SCARS Manual of Scam Psychology™
A Comprehensive Exploration of the Psychological Processes, Impacts, and Recovery Approaches Associated with Various Types of Deception, specifically including Scams, Fraud, and Cybercrime
The following is our ever-expanding collection of articles and publications authored by members of the SCARS Team
This manual is intended to be useful for psychologists, criminologists, sociologists, law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, policy decision-makers, care providers, and the victims/survivors of these crimes or their families.
This page will be constantly expanding – visit often!
The links will take the visitor to the website where the item was published.
For more visit: ScamsNOW.com and RomanceScamsNOW.com
Click Here for the SCARS Manual of Cognitive Biases
Susceptibility & Vulnerability to Scams & Fraud
Vulnerability
- Scam Victims’ Vulnerability And Device Screen Time 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Vulnerability and Breakdown in Scam Victims – The Camel’s Back Syndrome Metaphor – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Projection And Scam Victims (scamsnow.com)
- What Really Are Vulnerabilities That Lead To Scams? [UPDATED 2024] (scamsnow.com)
- The Scam Victims Need To Feel Special And How Scammers Exploit This Vulnerability – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- What Drives Us To Be Scammed (romancescamsnow.com)
- Suggestibility – A Victim Vulnerability (romancescamsnow.com)
- Suggestibility & Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Role Curiosity Plays In Being Scammed (romancescamsnow.com)
- What Kind Of People Are Most Likely To Be Scammed? (romancescamsnow.com)
- What Drives People To Be Romance Scammed? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Sun Tzu And The Selectively Ignorant [PDF][UPDATED] (romancescamsnow.com)
- White Knight Syndrome – Rescuing Damsels In Distress And Getting Scammed – A SCARS Guide (romancescamsnow.com)
- Female Face Fixation Syndrome – SCARS™ Insight (romancescamsnow.com)
- Psychological Characteristics Of Romance Scam Victims 2018 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Sleep Deprivation As A Scammer’s Control Technique And Its Effect On Scam Victims – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Multitasking Creates Scam Victim Vulnerabilities – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Language Scam Victim Danager: Never Date Someone When You Don’t Speak The Language Fluently – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Why Are We More Likely To Trust Total Strangers Now? 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim’s Selfishness – A Common Behavior That Leads To Romance Scams? [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Compliance With Scammer Authority Figures – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Susceptibility To Deception/Scams/Fraud With Victims Who Also Suffer From Mental Disorders – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Grooming Manipulative & Control Mechanisms
Luring & Grooming
- Catalog Of Social Engineering Traps, Attacks, And Scams (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scammer Lures Used To Exploit Your Needs (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Grooming – Turning On The Instant Emotions (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Grooming: Using Persuasion To Establish Rapport (romancescamsnow.com)
- Love Bombing And How Romance Scam Victims Are Forced To Feel (romancescamsnow.com)
- Love Bombing & Amygdala Hijacked Scam Victims – Love Is Chemical After All 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Manipulation
- What is the Purpose of Gaslighting? (scamsnow.com)
- Gaslighting – Destroying A Victim’s Sense Of Reality Or Truth [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Screen Time, Sleep Deprivation, and Romance Scams (romancescamsnow.com)
- ASMR – Using Your Brain & Body Against You (romancescamsnow.com)
- How Can Scammers Be So Convincing And Deceptive – 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Meaning Behind Scammer Gifts Sent To Romance Scam Victims – 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Paradoxical Persuasion – A Scammer Psychological Manipulation Technique 2023 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Social Delivery – Buying Your Affection (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)
- Indoctrination Of Scam Victims By Their Scammers? Yes! – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Control Mechanisms
- 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)
- Living under Manipulation for Too Long Leaves Victims … (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scammer Hostility (romancescamsnow.com)
- Hostility Is A Common Characteristic Of Scammers (romancescamsnow.com)
Cognitive Dissonance & Immediate Effects
