
The Fallacy of Fallacies & Living in the Real World – Error in Reasoning that Makes an Opinion Seem Valid
Living in the Real World – The Hidden Traps of Thinking: How Fallacies Distort Opinions, Arguments, and Reality
Primary Category: Scam Victim Psychology // Living in Reality
Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth – Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
About This Article
A fallacy is not just a mistake in reasoning; it is often a trap your mind sets to avoid emotional discomfort after trauma. Scam victims frequently adopt fallacies during recovery because these errors in thinking create temporary relief from pain, shame, or confusion. However, when you allow fallacies to go unchecked, they distort your perception of reality and keep you vulnerable to future manipulation. Learning to recognize fallacies protects you from repeating the same mental shortcuts that left you exposed to scammers in the first place. It helps you move from emotional reaction to clear observation, from confusion to clarity, and from denial to real growth. Fallacies do not just affect arguments with others; they affect how you talk to yourself. By learning to spot them, you build a defense system based on truth, not avoidance. This is how you create real safety and long-term resilience.
Note: This article is intended for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. If you are experiencing distress, please consult a qualified mental health professional.

Living in the Real World – The Hidden Traps of Thinking: How Fallacies Distort Opinions, Arguments, and Reality
Author’s Note
Most scam victims move through recovery in phases. In the beginning, you focus on survival. You work through shock, grief, and humiliation. You learn to breathe again after the betrayal. Over time, your mind starts to settle. You feel more stable. Life begins to look normal again. That is when a subtle danger appears, the risk of forgetting how you became vulnerable in the first place.
As more time passes, many victims rewrite parts of their story to feel safer. You may tell yourself, That could never happen to me again because I am smarter now. You may decide, Only foolish people fall for scams. These thoughts are natural because your brain wants to create a sense of control. You want to believe that the world is simple, safe, and predictable. Unfortunately, these ideas are not always true. They become defense mechanisms, but they do not protect you. They actually do the opposite. They open the door to future risk by distorting your perception of reality.
Understanding fallacies and cognitive biases is essential for staying grounded in the real world. When you recognize the ways your mind can trick you, you stay alert. You keep your thinking flexible. You avoid falling into traps like false confidence, magical thinking, or wishful narratives. This skill is not just for scam recovery. It is for life itself.
Living in the real world requires awareness of how human thinking works and how it fails. Fallacies are not just mistakes other people make. They are mistakes you are capable of making, too. By learning to identify these patterns, you build a defense system based on clarity, not denial. You give yourself the tools to navigate life with both caution and courage. This mindset does not make you paranoid. It makes you prepared. It allows you to move forward with open eyes, grounded in truth rather than illusion.
Learn more about Fallacies here: https://scampsychology.org/scars-manual-of-logical-fallacies-2024/ and Cognitive Bases here: https://scampsychology.org/scars-manual-of-cognitive-biases-2024/
Tim McGuinness, Ph.D.
What is a Fallacy?
When you hear the word fallacy, you might think of complicated academic debates or formal logic classes. In reality, fallacies show up in everyday life much more often than you realize. They appear in casual conversations, social media posts, news stories, political speeches, advertisements, and personal relationships. Understanding fallacies is not just for philosophers or lawyers. It is for anyone who wants to think clearly, protect themselves from manipulation, and make better decisions.
A fallacy is an error in reasoning. It creates the illusion of a solid argument when the reasoning is actually flawed. Fallacies can sound persuasive, which is why they are so common. They are often used to win arguments rather than to find the truth. Sometimes people use fallacies intentionally to mislead others. Sometimes they use them by accident because they do not understand the logical mistake they are making. Either way, the result is the same. Fallacies weaken communication, distort facts, and cause confusion.
Scam victims encounter fallacies all the time. Scammers rely on faulty reasoning to control their targets. They use emotional appeals, false dilemmas, and misleading claims to break down your defenses. Friends and family sometimes use fallacies when blaming the victim instead of supporting recovery. Even your own inner dialogue can become filled with fallacious thinking after trauma, leading to shame and self-blame. Recognizing fallacies gives you the power to see through deception, both from others and from your own mind.
