Description of Services

SCARS Institute Services for Scam Victims and Survivors

The SCARS Institute, the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., is a nonprofit crime victims’ organization founded in 2015 in Miami, Florida. For more than a decade, it has helped scam victims around the world understand what happened to them, report the crime, and recover. Its services are free for victims, survivors, and their families, and they are available in any country.

Help for New Victims

The first days after discovering a scam are often the most confusing. The SCARS Institute offers guided navigators that walk new victims through the urgent first steps, a plan for their first 30 days, and support for hard moments, with crisis resources always one click away. The site also explains how and where to report a scam, and helps victims find a trauma counselor or therapist.

Support and Recovery

The SCARS Institute support community gives survivors a free, safe, and private place to heal alongside others who understand. It follows a structured recovery program guided by professionals, and it includes a private journal for each member. For survivors who are not ready to join a group, the Self-Guided Recovery Navigator offers a twelve-month plan they can follow on their own, at their own pace.

Education

The free Scam Survivor’s School teaches survivors how scams work and how recovery works, in the right order and in a little time each day. It is private, works on a phone, and suits people who prefer to learn alone. A free one-week course, Breaking Free, helps survivors overcome compulsive checking and other behaviors the scam left behind. The SCARS Institute offers additional free courses on topics such as rebuilding self-esteem after a scam.

Understanding the Psychology of Scams

The SCARS Institute Journal of Scam Psychology and Recoverology® explains the psychology behind scams and recovery, including trauma, manipulation, cognitive biases, and coping. It offers dozens of free self-assessments on topics such as trauma, shame, grief, anxiety, and trust, along with a Progress Log so survivors can track their recovery over time and share results with their therapists.

Specialties

Victims of trust-based relationship scams, including: romance scams, crypto investment scams, and others - for victims worldwide.