- Helping Scam Victims Understand Cognitive Dissonance – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- A Scam Victim in Extreme Distress – Stopping the Pain – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Magic & Relationship Scams – Both Involve Similar Manipulation & Control – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Resiliency – Why It Is So Much Worse After The Scam – Updated 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Psychology of Scams: When Panic Sets In (romancescamsnow.com)
- Cognitive Distortions [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Transference And Emotional Danger After The Scam [UPDATED] (romancescamsnow.com)
- What Is Addiction in Scam Victims? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Disengaging From A Fake Scam Relationship (romancescamsnow.com)
- Psychological Shock – After A Scam & In The Future (romancescamsnow.com)
- How To Confront A Scam Victim In Total Denial (romancescamsnow.com)
- Romance Scams And Addiction (romancescamsnow.com)
Victim Impacts
During the Scam/Fraud
Immediately After the Scam/Fraud
- 10 Steps To Breaking Free & Beginning Your Recovery [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- How Fear Affects You After A Scam (romancescamsnow.com)
- Victims: Common Reactions To Crime (romancescamsnow.com)
- After A Scam, No One Can Tell You How You Will React (romancescamsnow.com)
- Coping with the Reality of Crime Victimization (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Scam Is Over But You Are Still Being Manipulated (romancescamsnow.com)
Longer-Term Effects & Impact
- Having An Identity Crisis Because Of The Scam And Loss – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Will Never Be The Same – A Harsh Truth – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Relationship Scam Victims – Impact On Employment And Jobs – Saving Employment After A Scam (scamsnow.com)
- Changes In A Scam Victim’s Life (scamsnow.com)
- A Small Drop Of Insight About Victims’ Trauma (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Social Isolation Risks (romancescamsnow.com)
- Resilience, Recovery And Romance Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- Sadness & Scam Recovery (romancescamsnow.com)
- Helping & Evaluating Older Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- Romance Scam As Internet Infidelity (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Butterfly Effect And Scam Victims – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Relearning Critical Thinking And To Think Skeptically – For Scam Victims After A Relationship Scam – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Victimization Fundamentals
- There Is No “He” Or “She” In Romance Scams – 2023 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why You Can’t Stop Looking At The Stolen Face (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why Keeping Your Scam Secret Harms You And Everyone Else! (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Face In The Photo Is Not The Scammer: Scam Victims Leave The Real Person Alone! – [UPDATED 2023] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Letting Go Of The Scammers For Your Recovery! 2023 (romancescamsnow.com)
- 7 Psychological Principles of Scams (romancescamsnow.com)
- Depersonalizing The Scammer (romancescamsnow.com)
- Differences Between Men & Women Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- After Discovering A Scam – What Is Immediately Important? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why Can I Not Stop Thinking About The Scammer? (romancescamsnow.com)
- You Made A Mistake (romancescamsnow.com)
- Surviving The Change: Scams Turn Lives Upside Down (romancescamsnow.com)
- Knowledge Matters To Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims: The Need To Tell Their Stories – The Need For Acceptance – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Shame Guilt & Self-Blame
- Shame – Secrets & Lies (romancescamsnow.com)
- Sense of Failure And Scam Victims – 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why Do Scam Victims Believe That Loneliness Was The Principal Cause Of Their Scam? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Self-Hatred And Self-Loathing (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Unique Shame Of Being Scammed Again (romancescamsnow.com)
- How To Know If You Are In Scam or Recovery Denial? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Guilt vs. Shame – Understanding [INFOGRAPHIC] 2021 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Survivor’s Guilt : A SCARS Insight (romancescamsnow.com)
- When Should A Scam Victim Feel Shame? (romancescamsnow.com)
Grief
- Trauma And Grief In Scam Victims – What Is The Difference Between Them – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Understanding Grief & Complex Grief for Scam Victims 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- PTSD and Complex Grief/Complicated Grief – What Are The Differences? 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Ambiguous Loss and Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
Anger & Aggression
