Online romance scams and victimhood
Principal Category: Victimology
Authors: Tom Sorel, Monica T. Whitty
Date: September 2019 Security Journal 32(3)
DOI LINK: 10.1057/s41284-019-00166-w
LICENSE: N/A
Source: Online romance scams and victimhood | Request PDF (researchgate.net)
Abstract:
Online romance scams defraud dating website users of large amounts of money and inflict serious psychological harm. Victims of these scams often blame themselves for their losses and are blamed by others. We consider whether victims actually do share responsibility with the scammer for their losses. Three sorts of cases are particularly relevant: (i) where there are relatively many abortive meetings and even more fruitless money transfers in a single scam; (ii) where someone is a repeat scam victim; and (iii) where the victim has been warned by authorities that they are currently a victim of a scam and pay anyway. We argue that responsibility sometimes is shared, but that losses can be out of proportion to imprudence. Scam victims sometimes violate epistemic norms, but in ways that are peculiar to romantic attachment. The paper combines the methods of qualitative psychological research on scam victims and analytic philosophy (Research for this paper was supported by Grant EP/N028112/1 from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).
Article Text Available Upon Request From Author or Journal
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IMPORTANT NOTE: This article is intended to be an introductory overview of complex psychological, neurological, physiological, or other concepts, written primarily to help victims of crime understand the wide-ranging actual or potential effects of psychological trauma they may be experiencing. The goal is to provide clarity and validation for the confusing and often overwhelming symptoms that can follow a traumatic event. It is critical to understand that this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing distress or believe you are suffering from trauma or its effects, it is essential to consult with a qualified mental health professional for personalized care and support.
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Welcome to the SCARS INSTITUTE Journal of Scam Psychology & Recoverology®
A Journal of Applied Scam, Fraud, and Cybercrime Psychology/Recoverology – and Allied Sciences
A dedicated site for psychology, psychotraumatology, thanotology, recoverology, victimology, criminology, applied sociology and anthropology, and allied sciences, published by the SCARS INSTITUTE™ – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
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A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
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.
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 to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to 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
