The Tragic Story Of Laura Kowal – A Romance Scam Victim Who Died Possibly At The Hands Of The Ghana/Nigerian Scammers – 2024 – [Videos]

The Tragic Story Of Laura Kowal

A Romance Scam Victim Who Died Possibly At The Hands Of The Ghana Scammers Who Controlled Here!

A Not Uncommon Case of a Romance Scam Victim Who loses Everything and then becomes a Money Mule for Ghana Scammers

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions CBS News and other sources

About This Article

Laura Kowal’s tragic story sheds light on the devastating impact of romance scams, where victims like her become enslaved by expert criminals, leading to dire consequences. Laura, a widow seeking companionship, fell victim to a scam orchestrated by individuals masquerading as her online lover, ‘Frank Borg.’

Despite initial feelings of romance and excitement, Laura eventually became a money mule for Ghana scammers, after ultimately losing $1.5 million.

Mysteriously, she was found drowned in a river, raising suspicions of foul play. Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, tirelessly seeks answers, highlighting the manipulative Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2024-04-29T04:51:32-04:00April 28th, 2024|Categories: • VICTIM'S STORY, 2024, Additional Authors, GHANA, NEWS, NIGERIA, SCARS Editorial Team, USA|Tags: Ghana Scammers, Laura Kowal, Money Mule, Nigerian Scammers, Relationship Scam, Romance Scam, Romance Scammer, Scam Victim, Scammers, Victim Who Died|

Indoctrination Of Scam Victims By Their Scammers? Yes! – 2024

Indoctrination Of Scam Victims By Their Scammers? Yes!

Indoctrination is often Poorly Understood, but Criminals use it extensively in conducting their Scams

Psychology of Scams

Authors:
• Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – 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.

About This Article

Scam victims often undergo a form of psychological indoctrination, a process of systematic manipulation aimed at shaping their beliefs and behaviors, though it’s not identical to traditional indoctrination methods. This manipulation occurs through various tactics such as control of information, social influence, emotional manipulation, and reinforcement, often within the context of a romantic relationship or financial scheme.

Scammers exploit victims’ vulnerabilities, instilling false beliefs like urgency, trust, loyalty, and more to perpetuate their scams. Gaslighting and negative indoctrination tactics further entrench victims, making them resistant to questioning Read More …

SCARS Editorial Team2024-04-19T01:03:29-04:00April 19th, 2024|Categories: Tim McGuinness PhD, • PSYCHOLOGY, 2024, ARTICLE, Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych)|Tags: Brainwashing, Indoctrinate, Indoctrination, Relationship Scams, Scam Victims, Scammers|

The Scam Victims Need To Feel Special And How Scammers Exploit This Vulnerability – 2024

The Scam Victims Need To Feel Special And How Scammers Exploit This Vulnerability

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

About This Article

In today’s online world, individuals seeking companionship often become susceptible to the deceptive tactics employed by relationship scammers. These scammers exploit their scam victims’ inherent desire to feel special and wanted by meticulously crafting personas designed to lure in and capture their targets.

Through careful grooming, scammers establish trust and dependency, creating an illusion of authenticity to conceal their true criminal intentions. The consequences for those ensnared in these schemes can be dire, leading to betrayal, heartbreak, and significant emotional trauma. Understanding this psychological vulnerability and others that make prospect scam victims susceptible to exploitation is paramount in combating these scams, enabling scam victims to both recover from these crimes but also to avoid future scams.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-02-29T17:00:08-05:00February 29th, 2024|Categories: • PSYCHOLOGY, • FOR SCAM VICTIMS, 2024, ARTICLE, Tim McGuinness PhD|Tags: Relationship Scams, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Scammers, Vulnerability|

Scam Victims Compliance With Scammer Authority Figures – 2024

Scam Victims Compliance With Scammer Authority Figures

Helping Scam Victims to Understand the Psychology of Scams

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

About This Article

The article provides an in-depth exploration of the psychological mechanisms that drive scam victims to comply with scammer impersonation of authority figures.

It examines how scammers exploit individuals’ innate tendency to respect and obey authority, leveraging this predisposition to manipulate victims into compliance. Factors such as fear of consequences, social conditioning, and deception contribute to victims’ susceptibility to fraudulent schemes.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-02-26T08:13:31-05:00February 26th, 2024|Categories: • PSYCHOLOGY, • FEATURED ARTICLE, 2024, ARTICLE, Tim McGuinness PhD|Tags: Authority Figures, Compliance, Psychological Dynamics, Psychology of Scams, Scam Victims, Scammers, Vulnerability|

Scammers Arrested In India Using A New Return Money Scam Tactic – 2024

Scammers Arrested In India Using A New Return Money Scam Tactic

A New Phone Scam Variation – Demanding the Return of Money Wrongly Sent

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

About This Article

In a recent cyber fraud case in India, a scammer devised a cunning scheme involving a fake hotel website, duping an unsuspecting accountant of Rs 49,500 under the guise of room booking charges. The arrest of the scammer, Zafar Khan, unveiled a sophisticated new scam approach granting scammers easy access to their targets’ mobile numbers.

Leveraging the ‘Friend Search Tool’ app, Khan identified potential victims and initiated phone contact under the pretense of returning mistakenly credited money.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-02-25T14:40:08-05:00February 25th, 2024|Categories: • MECHANICS OF SCAMS, 2024, ARTICLE, SCARS Editorial Team|Tags: How Scams Work, Phone Scams, Return Money Scam, Scammer Tactic, Scammers|

Magic & Relationship Scams – Both Involve Similar Manipulation & Control – 2023

Magic & Relationship Scams – Both Involve Similar Manipulation & Control

Lessons Learned From Magic In How Scammers Manipulate Scam Victims Into and During Relationship Scams

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

Just Like Scammers, Magic Relies On Significant Manipulation & Control

In fact, what we call magic today began in ancient history as methods to scam people from their wealth

Magic tricks and relationship scams may seem worlds apart, but both rely on intricate psychological manipulation techniques to achieve their ends.

While magic aims to entertain and amaze through illusion, relationship scams prey on emotions and trust, resulting in deceit and exploitation.

Let’s explore the parallels and differences in the manipulation techniques employed in both scenarios.

SCARS Editorial Team2023-12-24T00:51:46-05:00December 23rd, 2023|Categories: • PSYCHOLOGY, • FEATURED ARTICLE, 2023, ARTICLE, Tim McGuinness PhD|Tags: Control, Magic, Manipulation, Relationship Scams, Scam Victims, Scammers|