The Keres and Cybercriminals: An Essay on the New Monsters in Our World

Keres: Ancient Harbingers of Death Meet Modern Digital Predators (Hackers, Fraudsters, and Scammers)

Primary Category: Philosophy of Scams

Intended Audience: Scam Victims-Survivors / Family & Friends / General Public / Others

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

About This Article

The Keres of Greek mythology were dark-winged spirits who sought out the wounded on ancient battlefields, delivering violent, dishonorable death with ruthless precision. Today, their legacy lives on in cybercriminals, scammers, and digital predators who operate in secrecy and prey on vulnerability. Just like the Keres, modern attackers do not strike the strong—they target the grieving, the lonely, and the emotionally exposed. Both figures move invisibly, strike without warning, and leave ruin in their wake. Understanding this parallel reframes cybercrime not as random misfortune, but as a modern version of an ancient pattern. By studying how the Keres behaved and how ancient cultures resisted them, you can begin to see that awareness, education, and open dialogue are your defenses. The scammer, like the Keres, feeds on shame and silence. When you speak, learn, and prepare, you deny them their power—and reclaim your own.

The Keres and Cybercriminals: Ancient Harbingers of Death Meet Modern Digital Predators (Hackers, Fraudsters, and Scammers)

Dark Forces Across Time

In Greek mythology, the Keres were winged female spirits who hovered over battlefields, seeking the wounded and the dying. They were not gods of fate or death in a gentle sense. They were bringers of bloodshed, embodiments of violent endings, and scavengers of human vulnerability. In the modern world, this same archetypal role is played by cybercriminals and digital predators. They move invisibly, wait for weakness, and inflict ruin—not with a blade, but with a keystroke. Though separated by thousands of years, the Keres and cybercriminals reflect a timeless truth: evil often works in silence and feeds on pain.

The Keres: Spirits of Violent Death

In ancient Greek belief, the Keres (singular: Ker) were daughters of Nyx, the primordial goddess of night. They were sisters to other fearsome entities like Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Eris (Strife), and the Moirai (Fates). Among this dark lineage, the Keres stood apart for their specific role: to seize those whose deaths were violent, sudden, or dishonorable.

They were frequently described as loathsome, dark-winged, clawed beings with insatiable thirst for blood. Homer depicts them as swarming above the carnage of war, each seeking to drag a soul to the underworld. They were said to rejoice in the agony of their victims and carry them off amid screams and blood. Unlike Thanatos, who brought peaceful death, the Keres thrived on horror.

In the Shield of Heracles, attributed to Hesiod, the Keres are etched into the image of a divine shield:
“And beside them stood Death and Destruction… gnashing their teeth, grim, gory, grim-eyed, terrible, who seize the wounded and the dying in war.”

The Keres were not worshipped. They had no temples or rituals in their honor. They were feared. They were reminders that not all endings are noble and not all fates are just. They were the embodiment of malicious timing and gruesome ends.

The Digital Battlefield – Cybercrime (Hackers, Scammers, and Fraudsters): Enter the Modern Keres

Today’s world lacks literal battlefields for most, but digital landscapes have become the new terrain of vulnerability and conflict. And in this space, modern versions of the Keres thrive—scammers, hackers, identity thieves, and online predators. They do not wear wings or carry blood-soaked claws. But like the Keres, they operate in the shadows. They wait for signs of weakness, emotional wounds, and isolation.

Cybercriminals, such as Hackers, Scammers, and Fraudsters, do not arrive with warnings. They appear during moments of grief, loneliness, confusion, or crisis. They send messages laced with empathy or opportunity. They mimic trusted voices. Like the Keres, they do not attack the strong directly. They circle until they detect vulnerability. Then they strike with precision.

A phishing scam, a fake romance, a crypto investment scam, a ransomware attack—all of these are digital echoes of the Keres’ role. They do not kill the body, but they attack the soul: reputation, stability, relationships, identity, and financial safety. They leave ruin behind.

Symbolic Parallels: The Keres and Today’s Cyber Deceivers

Both Operate Invisibly:
The Keres were rarely seen until it was too late. They moved among smoke and death, appearing only to those already marked. Similarly, cybercriminals exist in a hidden realm. Victims often don’t know they’ve been targeted until the damage is irreversible. The presence of the threat is invisible until the impact lands.

Both Exploit the Wounded:
The Keres did not choose healthy warriors. They chose the injured and vulnerable. They preyed on those already close to death. Today’s scammers seek out the emotionally vulnerable—the widowed, the lonely, the grieving, the anxious. They mirror your pain and offer counterfeit relief, all while setting the trap.

Both Are Ruthlessly Efficient:
The Keres did not speak. They did not negotiate. They dragged their victims to the underworld and disappeared. Cybercriminals, too, often vanish after the scam. They rarely face consequences. The damage is done swiftly, and what remains is silence and aftermath. In this respect, they are most like today’s cybercriminals.

