Research Studies & Papers
Research & Studies – Scam/Fraud/Cybercrime Psychology, Victimology, Criminology, and Sociology
Research, studies, and academic papers relating to scams, fraud, and cybercrime
Featured Research
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 ...
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 ...
The Emergence of Scams and Fraud as an Evolutionary Pressure: An Analysis of Psychological Resilience and Survival in the Modern Digital Age – 2024
The Emergence of Scams and Fraud as an Evolutionary Pressure: An Analysis of Psychological Resilience and Survival in the Modern Digital Age Principal Category: Social Science Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. - Anthropologist, Scientist, Polymath, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Read More ...
The Experience of Psychological Trauma in Scam Victims – 2024
The Experience of Psychological Trauma in Scam Victims Principal Category: 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, Read More ...
Are Scam Awareness Programs Effective? ‘Regression to the Mean’ Offers an Insight, Maybe! 2024
Are Awareness Programs Effective? 'Regression to the Mean' Offers an Insight, Maybe! Principal Category: Criminology Author: • Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. Abstract Understanding the effectiveness of public awareness programs in reducing scams is essential for Read More ...
Research Study – Effects of trauma-related cues on pain processing in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation – 2011
Scam Psychology Research Effects of trauma-related cues on pain processing in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation Principal Category: Trauma/PTSD Authors: Marla J.S. Mickleborough, Judith K. Daniels, Nicholas J. Coupland, Raymond Kao, Peter C. Williamson, Ulrich F. Lanius, Kathy Hegadoren, Allan Schore, Maria Densmore, Todd Read More ...
Manipulation Techniques: Confirm Not Command: Examining Fraudsters’ Use of Language to Compel Victim Compliance in Their Own Exploitation
Scam Psychology Research Confirm Not Command: Examining Fraudsters’ Use of Language to Compel Victim Compliance in Their Own Exploitation Principal Category: Victimology Authors: Elisabeth Carter Date: 25 January 2023 DOI LINK: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac098 LICENSE: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Read More ...
Research Studies & Papers
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Hate Toward Scammers and Its Impact on Recovery – Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims – v2
[raw] Hate Toward Scammers — Impact on Recovery Self-Assessment Hate Toward Scammers — Impact on Recovery Self-Assessment Test · 20 Questions across 4 Sections Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identity Your responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about Read More ...
Grief Cycle Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims – v2
[raw] Grief Cycle Self-Assessment Test For Scam Victims · 14 Questions Your Privacy Is Protected We never see your identity Your responses are processed in your browser and your email. Only you see any identifying information about you. De-identified data supports research With your permission and your identity removed, your Read More ...
Research Study – Effects of trauma-related cues on pain processing in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation – 2011
Scam Psychology Research Effects of trauma-related cues on pain processing in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation Principal Category: Trauma/PTSD Authors: Marla J.S. Mickleborough, Judith K. Daniels, Nicholas J. Coupland, Raymond Kao, Peter C. Williamson, Ulrich F. Lanius, Kathy Hegadoren, Allan Schore, Maria Densmore, Todd Read More ...
Manipulation Techniques: Confirm Not Command: Examining Fraudsters’ Use of Language to Compel Victim Compliance in Their Own Exploitation
Scam Psychology Research Confirm Not Command: Examining Fraudsters’ Use of Language to Compel Victim Compliance in Their Own Exploitation Principal Category: Victimology Authors: Elisabeth Carter Date: 25 January 2023 DOI LINK: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac098 LICENSE: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Read More ...
‘They’re not risky’ vs ‘It can ruin your whole life’: How youth/parent dyads differ in their understandings of online risk
'They're not risky' vs 'It can ruin your whole life': How youth/parent dyads differ in their understandings of online risk Principal Category: Victimology Authors: Olivia Williams, Kerrianne Buchanan, Yee-Yin Choong Date: July 23, 2023 DOI LINK: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35927-9_36 LICENSE: N/A Source: https://www.nist.gov/publications/theyre-not-risky-vs-it-can-ruin-your-whole-life-how-youthparent-dyads-differ-their Abstract: Encountering and/or engaging Read More ...