- Anger & Self-Radicalization – Recovery Psychology 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Do Scam Victims Become Cynics After Their Scam Experience? 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Hate As A Coping Mechanism (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Dark Side of the Psychology of Scams – Schadenfreude (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why Victims Prefer To Believe Scammers Are Evil Demons! (romancescamsnow.com)
- Hating Criminals Feels So Good But Is So Bad (romancescamsnow.com)
- Really Understanding Your Anger [INFOGRAPHIC][VIDEOS] (romancescamsnow.com)
Mechanisms of the Mind, Brain, & Body
- See our Neurology Page
- Learning And The Challenges That A Scam Victim Faces From Trauma And Related Cognitive Effects – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Psychological Trauma Or PTSD And Chronic Headaches And Migraines – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- The Relationship Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) And Psychological Trauma – A Review – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Dopamine Signaling And The Neurology Of Scam Victims – 2024 (scampsychology.org)
Trust & Beliefs
- Rebuilding Trust: The Scam Victim’s Journey from Victimhood to Empowerment – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Editing Their Stories To Promote Recovery From Scams 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Motivation & Scam Victims – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Trust: Romance Scams Betrayal And Scam Victims – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Reclaiming Your Worth: A Scam Survivor’s Guide to Navigating Your Worthiness After a Scam – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Labeling Theory & What It Means For Victims Of Scams (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim’s Sacred Beliefs & Their Brain (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims – Black Swan Theory & Understanding Uncertainty – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Important Ways To Validate Scam Survivors (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Identity Crisis (romancescamsnow.com)
- Urban Legends: JuJu/Voodoo – Hypnosis – Brainwashing (romancescamsnow.com)
- SCARS Webinar: Trust [VIDEO] (romancescamsnow.com)
- How You Think & Talk About Your Scam Affects Your Recovery (romancescamsnow.com)
- Why People Blame Victims? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Married Scam Victims: Rebuilding Trust In A Marriage Following A Romance Scam (romancescamsnow.com)
- Romance Scam Infidelity (romancescamsnow.com)
Longer Term Effects & Issues
- Scam Victim Psychological Alienation After A Scam 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Understanding the Victim Complex/Victim Mentality In Relationship Scam Victims – Psychology Of Scams (romancescamsnow.com)
- Repeating The Scam – Engaging In Risky Behavior Over & Over (romancescamsnow.com)
- Desensitizing (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Apathy – Scams Are Somebody Else’s Problem (romancescamsnow.com)
- Never Again And Other Urban Legends (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Relapse (romancescamsnow.com)
- Signs of Good & Bad Scam Victim Emotional Health (romancescamsnow.com)
- Victim Vulnerability After The Scam – Physical Risks (romancescamsnow.com)
- Dealing With Grief & Recovery During The Holidays (romancescamsnow.com)
- Do You Hate Your Scammer? (romancescamsnow.com)
Destructive Actions & Behaviors
- The Subtle Sabotage Of Blame In Cybersecurity & Online Safety (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Fetishists or Willing Victims? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Victim Response To Fear Is Anger! (romancescamsnow.com)
- A Serial Victim – Recognizing If You Are One (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Doomscrolling (romancescamsnow.com)
- 7 Deadly Sins of Post Scam Victim Vulnerability (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Revenge (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Obsession – Becoming Scam Junkie [UPDATED] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Resistance In Support Groups Therapy Or Counseling Can Destroy Opportunities For Recovery – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Entitlement Mentality And How Scam Victims Often Lose Their Path To Recovery – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- ‘I Just Want To Forget It’ – Denial & Avoidance Are Natural But Will Not Help Scam Victims On Their Path To Recovery From Scams – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Avoid Or Escape The Aftermath Of Scams – How Denial And Distraction Avoid Confronting Reality – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Comparisons – The Dangers Of Scam Victims Comparing Their Suffering To Others – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Transference And Emotional Danger After The Scam – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Helping Scam Victims Understand The Social Isolation Risks After A Relationship Scam – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Therapeutic Mechanisms and Approaches