Learning about fallacies is like learning to spot landmines in a conversation. Once you know what they are and how they work, you stop falling into traps. You can listen more carefully, ask better questions, and protect yourself from manipulation. Fallacies do not just belong in textbooks. They belong in real life, where understanding them can help you reclaim clarity, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Formal Fallacies: Errors in the Structure of Arguments
Formal fallacies are mistakes in the structure of an argument. They are not about the topic or content of what you are saying. They are about how the reasoning is put together. When the structure is flawed, the argument collapses, even if the individual statements sound correct. Scam victims and everyday people alike fall into formal fallacies without realizing it. When you learn to spot these mistakes, you protect yourself from being misled by bad reasoning. Here are three of the most common formal fallacies.
Affirming the Consequent
Affirming the consequent happens when you confuse cause and effect. You take a true statement and misuse it to make an incorrect conclusion. The mistake comes from assuming that if one thing causes another, then seeing the effect must mean the cause happened. This is not always true.
For example, If it rained, the street is wet. That statement is reasonable. Rain usually makes streets wet. However, if you then say, The street is wet. Therefore, it rained; you are committing the fallacy of affirming the consequent. The street could be wet for other reasons. Maybe someone washed their car. Maybe a water main broke. You cannot assume rain just because you see wet pavement.
This fallacy happens in scam recovery when you think, If I were smart, I would not have been scammed. I got scammed. Therefore, I must not be smart. That is incorrect reasoning. Smart people get scammed all the time because scams do not target intelligence. They target trust, emotion, and human vulnerability. Affirming the consequent leads you to shame yourself when you should be focusing on recovery and learning.
Denying the Antecedent
Denying the antecedent is another structural error. This happens when you believe that if a cause is not present, the effect cannot happen. You take the absence of one condition and incorrectly assume it means the outcome is impossible.
For example, If it rained, the street is wet. That is usually true. But if you then say, It did not rain. Therefore, the street is not wet, you are making a mistake. The street could still be wet from other causes. Sprinklers, spilled water, or street cleaning machines could all leave the pavement wet without any rain.
Scam victims sometimes fall into this trap in thinking patterns like, If I had followed my instincts, I would not have been scammed. I ignored my instincts. Therefore, I deserved what happened. That is faulty reasoning. Trauma often disables your ability to act on instinct. Scammers manipulate emotions to override your natural defenses. Denying the antecedent keeps you stuck in guilt and blame rather than moving forward with healing and growth.
Undistributed Middle
The undistributed middle fallacy happens when you assume that if two things share a common category, they must be the same thing. This is a mistake in categorical reasoning. It confuses shared traits with identical identity.
For example, All cats are mammals. All dogs are mammals. Therefore, all cats are dogs. That is obviously false. Both animals belong to the same broad category of mammals, but that does not make them the same species. The connection between the groups is incomplete and does not justify the conclusion.
In scam victim experiences, this fallacy can show up in thoughts like, All people who get scammed are vulnerable. I was scammed. Therefore, I must be weak and foolish. That is a misunderstanding of vulnerability. Scam victims share some emotional circumstances during the scam, but that does not define who you are as a person. The shared category of victimhood does not erase your strengths, intelligence, or resilience. The undistributed middle fallacy keeps you locked in false assumptions about your identity. Learning to spot this mistake helps you separate the event from your character.
Informal Fallacies: When Content Replaces Logic
Informal fallacies happen when the structure of an argument is correct, but the content misleads you. These fallacies are tricky because they often sound convincing. They rely on emotional manipulation, distractions, or social pressure rather than logical reasoning. If you do not learn to recognize these patterns, you can be persuaded to believe something that is not true or make decisions that harm you. Informal fallacies appear in scams, media, and everyday conversations. Understanding them protects you from being influenced by arguments that feel right but are logically wrong.
Ad Hominem (To the Person)
The ad hominem fallacy happens when someone attacks the person making an argument instead of addressing the argument itself. This shifts the focus from the issue to the individual, often by questioning their character, motives, or lifestyle. It does not actually address whether their point is valid.
For example, someone might say, You cannot trust anything Sarah says about climate change because she eats environmentally unfriendly food. That statement does not respond to Sarah’s claims or evidence. It attacks her personal behavior. Even if Sarah does eat food that harms the environment, her argument about climate change could still be valid. Her personal habits are irrelevant to the scientific facts.
