Your bank will not ask you for your social security number on a call they initiated.
The police will not call you if there is a warrant out for your arrest.
Scams have become so commonplace that public service announcements are a daily necessity.
Verywell Mind / Getty
But know that it is not your fault.
Victim blaming those who’ve been scammed helps no one, not the victims here’s why.
Why Do We Blame Scam Victims?
I cannot believe you fell for that.
A natural conclusion but one based oncognitive distortionsthat do not reflect reality.
The In Hindsight Bias
Hindsight biasis the tendency to overestimate how accurately we can predict the future.
When someone shares their story of being scammed, you know the end at the beginning.
When this blaming also comes from external sources, it can be even more difficult to recover emotionally.
They might feel they cannot or do not deserve to access support.
Victim Shaming Only Helps Scammers Scam More
Additionally, scams are constantly changing.
This makes it even more difficult to know what scams are out there.
People need to feel safe sharing their experiences so others can learn and be more protected.
Finally, when weblame victimsof scams, it shifts responsibility off of the people doing the scamming.
Scams happen because there are scammers, and they use psychological tactics tomanipulatepeople into believing them.
I went to a reputable web development company located in Auckland, she says.
They promised us a fully working website with specific custom features within 6 weeks for $36,000.
They asked for $13,000 down to start the build with the rest due on completion.
Scammers come in many forms and go to great lengths to appear legitimate.
An elderly retired couple took to making and selling wooden toys.
Explore the psychological reasons why you might opt to shift blame to victims rather than perpetrators.
Put them in touch with appropriate resources, and listen with empathy.
If others are engaging in victim-blaming, call them out and educate them.
Remember it is easy to say the outcome is obvious when you already know they were scammed.
It is never helpful to blame someone for being scammed.
None of us are immune, and next time it could be you.
Cairns' advice to other victims?
Don’t give up, she says.
Keep good records always.
Never transfer cash to a bank account, always use a credit card with fraud protection.
Reporting the scam can help alert others to potential scams.
It prevents emotional recovery and puts others at risk when information about current scams is not shared.
Furthermore, to say that it is the victims fault they were scammed is simply not true.
Scams would not happen if there were no scammers trying to con innocent people.
If you have been scammed, know that it is not your fault.
If someone you know has been scammed, learn from their experience, but do notshamethem for what happened.
Federal Trade Commission.FTC Data Shows Major Increases in Cash Payments to Government Impersonation Scammers.
Nataraj-Hansen S, Richards K.Why do fraud victims get blamed?
Lerners Belief in a Just World and its program to victims of online fraud.JFC.
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