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
Cognitive Dysfunction & Impairment Insight in Traumatized Scam Victims – 2026
Cognitive Dysfunction & Impairment Insight in Traumatized Scam Victims A New Insight For Scam Victims & Professionals Principal Category: Psychological Trauma / Psychology / Neurology / Recoverology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
Integrated IFS Approach to Scam Victim Betrayal Trauma Therapy – 2026
Integrated IFS Approach to Scam Victim Betrayal Trauma Therapy Understanding an IFS-Based Integrated Trauma Treatment Framework for Scam Victims - How IFS, EMDR, CBT, Polyvagal Theory, and Attachment-Based Therapy Can Work Together Principal Category: Recovery Psychology / Recoverology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Read More ...
AI Chatbots vs. Human Peers – Do People Prefer Chatbots Over Humans In Recovery? – 2026
AI Chatbots vs. Human Peers - Do People Prefer Chatbots Over Humans In Recovery? Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology / Recoverology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Based on a study by Read More ...
Scam Victim Voice-Based Stress Analyzer
[raw] Voice Stress Pattern Analysis — SCARS Institute Voice Stress Pattern Analysis SCARS Institute · Self-Reflection Tool · Audio stays on your device Before You Begin — Your Privacy Audio never leaves your device All recording and analysis happens entirely in your browser. No audio is uploaded, transmitted, or saved Read More ...
Deep Brain Reorienting Therapy and Brainstem Trauma: A Recoverology Perspective for Scam Victims – 2026
Deep Brain Reorienting Therapy and Brainstem Trauma A Recoverology Perspective for Scam Victims' Recovery Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology / Neurology / Recoverology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
Anti-Memetic Effects and Challenges Recent Traumatized Scam Victims Face – 2026
Anti-Memetic Effects and Challenges Recent Traumatized Scam Victims Face When Truth Does Not Stick: Anti-Memetic Effects in Scam Victim Recovery Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology / Recoverology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Read More ...
Hysteria as a Trauma Response in Scam Victims – 2026
Hysteria as a Trauma Response in Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Trauma / Psychotraumatology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract Severe emotional episodes following scams Read More ...
A Self-Help Tool – Helping Scam Victims Arrive At Their Own Truth – 2026
Helping Scam Victims Arrive At Their Own Truth A Self-Help Tool Principal Category: Recoverology 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. Read More ...
Psychology Articles
SCARS Institute: Trust Impairment and Social Reconnection Self-Assessment Test for Scam Victims – v2
[raw] Trust Impairment and Social Reconnection Self-Assessment for Scam Victims Rebuilding Trust and Connection · 20 Questions across 5 Areas Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identityYour responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about you. De-identified data supports researchWith Read More ...
SCARS Institute: Hypervigilance and Threat Perception Self-Assessment for Scam Victims – v2
[raw] Hypervigilance and Threat Perception Self-Assessment for Scam Victims Staying on Alert · 20 Questions across 5 Areas Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identityYour responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about you. De-identified data supports researchWith your permission Read More ...
SCARS Institute: Paranoia Self-Assessment Test – v2
[raw] Paranoia Self-Assessment for Scam Victims Suspicion and Mistrust · 20 Questions across 5 Areas Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identityYour responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about you. De-identified data supports researchWith your permission and your identity Read More ...
The Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders – UP – 2026
The Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders A Psychological Treatment Approach That Traumatized Scam Victims Can Discuss With Their Therapists Principal Category: Psychological Therapy / Manual of Scam Psychology Authors: • Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist, Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Read More ...
The Disappearing Scam Victim Recovery Seeker – A SCARS Institute Research Paper- 2026
The Disappearing Scam Victim Recovery Seeker Why Increasing Fraud Victimization Is Not Producing Corresponding Growth in Specialized Recovery Support A SCARS Institute Research Paper: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17043.85288 Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
When There Is No Single Event – Recursive Psychological Injury, Self-Generated Stress, and the Possibility of Self-Perpetuating Trauma-Like States – White Paper – 2026
When There Is No Single Event Recursive Psychological Injury, Self-Generated Stress, and the Possibility of Self-Perpetuating Trauma-Like States Principal Category: Psychological Research - White Paper Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
Conducting a Support Call – Distraction as a Transitional Tool in Scam Victim Support Calls – 2026
Conducting a Support Call Distraction as a Transitional Tool in Scam Victim Support Calls Principal Category: Scam Victim Support Psychology / Recoverology Authors: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract Read More ...
Post-Scam Attachment-Revulsion Conflict – An Interpretive Model of Persistent Fixation Following Relationship Scam Victimization – SCARS Institute Research – 2026
Post-Scam Attachment-Revulsion Conflict An Interpretive Model of Persistent Fixation Following Relationship Scam Victimization Principal Category: SCARS Institute Research 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 Read More ...