Scam victims often encounter this fallacy when others say things like, You cannot trust her story about the scam because she is too emotional. This ignores the actual experience and shifts the focus to the victim’s emotional state. Learning to spot ad hominem attacks helps you stay focused on facts and reason, not personal attacks or distractions.
Tu Quoque (You Too)
Tu quoque, or the you too fallacy, happens when someone deflects criticism by accusing the other person of being guilty of the same thing. Instead of addressing the issue, they point out hypocrisy to avoid accountability. This shifts the conversation away from the original point and leads to circular arguments.
For example, if someone says, You should not cheat on your taxes, and you reply, Well, you have cheated before, you are using tu quoque. Whether the other person cheated is irrelevant to whether cheating is wrong. Two wrongs do not cancel each other out.
Scam victims may hear this fallacy from people defending scammers. Some might say, Everyone scams someone sometimes, even governments. This argument avoids dealing with the specific harm caused by scammers. It deflects criticism by pointing fingers at others. Recognizing this fallacy helps you keep the conversation focused on accountability and ethics, not past behavior or unrelated actions.
Appeal to Popularity (Ad Populum/Bandwagon)
The appeal to popularity, also known as ad populum or the bandwagon fallacy, happens when someone claims that something is true or good simply because many people believe it or do it. Popularity does not make an idea correct. This fallacy plays on your natural desire to belong or fit in with the majority.
For example, Everyone else is buying this product, so it must be the best. That is a marketing tactic, not a logical argument. The popularity of a product says nothing about its quality or effectiveness. Sometimes popular things are harmful or useless.
In the world of scams, fraudsters use this fallacy when they say, Thousands of people have invested in this program, so it must be legitimate. That is not proof of safety. Scams often recruit victims by pretending to be part of a popular trend. Recognizing this fallacy helps you think independently and avoid herd mentality.
Appeal to Emotion
The appeal to emotion fallacy tries to win an argument by manipulating feelings rather than presenting facts. Emotions like fear, pity, pride, or anger are used to cloud judgment and bypass critical thinking. This is a common tactic in scams, political speeches, and sales pitches.
For example, You should vote for me because I care so much about everyone. Caring is important, but it is not a substitute for qualifications or policies. The argument appeals to feelings instead of presenting logical reasons for why someone deserves your vote.
Scammers often use this tactic by saying, If you love me, you will send me money. That is not a logical argument for sending funds. It is emotional blackmail. Recognizing the appeal to emotion helps you stay grounded in facts and avoid decisions based only on how something makes you feel in the moment.
Red Herring
A red herring is a distraction. It introduces irrelevant information to pull attention away from the actual issue. This fallacy is used to confuse, mislead, or derail a conversation. It often feels related but takes the discussion in a new, unrelated direction.
For example, I know I missed the deadline, but think of how hard I have been working. That may be true, but the issue is the missed deadline, not the effort involved. The red herring shifts focus from the problem to something emotionally sympathetic.
In scam recovery, red herrings appear when people say things like, Well, other people lose more money than you did. That distracts from the fact that you were harmed and deserve support. Recognizing red herrings helps you stay focused on the core issue instead of getting sidetracked by irrelevant points.
Appeal to Pity (Ad Misericordiam)
The appeal to pity, or ad misericordiam, happens when someone tries to win an argument by making you feel sorry for them. It shifts the focus from facts or logic to sympathy. While compassion is important, it cannot replace evidence or reasoning.
For example, I deserve an extension on my paper because my dog ran away and I am upset. That is a sad situation, but it does not logically justify extending a deadline. The argument appeals to emotions instead of addressing academic expectations.
Scam victims may see this tactic in fraud schemes. Scammers often tell heartbreaking stories to get victims to send money. They rely on your empathy rather than presenting a truthful need. Learning to spot this fallacy helps you balance compassion with critical thinking, so you can respond kindly without being manipulated.
Appeal to Authority (Ad Verecundiam)
The appeal to authority happens when you use someone’s opinion as proof, even if that person is not qualified to speak on the subject. This fallacy plays on your respect for authority figures, but it confuses expertise in one area with expertise in another. Just because someone is famous, powerful, or respected does not mean their opinion is automatically valid in every field.
