PROJECT: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HOLD SCAMMERS CAN HAVE OVER THEIR VICTIMS
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WHY VICTIMS SOMETIMES CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THE SCAMMER
One of the most difficult aspects of fraud investigations is understanding why an apparently intelligent
and capable person may continue communicating with a scammer, sending money or defending the person responsible,
even after family members and friends have identified obvious warning signs.
The explanation is not necessarily that the victim is gullible or unintelligent.
Sophisticated scammers deliberately manipulate trust, emotions, fear, hope and dependency.
Over time, these tactics can create a powerful psychological hold over the victim.
THE SCAM OFTEN BEGINS WITH TRUST:
Most scammers do not begin by asking for substantial amounts of money.
They first establish contact and build credibility.
They may present themselves as caring, successful, trustworthy or genuinely interested in the victim. In romance scams, the criminal may spend weeks or months developing what the victim believes to be a genuine emotional relationship.
The victim is therefore not simply responding to a stranger asking for money.
The victim may believe that the request is coming from someone they know and trust.
EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT CAN OVERRIDE LOGIC:
Once emotional attachment has developed, contradictory information can become difficult for the victim to accept.
Family members may present evidence showing that photographs are false, identities do not match, stories are inconsistent or money is being diverted to suspicious accounts.
Yet the victim may continue believing the scammer.
This can occur because accepting the truth also means accepting that a relationship, friendship or future they believed in was fabricated.
The psychological loss can therefore become as significant as the financial loss.
SECRECY STRENGTHENS THE SCAMMER'S POSITION:
Scammers frequently encourage secrecy.
A victim may be told that family members do not understand the relationship, that the transaction is confidential, that revealing information could jeopardise an investigation, or that nobody else can be trusted.
Once secrecy has been established, the scammer can operate with less interference.
The victim may stop discussing the matter with family and may begin protecting the scammer from those attempting to help.
FEAR AND URGENCY REDUCE CRITICAL THINKING:
Scammers also create situations in which the victim believes that immediate action is necessary.
The victim may be told that an account will be frozen, an arrest will occur, an investment will be lost, a loved one is in danger or an opportunity will disappear unless money is transferred immediately.
Under pressure, people can make decisions they would reconsider if given time to verify the information independently.
THE SUNK-COST TRAP:
Financial loss can create another powerful form of psychological pressure.
After a victim has already transferred a substantial amount of money, accepting that the money is gone can be extremely difficult.
The scammer may therefore introduce another payment and promise that it will be the final amount required to release funds, pay taxes, clear customs, obtain a certificate or complete a transaction.
The victim may continue paying because stopping means accepting that previous payments were also lost.
This creates a cycle in which previous losses become a reason to risk further losses.
HOPE CAN KEEP A VICTIM ENGAGED:
Hope is one of the strongest tools available to a scammer.
The victim may believe that the next payment will result in the promised relationship, financial return, inheritance, business opportunity or recovery of previously lost money.
As long as the promised outcome remains possible in the victim's mind, the scammer can continue exploiting that hope.
WHY FAMILY INTERVENTION CAN FAIL:
Family members often approach the victim with understandable anger and frustration.
Statements such as “How can you still believe this person?” or “We have told you that this is a scam” may be factually correct but can cause the victim to become defensive.
If the victim feels humiliated or judged, they may withdraw further and communicate even more closely with the scammer.
The objective should therefore be to protect the victim without attacking the victim.
Evidence should be documented, inconsistencies should be identified and independent verification should be encouraged.
THE SCAMMER MAY ALSO CONDITION THE VICTIM:
Repeated communication can gradually normalise behaviour that would initially have appeared suspicious.
Small requests can become larger requests. One payment can become several.
A request for basic information can progress to identity documents, banking information or access credentials.
Because each step follows the previous one, the victim may not recognise how far the situation has progressed.
WHAT SHOULD FAMILIES DO?
When a person is suspected of being manipulated by a scammer, family members should:
preserve messages, emails, photographs and other evidence;
document payments and banking details;
avoid deleting communications before they can be preserved;
encourage independent verification of the scammer's identity and claims;
involve the victim in examining the evidence;
avoid unnecessary humiliation or confrontation;
contact the victim's bank immediately where financial information or funds are at risk;
report suspected criminal conduct to SAPS; and
obtain professional assistance where the victim is being repeatedly targeted or significant financial or identity-related harm has occurred.
If the victim has already lost money, particular caution should be exercised when someone subsequently offers to recover the money for a fee. Previous victims are known targets for further fraud, including recovery scams.
The psychological hold created by a sophisticated scam can be stronger
than simply telling a victim that the person on the other side is a criminal.
Scammers exploit normal human characteristics — trust, affection, hope, fear, loyalty
and the reluctance to accept a painful loss.
Understanding this is important for families, investigators and the public.
A victim should not be treated as the offender.
The responsibility for the deception lies with the perpetrator.
However, once warning signs emerge, continued engagement gives the scammer additional opportunities
to manipulate the victim and obtain further information or money.
Early intervention, preservation of evidence, independent verification and professional investigation
can help break the cycle and prevent further victimisation.
Specialised Security Services (SSS) encourages persons who suspect that they or a family member are being targeted
by an organised scam to preserve all available evidence and seek appropriate assistance.
SSS Specialist Investigators can investigate the circumstances, establish available evidence and assist in identifying
the methods being used to target the victim.
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