Therapies – Self-Help & With Professional Support
- EMDR Therapy For Scam Victims’ Trauma – A Part Of The Recovery Process For Many – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- CPT – Cognitive Processing Therapy For Scam Victims’ Trauma – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Guide To Do-It-Yourself Exposure Therapy – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Guide To Do-It-Yourself EFT Tapping – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Self-Help Written Exposure Therapy (WET) For Scam Victim Recovery – 2024
Other Actions/Activities
- Labyrinth Walking and Spiral Walking Meditation for Scam Victims – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Journaling And Recovery (romancescamsnow.com)
- Write A Letter To Your Scammer – Say What You Feel [UPDATED] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Removing The Face Of Your Scammer From Your Mind (romancescamsnow.com)
- Clothes As Therapy For Scam Victims: When & How Does Enclothed Cognition Work? (romancescamsnow.com)
- Using Rituals To Help Scam Victims To Recover! (romancescamsnow.com)
- Curiosity & Scam Victim Recovery: A Powerful Tool for Processing Emotions After A Scam (romancescamsnow.com)
- Lego Therapy For Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
Background
Victim/Survivor Wellness & Mindfulness
- Scam Victims In The RAIN – A Mindfulness Approach For Recovery – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Trauma & Nutritional Health – Take Your Vitamins – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Fibromyalgia & Psychological Trauma Link – Medical Health Alert – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Counseling And Your Native Language (scamsnow.com)
- The Scout Mindset And Scam Victims (scamsnow.com)
- The Value of Slowness (scamsnow.com)
- Stop Thinking (romancescamsnow.com)
- Telling Your Story – Especially When It Is Hard [VIDEO] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Forgiveness and Scams – Why It Matters So Much! (romancescamsnow.com)
- Taking Care Of Yourself (romancescamsnow.com)
- Anxiety And Mindfulness – A Tool For Scam Victims – 2024 – [VIDEOS] (scamsnow.com)
- Mindfulness Breathing For Scam Victims Recovery 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Recovery Process
- A Typical Scam Victim Journey Through Recovery Challenges – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Faith And Why It Matters In Scam Victim Recovery – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Importance of Scam Victims’ Learning in Recovery from Scams 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims And The Crossing Of The River Styx – An Interpretation Of The Recovery Process – 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Fear Of Contagion: Why Scam Victims Are Harshly Judged And Blamed 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Filling The Victim Void After The Fake Relationship Is Gone 2023 (scamsnow.com)
- Secrets Can Be Deadly For Scam Victims – Scam Victim Recovery Psychology (scamsnow.com)
- Abstinence for Scam Victims – A Requirement For Healing (scamsnow.com)
- Thoughts About Boundaries (scamsnow.com)
- The Tao – The Philosophy of the Path to Recovery (scamsnow.com)
- Victim Psychology – Managing Your Emotional 5 Saboteurs (romancescamsnow.com)
- Humor As A Tool In Scam Victim Recovery – Recovery Psychology – UPDATED 2024 (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims’ Recovery – Acknowledging The Harm Done (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims Should Limit Their Exposure To Scam News & Scammer Photos (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim’s Learning Process [INFOGRAPHIC] (romancescamsnow.com)
- What Is The Difference Between A Scam Victim And A Scam Survivor? [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Recovery Is Not A Mystery (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victims And The 9 Circles Of Hell After The Scam Ends – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- What Does Recovery Mean For A Scam Victim? [Updated] (romancescamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Recovery: How Do You Get Scam Victim Closure? [UPDATED] (romancescamsnow.com)
Support & Recovery Approaches
- Alfred Adler Approach To Psychology To Scam Victims And How They Were Affected – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- SCARS Emotional Scam Victims’ Support & Recovery Program – Turning Them Into Scam Survivors 2024 (scamsnow.com)
- Contractualism and Supporting the Victims of Online Crime (scamsnow.com)
- Three Components Of Well Managed Victim Support Groups – SCARS Support Group Handbook Part 1 (scamsnow.com)
- Taol – Native American Talking Circles – A Perfect Recovery Model For Scam Victims (scamsnow.com)
- Scam Victim Recovery Fatigue (romancescamsnow.com)
- The Challenges In Supporting Impersonation Scam Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
- Finding Real Trauma Support For Romance Scams Victims (romancescamsnow.com)