For example, My favorite actor says this new diet pill works, so it must be good. The actor might be talented on screen, but that does not make them a nutrition expert. Their endorsement is not scientific evidence.
This also applies to scam victims that run anti-scam groups. They were a victim, so they must know everything about scams, scammers, and victim recovery! False.
Scam victims often fall into this trap when a scammer claims that a celebrity or public figure supports their product or investment. Fraudsters use fake endorsements to create false credibility. You can protect yourself by asking, Is this person actually an expert in this field? If not, their opinion is irrelevant.
Genetic Fallacy
The genetic fallacy happens when you judge something as true or false based only on its origin. You dismiss or accept an argument because of where it came from, not because of its actual content. This leads to biased thinking and ignores the quality of the argument itself.
For example, Their political views are wrong because they were raised in a conservative household. That statement focuses on the person’s background, not the reasoning behind their beliefs. The source of an idea does not determine whether it is valid or false.
Scam victims sometimes encounter this fallacy when they hear statements like, All investments from overseas are scams. That ignores the fact that legitimate opportunities also come from global sources. You need to evaluate each claim based on facts and evidence, not its origin. Always separate the message from the messenger before deciding what to believe.
Hasty Generalization
A hasty generalization happens when you draw a broad conclusion from a small or unrepresentative sample. You assume that because something happened once or twice, it must be true for all similar situations. This fallacy leads to unfair judgments and distorted thinking.
For example, My two friends got sick after eating there, so that restaurant is dangerous. That conclusion ignores the possibility of coincidence or unrelated factors. It takes limited information and treats it as proof of a universal truth.
Scam victims often make hasty generalizations about recovery, thinking, I tried to report my scam once, and no one helped me. Therefore, no one ever helps scam victims. That belief may prevent you from seeking new support options. To avoid this fallacy, gather more information before making conclusions. Look for patterns over time, not just isolated incidents.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (False Cause)
Post hoc ergo propter hoc means after this, therefore because of this. This fallacy assumes that just because one event follows another, the first event must have caused the second. It confuses correlation with causation.
For example, I wore my lucky socks, and then my team won. Therefore, my socks caused the win. The timing might match, but there is no actual connection between the socks and the game outcome.
Scam victims might believe, I got scammed right after I joined an online group, so that group caused the scam. While it is possible there was a link, timing alone is not enough to prove cause and effect. You need to investigate the real factors involved. Avoid assuming that one event automatically leads to another just because they happen in sequence.
False Dichotomy (False Dilemma)
A false dichotomy, also called a false dilemma, presents only two options when more possibilities exist. This fallacy forces you into an either-or decision, even though the real world usually offers multiple choices. It simplifies complex issues into black and white thinking.
For example, You are either with us or against us. This ignores neutral positions, alternative solutions, or nuanced views. Life is rarely that simple.
Scam victims may hear this in statements like, Either you trust me completely, or you do not love me. This manipulative tactic limits your choices and pressures you into compliance. Recognizing false dilemmas allows you to think critically. You can remind yourself that most situations have middle ground or additional options beyond the extremes.
Begging the Question
Begging the question happens when you use your conclusion as part of your argument. This leads to circular reasoning, where the proof and the claim are the same. The argument goes in a loop without actually providing evidence.
For example, Reading is beneficial because it is good for you. That sentence sounds meaningful but does not explain why reading is good for you. It repeats the claim in different words without offering proof.
Scam victims may fall into this pattern when they think, I sent the money because I trusted them, and I trusted them because I sent the money. This circular logic keeps you trapped in confusion. To break the cycle, ask for real reasons and evidence, not statements that simply restate the conclusion. Look for facts that support the claim, not just repetition of the idea.
Amphiboly
Amphiboly happens when someone uses ambiguous sentence structure to create confusion or mislead. The words are correct, but the grammar or phrasing allows multiple interpretations. This creates misunderstandings or intentional deception.
For example, Flying planes can be dangerous. Does this mean that piloting a plane is dangerous, or that planes flying overhead are dangerous? The sentence is unclear because of its structure, not its words.
