the scammer has this information, they can use it to access the victim’s bank account and steal their money.

BATO phone scams are becoming increasingly common. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 3.3 million reports of fraud involving imposter scams, which include Bank Account Takeover phone scams. These scams cost victims billions of dollars each year.

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from BATO phone scams:

• Never give out your personal information over the phone, unless you are sure that you are speaking to a legitimate representative from your bank. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank, hang up and call the bank’s customer service number yourself to verify the caller’s identity.
• Be suspicious of calls that come out of the blue. If you receive a call from someone you don’t know, especially if they ask for personal information, be careful. Don’t give out any information until you are sure that the caller is legitimate.
• Be aware of the signs of a scam. If the caller is pressuring you to act quickly, or if they are asking for personal information that you don’t normally provide, be suspicious.
• If you think you may have been the victim of a BATO phone scam, report it to your bank & local police immediately. You should also report the scam to the FBI & FTC – learn more at reporting.AgainstScams.org

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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Walmart Facilitated Scams According To The FTC

By FTC & SCARS Editorial Team

Walmart: FTC Files Amended Complaint Charging that Walmart Facilitated Scams Through Its Money Transfer Services That Fleeced Customers Out of Hundreds of Millions

The Federal Trade Commission filed an amended complaint against Walmart – bolstering the agency’s case that Walmart allowed its money transfer services to be used by scammers, who fleeced consumers out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The FTC filed the amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Walmart, following the court’s March 27, 2023 ruling on the FTC’s initial complaint. The amended complaint adds further details on Walmart’s alleged violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule, including the Rule’s ban on the use of cash-to-cash money transfers in any telemarketing transaction.

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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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Reginald Fowler – Ex-NFL Football Team Own Convicted Of $700 Million Scam

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

Reginald Fowler – Ex-Part Owner Of Minnesota Vikings Gets Over Six Years In Cryptocurrency Scam

Scams Come In All Forms! So Do Scammers Such As Reginald Fowler!

Reginald Fowler, a former part-owner of the Minnesota Vikings who defrauded a short-lived professional football league known as the Alliance of American Football in a $700 million cryptocurrency scam was sentenced Monday to over six years in prison.

Reginald Fowler, 64, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to six years and three months in prison and was ordered to forfeit $740 million and pay restitution of $53 million.

The Alliance of American Football met a speedy end in 2019 when it ran out of money that’s to Reginald Fowler.

Prosecutors said Reginald Fowler lied to the league’s executives when he claimed to control bank accounts with tens of millions of dollars from real estate investments and government contracts that he could use to support the league.

In 2005, Reginald Fowler tried to buy the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, becoming a minority owner before his involvement in the team ended in 2014.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that Reginald Fowler broke the law by processing hundreds of millions of dollars of unregulated transactions on behalf of cryptocurrency exchanges that were used as a shadow bank.

“He did so by lying to legitimate U.S. financial institutions, which exposed the U.S. financial system to serious risk,” Williams said. “Reginald Fowler then victimized a professional football league by lying about his net worth in exchange for a substantial portion of the league.”

In a sentencing submission, defense lawyer Edward Sapone wrote that Fowler was heartbroken that he let himself engage in crimes after over six decades of extraordinary contributions to family and community.

“Reggie (Reginald Fowler) is extremely remorseful,” Sapone wrote. “The American Football League didn’t benefit from the investment that Reggie had planned to make. Reggie’s bank accounts were frozen, he could not secure the investment money, and he was not able to invest the large sum of money he promised to invest.”

Jerry Moran Senate Campaign Scammed Out Of $690,000 In BEC Scam

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

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran’s Reelection Campaign Scammed Out Of $690K – A Classic Business Email Compromise Scam

Someone scammed U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran’s reelection campaign out of $690,000 by getting the Kansas Republican’s accounting firm to wire the money to fraudulent bank accounts, Jerry Moran’s office said.

Jerry Moran’s campaign treasurer, Timothy Gottschalk, notified the Federal Election Commission by email on Dec. 8 of “fraudulent activity by a third-party cyber-criminal.” The letter said that after the campaign notified a local sheriff’s office on Nov. 16, eight days after the general election, the case was forwarded to the FBI and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The letter said that Senator Jerry Moran’s campaign received two fraudulent invoices that appeared to be from SRCP Media Inc., a Washington area company hired to handle Moran’s broadcast advertising. The letter said the campaign organization wired $345,000 on Oct. 25 and another $345,000 on Nov. 9.

