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.

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Behavioral Modification for Scam Victims to Overcome Cognitive Biases, Emotional Decision-Making, and Logical Fallacies
How to Guide: Behavioral Modification for Scam Victims to Overcome Biases, Emotional Decision-Making, and Logical Fallacies Principal Category: Behavior Modification Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Behavioral modification is a critical tool Read More ...
Cognitive Bias: Solution Aversion – Problem and Solutions Acknowledgment Avoidance – 2024
Cognitive Bias: Solution Aversion Problem and Solutions Acknowledgment Avoidance Principal Category: Cognitive Biases Authors: • Tim McGuinness, PhD DFin, MCPO, MAnth - Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Solution aversion is a psychological phenomenon where individuals resist or reject Read More ...
The Part of Trauma that can’t be Verbalized with Scam Victims – 2024
The Part of Trauma that can’t be Verbalized with Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychological Trauma Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Non-verbal trauma in scam victims refers to the deep, unarticulated aspects Read More ...
Trauma/PTSD Flashbacks and Traumatized Scam Victims – 2024
Trauma/PTSD Flashbacks and Traumatized Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychological Trauma Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Flashbacks are a distressing and challenging aspect of trauma recovery, particularly for scam victims who have Read More ...
Psychological Trauma & PTSD Hallucinations – 2024
Psychological Trauma & PTSD Hallucinations Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Trauma-induced hallucinations, particularly those linked to psychological stress and PTSD, are more common than often Read More ...
Key Steps in Managing Trauma – 2024
Key Steps in Managing Trauma - 2024 Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Managing trauma, especially after experiencing a scam, involves a series of key steps Read More ...
Are We There Yet? Scam Victims Mistake Relief for Being Cured of Their Trauma – 2024
Are We There Yet? Scam Victims Mistake Relief for Being Cured of Their Trauma Principal Category: Psychological Trauma 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 Read More ...
Developing Coping Strategies for Trauma Recovery for Scam Victims – 2024
Developing Coping Strategies for Trauma Recovery for Scam Victims Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Developing coping strategies for trauma recovery is essential for scam victims Read More ...
Psychology Articles
Neurology of Scams: Scam Victims’ Main Brain Regions Affected By Scams & Trauma – 2024
Scam Victims' Main Brain Regions Affected By Scams & Trauma Principal Category: Neurology of Scams Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Scams and trauma primarily affect several key parts of the brain, Read More ...
The Cause of Scam Victims’ Trauma: Losing the Belief – the Fantasy – the Delusions – 2024
The Cause of Scam Victims' Trauma: Losing the Belief - the Fantasy - the Delusions Principal Category: Psychological Trauma 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 Read More ...
The Onset of Psychological Trauma – 2024
The Onset of Psychological Trauma Principal Category: Psychological Trauma 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. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Read More ...
Understanding the Polyvagal Theory and How it Applies to Scam Victims – 2024
Understanding Polyvagal Theory and How it Applies to Scam Victims Principal Category: Psychological Trauma 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, Read More ...
The Connection Between Mental Health, Digestive Discomfort, and Trauma from Scams
The Connection Between Mental Health, Digestive Discomfort, and Trauma from Scams Principal Category: Somatic/Physical Effects Of Trauma 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 ...
Defeatist Mentality Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims
Defeatist Mentality Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims Defeatist Mentality Self-Assessment Test A self-assessment test designed for scam victims to help determine if they may be harboring a defeatist mentality that can affect their ability to recover. Instructions: Read each statement and select the response that best reflects or Read More ...
Logical Fallacies Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims
Logical Fallacies Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims Logical Fallacies Self-Assessment Test A self-assessment test designed for scam victims to help determine if they may be engaging in logical fallacies in their thinking.: Instructions: Read each statement and select the response that best reflects or that you agree with Read More ...
Behavioral Modification for Scam Victims to Overcome Cognitive Biases, Emotional Decision-Making, and Logical Fallacies
How to Guide: Behavioral Modification for Scam Victims to Overcome Biases, Emotional Decision-Making, and Logical Fallacies Principal Category: Behavior Modification Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Behavioral modification is a critical tool Read More ...