Scammers sometimes use amphiboly in contracts or messages. They might write, You will receive all associated benefits. Without clear definitions, you do not know what benefits that includes. To avoid this trap, ask for clarification whenever statements seem vague. Make sure you understand exactly what is meant before agreeing to anything.
False Equivalence
False equivalence treats two very different things as if they are the same. It creates a misleading comparison by ignoring important differences in context, scale, or consequence. This fallacy makes it easier to justify harmful behavior or minimize serious issues.
For example, Failing to recycle is just as bad as committing theft. That statement treats environmental negligence and criminal theft as equal, even though the actions and impacts are very different.
Scam victims sometimes hear, Everyone lies sometimes, so scams are not that serious. This false equivalence downplays the damage caused by fraud. It compares minor everyday lies to financial or emotional exploitation, which are not the same. You need to evaluate situations based on their actual details, not surface-level similarities. Be careful of arguments that try to flatten complex issues into simple comparisons.
Black-or-White Fallacy (Either/Or)
The black-or-white fallacy is similar to the false dichotomy, but it specifically forces you into two extreme positions. It ignores all other options, leaving no room for compromise or complexity. This fallacy pressures you to choose sides, often in emotionally charged situations.
For example, You must either love this country or leave it. That ignores the possibility of loving your country while still wanting to improve it or criticize its flaws. It turns a complex emotional relationship into a forced decision.
Scam victims may hear, You either forgive yourself completely, or you stay broken forever. This ignores the reality that healing is a process. You can forgive in stages, learn from mistakes, and grow over time. Recognizing the black-or-white fallacy helps you avoid oversimplified thinking. Most of life exists in shades of gray, not just extremes.
Fallacies Can Become Psychological Defense Mechanisms
Fallacies can also function as psychological defense mechanisms. Many people, including scam victims in recovery, unconsciously use fallacious reasoning to protect themselves from painful emotions, fear, or uncertainty. The human mind is not always wired for truth. It is often wired for comfort, safety, and self-preservation. Fallacies can provide temporary relief from distressing thoughts, but they can also create long-term distortions in thinking.
How Fallacies Become Defense Mechanisms
When you experience trauma—especially betrayal trauma from a scam—your mind looks for ways to restore a sense of control. You may adopt certain fallacies to create emotional shortcuts that feel safer than facing the full complexity of what happened. Here are some common examples:
Black-or-White Fallacy (Either/Or Thinking)
You might tell yourself, Either I am smart, or I am stupid. Since I am smart, this scam could not have happened the way I think it did. This type of thinking helps you avoid ambiguity. It gives you a simple answer when the truth is more complicated. In reality, intelligent people can and do fall for scams because of emotional manipulation, not because of a lack of intelligence.
Ad Hominem (Attacking the Person)
You may cope with your pain by vilifying the scammer as inhuman or monstrous, thinking, Only a monster would do this, so I do not need to think about how it happened. While the scammer’s actions were harmful, this reasoning can prevent you from examining the actual tactics used, leaving you vulnerable to new manipulations from different sources.
False Cause (Post Hoc)
You might believe: I was scammed because I joined that website. If I never use that site again, I will be safe forever. This oversimplifies the cause of the scam and ignores the emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities that led to the manipulation. It creates a false sense of security.
Appeal to Emotion
After trauma, you might cling to beliefs that feel emotionally comforting, even if they are not true. You may think, I deserve a break from thinking about this because it hurts too much, and use that to justify ignoring warning signs or avoiding learning about scams.
False Equivalence
You might compare your scam experience to unrelated life events to minimize the pain. You may tell yourself, Everyone makes mistakes. This is no different from buying something and regretting it later. This reduces emotional distress in the short term but prevents deeper healing.
Why This Matters in Scam Recovery
When you use fallacies as defense mechanisms, they often serve a temporary purpose. They protect you from emotional overload during the early stages of recovery. They give your mind a break from overwhelming thoughts like, How did I let this happen? or What does this say about me? In the short term, this can feel helpful. It keeps you from spiraling into despair. However, if you keep using fallacies for too long, they block your ability to think critically about what really happened. They prevent you from asking the deeper questions that are necessary for full recovery.