“As soon as a discrepancy was realized, it was reported to law enforcement,” Jerry Moran spokesman Tom Brandt said in an email Monday. “We are currently pursuing all avenues available to recover the money and there is an ongoing investigation with the FBI.”

The Jerry Moran campaign’s email to the FEC said that as of Dec. 8, the campaign had recovered $168,184.

The FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation into Senator Jerry Moran’s scam, said Bridget Patton, its spokesperson in Kansas City, Missouri. Representatives of the KBI and SRCP did not immediately return telephone and email messages seeking comment.

Senator Jerry Moran won his third six-year term in the Senate in November with 60% of the vote against Democrat Mark Holland, a former Kansas City, Kansas, mayor.

Senator Jerry Moran’s reelection campaign raised more than $7.3 million and spent more than $5.1 million through Nov. 28, according to a finance report it filed with the FEC, also on Dec. 8. But still this was a significant loss.

What it does show is that anyone and any organization can be scammed!

Impersonators & Tribute Performers Banned By Meta

By BBC

Impersonators of Dolly Parton, Britney Spears, And Taylor Swift – Tribute Acts Stage Protest Over Meta ‘Ban’

Impersonators & Tribute acts have staged a protest outside Meta’s London HQ after having Facebook and Instagram profiles deleted because of rules banning people from impersonating others.

Dolly Parton, Freddie Mercury, and Adele impersonators were among those fighting the “unfair” moves, which they said were putting their livelihoods at risk.

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Israel Seized $1.7M in Crypto

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., positions from Reuters and CoinDesk

Israel Seized $1.7M in Crypto From Iranian Military and Hezbollah With Chainalysis’ Aid

The Israeli government seized the crypto wallets after an order from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier this week.

The Israeli government has seized $1.7 million in crypto from wallets linked to the Iranian military and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon with the aide of Chainalysis, according to the Defence Minister announced and the crypto investigations firm.

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Europol Arrests 70 Scammers Plus Kingpin

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

Europol & Police Unplug International Phone Scam Network

The Kingpin and over 70 scammer associates were arrested by Europol and police partners; the network used pleas of “fake relatives” to extort victims for over EUR 5 million in damages

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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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2,700 Scam Slaves Rescued In The Philippines [VIDEO]

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

2,700 People (Scam Slaves) Tricked Into Working For Cybercrime Syndicates Rescued In the Philippines

Philippine police backed by commandos staged a massive raid this week and said they rescued more than 2,700 scam slaves – workers from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and more than a dozen other countries who were allegedly swindled into working for fraudulent online gaming sites and other cybercrime groups.

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EncroChat Dismantling Led To Over 6,500 Arrests

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

Dismantling EncroChat Encrypted Criminal Communications Network Leads To Over 6,500 Arrests And Close To Eur 900 Million Seized

European Judiciary and law enforcement present the first overview of the results of EncroChat investigations!

The dismantling of the encrypted communications tool EncroChat, widely used by organized crime groups (OCGs), has so far led to 6 558 arrests worldwide. 197 of those arrested were High-Value Targets. This result is detailed in the first review of EncroChat, which was presented today by the French and Dutch judicial and law enforcement authorities in Lille.

The successful takedown of EncroChat followed the efforts of a joint investigation team (JIT) set up by both countries in 2020, supported by Eurojust and Europol. Since then, close to EUR 900 million in criminal funds have been seized or frozen.

The Dismantling of EncroChat

The dismantling of EncroChat in 2020 sent shockwaves across OCGs in Europe and beyond. It helped to prevent violent attacks, attempted murders, corruption and large-scale drug transports, as well as obtain large-scale information on organized crime.

OCGs worldwide illegally used the encryption tool EncroChat for criminal purposes. Since the dismantling, investigators managed to intercept, share and analyse over 115 million criminal conversations, by an estimated number of over 60 000 users.  User hotspots were prevalent in source and destination countries for the trade in illicit drugs, extortion, and fraud, as well as in money laundering centers.

The information obtained by the French and Dutch authorities was shared with their counterparts in EU Member States and third countries, at their request. Based on accumulated figures from all authorities involved, this led to the following results, three years after the encryption was broken by law enforcement:

• 6,558 suspects arrested, including 197 High-Value Targets
• 7,134 years of imprisonment of convicted criminals up to now
• EUR 739.7 million in cash seized
• EUR 154.1 million frozen in assets or bank accounts
• 30.5 million pills of chemical drugs seized
• 103.5 tonnes of cocaine seized
• 163.4 tonnes of cannabis seized
• 3.3 tonnes of heroin seized
• 971 vehicles seized
• 271 estates or homes seized
• 923 weapons seized, as well as 21 750 rounds of ammunition and 68 explosives
• 83 boats and 40 planes seized

Investigations into the alleged criminal conduct of the company operating EncroChat were restarted by the French Gendarmerie Nationale in 2017, after discovering that the phones were regularly found during operations against OCGs. Subsequent investigations established that the company behind the tool was operating via servers in France. Eventually, it was possible to place a technical device to go beyond the encryption technique and obtain access to users’ correspondence.

