Psychology Articles
SCARS Articles about Scam/Fraud/Cybercrime Psychology, Victimology, Criminology, and Sociology
Articles relation to the psychology of scams, the exploitation by criminals, and their function and impact in scam victims.
Featured Articles
Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Traumatized Scam Victim Psychology – 2025
Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Traumatized Scam Victim Psychology Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Systems Applies to Post-Traumatic Stress in Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychological Trauma & PTSD Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Read More ...
Duty and the Origin of Shame in Scam Victims – 2025
Duty and the Origin of Shame in Scam Victims The Evolutionary Duty to Defend: How Failure and Shame Are Hard-Wired into Human Psychology Principal Category: Recovery Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
Doubling – Scam Victim Psychology – 2025
Psychological Doubling A Phenomenon of the Mind in Most Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Psychological doubling is a defense mechanism in which a Read More ...
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) – Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) – Middle Cingulate Cortex (MCC) – Emotional Regulation Overview – 2025
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) - Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) - Middle Cingulate Cortex (MCC) - Emotional Regulation Overview Principal Category: Neurology Author: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Read More ...
Forer Effect – Cognitive Bias – 2025
Forer Effect Principal Category: Cognitive Bias Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth – Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract The Forer Effect highlights how easily individuals mistake vague generalizations for deeply personal insights. Named after psychologist Bertram Read More ...
Traumatic Event Centrality and Scam Victims – 2025
Trauma Event Centrality and Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Read More ...
The Big 5 Personality Traits and Scam Victims – 2025
The Big 5 Personality Traits and Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychology of Scams Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. Read More ...
Victimization Paradigm: Scam Victim Vulnerability – A White Paper – 2025
Victimization Paradigm: Scam Victim Vulnerability - A White Paper Principal Category: Victimology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract: This white paper introduces a comprehensive paradigm for understanding scam victim vulnerability, proposing a Read More ...
Psychology Articles
Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Traumatized Scam Victim Psychology – 2025
Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Traumatized Scam Victim Psychology Grain of Sand Theory in Complex Systems Applies to Post-Traumatic Stress in Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychological Trauma & PTSD Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Read More ...
Duty and the Origin of Shame in Scam Victims – 2025
Duty and the Origin of Shame in Scam Victims The Evolutionary Duty to Defend: How Failure and Shame Are Hard-Wired into Human Psychology Principal Category: Recovery Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
Doubling – Scam Victim Psychology – 2025
Psychological Doubling A Phenomenon of the Mind in Most Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Psychological doubling is a defense mechanism in which a Read More ...
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) – Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) – Middle Cingulate Cortex (MCC) – Emotional Regulation Overview – 2025
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) - Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) - Middle Cingulate Cortex (MCC) - Emotional Regulation Overview Principal Category: Neurology Author: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Read More ...
Forer Effect – Cognitive Bias – 2025
Forer Effect Principal Category: Cognitive Bias Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D., DFin, MCPO, MAnth – Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract The Forer Effect highlights how easily individuals mistake vague generalizations for deeply personal insights. Named after psychologist Bertram Read More ...
Traumatic Event Centrality and Scam Victims – 2025
Trauma Event Centrality and Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Read More ...
The Big 5 Personality Traits and Scam Victims – 2025
The Big 5 Personality Traits and Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychology of Scams Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. Read More ...
Victimization Paradigm: Scam Victim Vulnerability – A White Paper – 2025
Victimization Paradigm: Scam Victim Vulnerability - A White Paper Principal Category: Victimology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract: This white paper introduces a comprehensive paradigm for understanding scam victim vulnerability, proposing a Read More ...