Avoiding honest analysis leaves you stuck in surface-level recovery. You might feel better temporarily, but you do not build the skills to protect yourself from future exploitation. Scam trauma is not just about financial loss. It is about betrayal, manipulation, and emotional targeting. If you avoid looking at how the manipulation worked, you stay vulnerable. Scammers and other predators often rely on repeated patterns. If you do not recognize these patterns, you risk falling for them again, whether from another scammer, a toxic relationship, or a manipulative friend or colleague.
Learning to recognize your own fallacies helps you stay grounded in reality. It teaches you to balance emotional healing with intellectual honesty. You do not have to punish yourself for past mistakes, but you do need to understand them clearly. This is how you build long-term safety, not just temporary relief.
The Path to Healthy Thinking
Learning to recognize fallacies in your own thinking is not about shaming yourself. It is not about pointing fingers or labeling yourself as foolish. It is about building resilience through honest reflection. Scam trauma puts your mind into survival mode. You may find yourself grasping at any thought or belief that makes you feel safer or less ashamed. That is a natural human response. However, if you stay in that state, you create mental shortcuts that distort reality. These shortcuts feel protective in the moment, but they build walls around your thinking. Over time, those walls can trap you.
You can still protect yourself emotionally without distorting the truth. Emotional pain is real, and you have every right to acknowledge it. You can say, This hurts, but I need to understand how it happened. That is very different from saying, It was not my fault because only stupid people get scammed, or This will never happen again because I will never trust anyone ever again. Those are fallacies, not solutions. They are defense mechanisms that temporarily shield you from pain but ultimately block your growth.
When you combine emotional healing with critical thinking, you create real safety. You stop relying on blind optimism or total cynicism. You learn to assess risk without becoming paranoid. You learn to trust people again without becoming naive. You become someone who is not only recovering from trauma but also learning how to navigate life with clear eyes and steady judgment. This is not easy work. It requires practice and courage. However, it is necessary if you want to live in the real world rather than stay trapped in a protective illusion.
Many scam victims focus only on emotional healing. They work on grief, shame, or betrayal trauma. That is an important part of the process, but it is not the whole picture. Emotional recovery without intellectual clarity leaves gaps in your defenses. You might heal emotionally but remain vulnerable to future manipulation if you do not also learn how your thinking patterns failed you during the scam. Scam artists do not just exploit your kindness. They exploit cognitive shortcuts and logical blind spots. Understanding fallacies helps you close those gaps.
Learning about fallacies is not about winning arguments. It is about defending your mind from self-deception. It teaches you to pause before believing a comforting lie or rejecting an uncomfortable truth. For scam victims, this skill becomes part of long-term recovery. It gives you tools to question assumptions, evaluate new situations with care, and avoid falling into emotional traps again.
Personal empowerment comes from balancing heart and mind. You heal emotionally, but you also sharpen your thinking. You become someone who can feel pain without letting it cloud your judgment. That is what real recovery looks like. It is not just about moving past the scam. It is about becoming wiser, stronger, and more capable of protecting yourself in the future.
Conclusion
Building Mental Clarity for a Safer Future
Learning to identify fallacies is one of the most important steps you can take in scam recovery. It teaches you how to guard your mind, not just your emotions. Scam trauma leaves you vulnerable to false narratives, both from other people and from your own thoughts. If you do not understand how fallacies work, you risk living inside a mental trap that feels safe but actually keeps you exposed to future harm.
Recovery is about more than emotional relief. It is about learning how your mind operates under stress, fear, and betrayal. When you understand fallacies, you learn how to step back from distorted thinking. You stop believing in black-and-white stories that oversimplify complex experiences. You learn to see manipulation clearly, whether it comes from a scammer, a social group, or your own defense mechanisms.
Living in the real world requires clarity, not comfort-driven illusions. That is why critical thinking is essential for long-term recovery. By recognizing fallacies, you build the ability to see through deception, avoid future scams, and protect your own decision-making. This is not just about scams. It is about creating a life based on awareness, personal growth, and grounded wisdom. That is how you move from being a victim to becoming someone who lives with strength, confidence, and emotional resilience.
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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.
More ScamsNOW.com Articles
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.
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