A case was opened at Eurojust in 2019 by the French authorities.  In the first instance, data was shared with the Netherlands, which led to the setting up of the JIT in April 2020. Since then, information on criminal activities was shared with national authorities within and outside the EU, at their Read More …

Stalking Law Gutted By The U.S. Supreme Court

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

Stalking Is Free Speech? Supreme Court guts protections for cyberstalking victims!

Critics say the 7-2 decision will protect those stalking who are merely delusional about the consequences of their actions.

Stalking law was gutted by the Supreme Court when it ruled on Tuesday, June 27th, 2023, that in order to find someone guilty of making a “true threat” courts must first determine that the person recklessly disregarded the fact that their words might be perceived as threats.

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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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EUROPOL Arrests 43 Members Of An Organized Criminal Network In Italy

By EUROPOL

43 Members Of An Italian Organised Criminal Network Arrested

The large-scale law enforcement operation clamped down on a poly-criminal network abusing public offices in Calabria and engaged in numerous types of crime, including hacking and cybercrime, fraud, and money laundering.

43 members of the criminal network ‘Ndrangheta were arrested in the early hours of 27 June in a joint operation supported by Europol and Eurojust. Over 1 000 officers from Italian, German and Austrian law enforcement authorities cracked down on members of the Italian criminal network based in Crotone, a city in the Italian province of Calabria. Among the detainees from the criminal network, who are predominantly of Italian nationality and include German and Austrian nationals, is a High-Value Target believed to be a key player in this particular criminal structure. 16 companies, 25 real estate properties, and 15 vehicles worth over EUR 5 million were seized during the operation. The joint law enforcement operation saw the deployment of special forces, drones, canine units, and several helicopters.

Investigators found that the criminal network engaged in an alarming variety of criminal activities including:

• Corruption of local politicians;
• Manipulation of elections;
• Installment of confidants in crucial administrative positions;
• Collusion in public procurement tender procedures;
• Murder, violence, and extortion;
• Fraud (including online scams, cybercrime) and money laundering;
• Illicit waste trafficking;
• Criminal conspiracy with other criminal organizations.

Poly-Criminal Network Abusing Public Offices

Based on the evidence collected during the joint investigation of the criminal network, this particular branch of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia was able to manipulate local elections in Calabria. ‘Ndrangheta installed its members in crucial administrative and political positions in order to control and exploit the territory. Extortion and violence were part of the clan’s modus operandi. In order to impose the syndicate’s authority, its kingpin even ordered a homicide in 2014.

The criminal network was able to influence public procurement procedures in Italy, which resulted in taking advantage of at least EUR 3 million in European Union funds. Investigators proved that the criminals were able to set up complex worldwide money laundering schemes through key facilitators, such as hackers. German hackers were able to defraud the banking system and operate in clandestine trading platforms in order to launder illicit assets. Proceeds from the criminal enterprise were also laundered through connections in greengrocers, restaurants, gambling establishments, as well as security, transportation, construction, and real estate industries respectively.

Europol’s Role:

Europol supported the investigators by sharing multiple cross-match reports and facilitating the exchange of communication between numerous Member States and third parties about the criminal network. Furthermore, Europol promoted and supported operational meetings and took part in coordination meetings held at Eurojust, which set up the Joint Investigation Team between the participating countries. The investigation was supported by the EU-funded Project ISF4@ON, an Italian-led initiative to tackle mafia-type organized crime groups active in Europe.

Participating Authorities:

• Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office, Antimafia and Counterterrorism Directorate Catanzaro (Procura della Repubblica, Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia e Antiterrorismo Presso Read More …
  

A Proposal from SCARS to Reduce Bank Wire/Money Transfer Fraud

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

A Proposal To Reduce App Fraud In The Banking Industry

SCARS introduces a new proposal for the banking industry to help stop Wire Transfer Fraud/Scams (Authorized Push Payment Fraud) at the point of contact.

