SCARS Manual of Psychological Manipulation and Control Techniques Used Against Scam Victims
Psychological manipulation and control are central tactics used by organized criminals in scams and financial fraud to lure, groom, manipulate, and control their victims. These criminals employ a range of sophisticated techniques designed to exploit human emotions, cognitive biases, and vulnerabilities. Through carefully crafted scenarios, they create a sense of trust, urgency, and fear, manipulating victims into making decisions that they otherwise would not consider. The manipulation often begins subtly, with the scammer building a relationship or establishing credibility, and gradually escalates as the victim becomes more deeply entangled. This psychological control can leave victims feeling trapped, isolated, and unable to see the reality of the situation until significant damage has been done, both financially and emotionally. Understanding these techniques is crucial for recognizing and resisting such scams.
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SCARS Standard Taxonomy of Psychological Manipulation and Control Techniques
Our SCARS Institute taxonomy of standard psychological manipulation and control techniques applies to the techniques and mechanisms used by scammers, fraudsters, cybercriminals, and other criminals involved in deception-based crimes.. These techniques are commonly recognized in psychology, criminology, and behavioral science. They are often categorized based on their mechanisms and the specific cognitive biases or emotional vulnerabilities they exploit. Here are some of the key categories and techniques:
Persuasion and Influence Techniques
Examples:
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- Foot-in-the-Door Technique: Starting with a small request to increase the likelihood of agreement to a larger request.
- Door-in-the-Face Technique: Starting with a large, unreasonable request to make a smaller, more reasonable request more likely to be accepted.
- Low-Ball Technique: Offering something at a lower cost or with fewer demands, only to increase the cost or demands after commitment.
- Reciprocity: Creating a sense of obligation by giving something to the victim, who then feels compelled to give something in return.
In-Depth:
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- Reciprocity Bias
- Social Engineering Traps, Attacks, And Scams (romancescamsnow.com)
- Lures Used To Exploit Your Needs (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Grooming: Using Persuasion To Establish Rapport (romancescamsnow.com)
- Paradoxical Persuasion – A Scammer Psychological Manipulation Technique 2023 (romancescamsnow.com)
Emotional Manipulation
Examples:
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- Fear and Anxiety Induction: Creating a sense of fear or anxiety to prompt hasty or irrational decisions.
- Guilt Tripping: Making the victim feel guilty to manipulate them into complying with demands.
- Love Bombing: Overwhelming the victim with affection and attention to lower their defenses.
- Isolation: Separating the victim from their support network to make them more dependent on the manipulator.
In-Depth:
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- Fear and Anxiety Induction Manipulation Technique
- The Amygdala Hijack Effect And The Neurology Of Scam Victims
- The Amygdala – An Introduction – Scam Victim Neurology
- Love Bombing And How Romance Scam Victims Are Forced To Feel (romancescamsnow.com)
- Love Bombing & Amygdala Hijacked Scam Victims – Love Is Chemical After All (scamsnow.com)
- The Meaning Behind Scammer Gifts Sent To Romance Scam Victims – 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
Cognitive Manipulation
Examples:
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- Confirmation Bias Exploitation: Reinforcing the victim’s pre-existing beliefs or desires to manipulate their decision-making.
- Anchoring: Setting a reference point (often misleading) to influence subsequent judgments and decisions.
- Framing: Presenting information in a way that emphasizes certain aspects over others to influence perception and choices.
- Illusion of Control: Leading the victim to believe they have control over the situation, when in reality they do not.
In-Depth:
Deception and Misinformation
Examples:
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- Lying: Providing false information to mislead the victim.
- Omission: Withholding critical information that would alter the victim’s decision.
- Diversion: Distracting the victim with irrelevant information or tasks to hide the true intent.
- Gaslighting: Making the victim doubt their own memory, perception, or sanity to maintain control.
In-Depth:
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- How Can Scammers Be So Convincing And Deceptive – 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Diversions – One Of The Ways That Scammers Manipulate Their Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- Future Faking – Future Planning As A Manipulation Tactic Of Scammers (romancescamsnow.com)
- Equivocation – The Magician’s Choice – The Arts Of Manipulation (romancescamsnow.com)
- What is the Purpose of Gaslighting? (scamsnow.com)
- Gaslighting – Destroying A Victim’s Sense Of Reality Or Truth [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
Social and Authority-Based Manipulation
Examples:
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- Appeal to Authority: Leveraging the perceived authority of the manipulator or third parties to gain compliance.
- Social Proof: Manipulating the victim by showing that others are doing the same thing or endorsing a course of action.
- Scarcity: Creating a sense of urgency or limited availability to pressure the victim into quick decisions.
- Playing the Victim: Pretending to be in distress to gain sympathy and manipulate the victim into helping.
In-Depth:
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- Authority Bias
- Social Delivery – Buying Your Affection (romancescamsnow.com)
- Indoctrination Of Scam Victims By Their Scammers? Yes! – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Stockholm Syndrome – Getting Scam Victims To Break The Law – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Conformity & Romance Scams And How It Affects Scam Victims 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Surrender (romancescamsnow.com)
Physical Manipulation
In-Depth:
Coercion and Threats
Examples:
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- Explicit Threats: Directly threatening the victim with harm or consequences if they do not comply.
- Implicit Threats: Using vague or implied threats to create fear and compliance.
- Blackmail: Threatening to reveal damaging information unless the victim complies.
In-Depth:
These techniques are often used in combination, creating a powerful and layered approach to manipulation and control. Scammers and fraudsters are skilled at adapting these techniques to the specific vulnerabilities of their victims, making it crucial for individuals to be aware of these tactics to protect themselves.
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
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology, neurology, and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in these articles is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also, please read our SCARS Institute Statement About Professional Care for Scam Victims – here
If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.
SCARS Resources:
- For New Victims of Relationship Scams www.ScamVictimsSupport.org
- Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School for FREE – visit www.SCARSeducation.org to register – FREE for scam victims/survivors
- Sign up for SCARS professional Support & Recovery Groups, visit support.AgainstScams.org
- Find competent Trauma Counselors or Therapists, visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
- Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
- Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
- Learn More about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
- Scammer Photos on ScammerPhotos.com [Not Recommended for Recent Scam Victims]
- SCARS Videos youtube.AgainstScams.org
- Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainstScams.org
- Donate/Give to SCARS and help us help others at donate.AgainstScams.org