Both Evoke Shame and Fear:
Victims of the Keres suffered in agony. There was no honor. Today’s victims of scams often feel similar psychological suffering and humiliation. You may wonder how you didn’t see it. You may isolate yourself, believing you let it happen. But both the Keres and cybercriminals thrive not on the stupidity of victims, but on the precision of their attacks.

The Keres as Archetype: Why This Comparison Matters

Seeing cybercriminals through the mythological lens of the Keres helps shift the conversation. It reminds you that what you are experiencing is not a modern fluke. It is part of a long history of predatory behavior, cloaked in new tools.

The Keres are more than monsters. They are symbols of how quickly safety can become danger, and how little time it takes for a moment of vulnerability to become a point of entry. In ancient stories, the Keres could not be reasoned with. But they could be avoided. Protective rituals were designed to keep them away, even if not always successfully. The same is true now. Scam prevention is your modern ritual. Awareness is your shield.

Modern Legends: Stories That Echo the Keres

Today’s news stories mirror ancient myth. Consider the widow who receives a message from a man claiming to be a U.S. soldier. He tells her she is special, chosen, deeply seen. She responds, longing for love and relief. Weeks later, her savings are gone. Her dignity is damaged. The man disappears. This is not random crime. This is myth in motion. The digital battlefield has its own Keres.

Or take the businessman who receives an urgent email from a supplier demanding payment. The language is familiar. The invoice looks real. He transfers the money. The supplier never sent it. A hacker intercepted the communication, waited patiently, and struck. This is the hand of a new Keres—silent, watching, precise.

Reclaiming Power from the Keres

In Greek stories, there is often no triumph over the Keres. But there is resistance. Warriors trained with awareness of the threat. They wore charms. They called on gods for protection. They learned how the Keres behaved and prepared accordingly. That is your task now.

You do not need to fear the modern Keres. But you must acknowledge them. Learn how scams work. Educate yourself and others. Speak openly about what happened. Use your story as a warning flame.

And most of all, remember that the Keres feed on shame and silence. Deny them that feast.

Conclusion: Old Patterns in New Forms

The Keres have not disappeared. They have evolved. Their wings are now lines of code. Their claws are fake profiles and synthetic voices. But their hunger is the same.

They are the dark mirror of vulnerability. They show us what happens when fear meets opportunity in the wrong hands. By recognizing the ancient pattern, you can step out of its path. You can prepare, protect, and recover.

You are not helpless. You are the modern warrior. And your battlefield is awareness.

Stay awake. Stay informed. Stay standing.

Because the Keres are always circling—but they do not get to win.

Reference

Who Were the Keres?

The Keres of Greek mythology can be powerfully compared to modern cybercriminals and hackers who operate in secrecy, prey on vulnerability, and leave devastation in their wake—often without being seen or known until after the damage is done. While their domains differ—mythic battlefields versus digital networks—their behaviors and roles overlap in key symbolic ways.

Silent Predators Waiting for Weakness

The Keres hovered invisibly over the battlefield, waiting for warriors to be wounded so they could swoop in and claim their souls. In a similar way, cybercriminals lurk in the shadows of digital infrastructure, waiting for signs of vulnerability—a weak password, outdated software, or a lonely message recipient. Neither attacks openly. Both wait for the right moment to strike when their target is weakest.

Personifications of Violent and Sudden Fate

The Keres didn’t bring natural death. They delivered brutal, unexpected ends. In today’s world, a single phishing email, ransomware attack, or romance scam can destroy a person’s financial security, emotional stability, or even identity. The digital blow is not physical, but it is often just as violent in its effect. Like the Keres, hackers and scammers cut lives off from what they once were, often with precision and cruelty.

Born of Darkness, Operating in Shadows

As daughters of Nyx (Night), the Keres were born of darkness and represented shadowy, hidden forces. Cybercriminals also exist in dark spaces: anonymous forums, encrypted channels, the dark web. They are faceless, often nameless. Victims don’t see them coming and usually don’t know them afterward. Like the Keres, these actors are inhuman in their invisibility and operate without empathy or accountability.

Feeding on Suffering

The Keres fed off blood and pain. They were described as reveling in the gore of the battlefield. Similarly, cybercriminals profit from suffering—whether by selling stolen data, draining accounts, or emotionally exploiting a victim’s loneliness. There’s a parasitic dimension to both. Neither builds anything. Both consume, dismantle, and disappear, leaving only trauma behind.

No Honor in the Kill

The ancient Greeks saw some death as noble—an end in battle, for example—but death by the Keres was not honored. It was seen as shameful, humiliating, or profane. Likewise, being scammed or attacked online often leaves victims feeling ashamed, violated, and erased. The perpetrator does not win through courage or strength but through manipulation, stealth, and exploitation.

Learn More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keres

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