Almost all deterrents and education programs have failed to stop victims from sending money to criminals. Something more is needed. In the UK the bank employees call the local police to talk with victims and this has proven very effective, but that will not work in the United States. This proposal, we believe, addresses all the issues in a process already compliant with U.S. law.

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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, Yusuf Saka Olaoluwatobi, Falaye Babatunde Temitope, Ilesanmi Damilola Ayomide, Badmus Yusuf Omobolaji, Komolafe Emmanuel Feranmi, Babajide Adebisi Victor, Adamolekun Olamiji and Oshatimi Samuel Omoniyi.

In a related Nigerian development, the Oyo State Command of the Nigerian Police arrested and handed over two cybercrime suspects, Emiola Usman, and Kamorudeen Quayum, to the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, for further investigation.

Items recovered from the suspects include fifteen (15) exotic cars, sixteen (16) laptops, seventy-seven (77) mobile phones, and other incriminating documents, among others.

The suspects will be charged in Nigerian court as soon as the investigations are concluded.

PHOTO: Shows criminals arrested and cars seized

SCARS NOTE: The Nigerians typically only charge each criminal once – for a single victim – ignoring all of the other victims of these criminals. This is to simplify their own investigation, arraignment, and trial process. This neither brings justice for the victims nor makes the criminals account for the extreme pain and harm they have caused. The result is usually very short prison sentences or even community services since most are not viewed as serial criminals but just first-time offenders.

SCARS NOTE: Sadly all money and assets seized will be turned over to the Nigerian Treasury, and no money will be returned to victims. Also, sentences reflect the absence of victim participation in the sentencing process.

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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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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Organisations Telling Users To ‘Avoid Clicking Bad Links’ Still Isn’t Working

By David C., Technical Director for Platforms Research and Principal Architect – UK National Cyber Security Centre

A New Approach To Cyber Threats

Why Organisations Should Avoid ‘Blame And Fear’, And Instead Use Technical Measures To Manage The Threat From Phishing Links.

Organisations: If It’s Broken, Let’s Fix It

Let’s start with a basic premise: several of the established tenets in security simply don’t work.

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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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France Fights Back Against Influencers And Scams

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

Influencers Are Out Of Control & Scamming Millions

In response to a surge in online scams orchestrated by influencers, France has taken decisive action.

These influencers have exploited their followers, convincing them to part with their hard-earned savings for miracle cancer cures and other fraudulent products.

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This Fraudster Is No Dummy

By SCARS Editorial Team | Source São Paulo Police, Brazil

This Fraudster Figured Out How To Defeat The Bank’s Facial Recognition With A Cut Out Dummy!

To avoid facial recognition and apply for loans on mobile banking applications, a fraudster “taped photos of his victims’ faces onto a DUMMY,” according to police.

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INTERPOL Issues Global Warning On Human Trafficking-Fueled Fraud

By INTERPOL

The NEW Scheme, Where Victims Are Trafficked To Work In Online Scam Centres, Has Shifted From A Regional Crime Trend To A Global Threat.

INTERPOL HQ SINGAPORE: For the past several years, INTERPOL has been closely observing a growing crime phenomenon: large-scale human trafficking where victims are lured through fake job ads to online scam centres and forced to commit cyber-enabled financial crime on an industrial scale.

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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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Busting a Billion Dollar British Scammer Cartel [VIDEO]

Part 1 & 2 | 7NEWS Spotlight Documentary

By Australia’s 7NEWS

In the most explosive investigation of the year, 7NEWS Spotlight’s award-winning broadcaster Liam Bartlett busts open a billion-dollar British scammer crime cartel that is fleecing Australians of more than $4 million each and every week.

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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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Romance Scammers’ Favorite Lies Exposed

By Emma Fletcher – U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Scammers Are Liers! We All Know This!

Romance scammers are especially expert at crafting stories to lure and hold their victims

Romance scammers tell all sorts of lies to steal your heart and money, and reports to the FTC show those lies are working. Last year’s romance scam numbers looked a lot like 2021 all over again, and it’s not a pretty picture. In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam and reported losses hit a staggering $1.3 billion.[1] The median reported loss: $4,400.[2]

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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.

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The Cost Of Global Cybercrime

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

Cybercrime is Costing Every Person on this Planet $750 per Year!

CONSIDER: Global Cybercrime Is Above USD$6 Trillion Dollars Per Year Now!

That Is $6 Trillion Dollars A Year in costs just from cybercrime! It Will Soon Pass $8 Trillion (According To Some Estimates).

Cybercrime is costing more than the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 8 of the top 10 economies in the world!

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