Welcome to the SCARS Institute Scam Survivors Support Community

If you are here, it means you have been through something incredibly difficult. Being the victim of a scam, especially one involving emotional manipulation or betrayal, feels overwhelming, isolating, and deeply painful. You may be carrying shame, confusion, anger, or fear. You might feel like no one understands. But here, you are not alone.

We understand.

This is the beginning of your recovery. It starts by stepping into a space that is safe, structured, professionally managed, and focused on your healing. SCARS Institute support groups are managed by trained professionals and experienced volunteers who understand what you are going through, because many of them have lived through it themselves. These groups are not just about sharing stories; they are about your recovery, education, structure, and growth.

Our support system is designed to help you move from trauma to understanding, from isolation to connection, from emotional pain to emotional strength. You will receive guidance on how to manage the intense emotions that follow a scam from the world leader in understanding the scam victim’s experience, how to understand what happened to you, and how to start rebuilding your life with clarity and support.

Understand and Remember This

  • It was not your fault
  • You are a survivor
  • You are not alone
  • You are worthy – Axios
  • Your feelings are valid – Vero
  • You can do this
  • You are stronger than you know

About the SCARS Institute’s Professional Support and Consent to Care

You have come to the right place for structured, professional help. Scam victimization is a form of criminal betrayal, and the emotional aftermath can be devastating. At the SCARS Institute, we understand this deeply because we invented this process, and that is why we treat your recovery with the seriousness and professionalism it deserves.

Our support services are not informal or unregulated. Everything we offer is based on best practices in certified trauma-informed care, psychological support, and international standards of victim assistance. That includes structured support groups, recovery programs, survivor education, and specialized content. We are a professional crime victim assistance organization, not a casual online community.

To provide you with this level of care, we must have your informed consent.

This means you understand that we are not providing licensed therapy or medical advice. We are providing trauma-competent emotional support, educational guidance, and recovery-focused structure in accordance with established victim advocacy standards. This includes rules, expectations, boundaries, and the right to privacy and safety for everyone who participates.

You have the right to know how our services work, who we are, and how we operate. Our team includes certified, trained professionals, mental health experts, and long-term volunteers with lived experience. Everyone here follows a code of conduct that protects both you and other members. That is why we require that you read and agree to our Group Rules and Consent to Care. Without your agreement, we cannot provide our services.

This is about trust. We will respect your story, your experience, and your emotions, but we also ask you to respect the framework that makes this support system safe and effective for everyone.

We are here to help you recover with clarity, truth, and structure. We cannot do it without your partnership.

Please take a moment to review our Consent to Care policy. Once you confirm your understanding and agreement, we will review your application and if accepted, we will fully welcome you into the support and care we are ready to offer.

You deserve professionalism. You deserve quality. You deserve protection. You deserve recovery.

And we are here to help you achieve it.

SCARS Consent For Support Services Intake Form

Please Note:

SCARS is a professional crime victims’ assistance and services provider. The following information is necessary for us to provide quality of care and meet our legal responsibilities. With this, you are granting your consent for our organization to help and support you.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • Join the SCARS Institute 120 Recovery Program for Scam Victim-Survivors

    Apply Here for the SCARS Institute's 120™ Recovery Program (Support Program) for Scam Victim-Survivors who are committed to their recovery after their scam.
  • Please read each section and answer each question carefully. Respond as completely as possible so that we can best help you. One word answers are not the right way to tell us how to help you. We are professionals, and provide professional care to those we support. This is the reason we ask this information.
  • We are a professional crime victims' services provider, we need to know who is asking for our services.
  • By U.S. Law - COPAA - We are required to ask your age for all participation in our online activities. Please enter your birth date for age verification. We also require this to confirm you are an adult.
  • There is no cost for our support and recovery program
  • You must be functionally able to speak or understand English or Spanish to get the most from our Support Groups. However, our SCARS Partners offer support in other languages.

  • Tell Us About You

  • SCARS does not discriminate based upon gender roles. This is strictly to aid in identification.
  • This helps us understand how to help you report to your local police or access other local services for victims of crimes.
  • Our support groups are on Facebook, so you must have a Facebook profile to access our support groups.
  • The SCARS Institute 120 Recovery Program uses Facebook for its private/confidential online support groups and chats - We need this to confirm your identity and spot scammers or fakes, AND that you have a Facebook Account. If you do not know how to find this link, go to your PROFILE SETTINGS - you should see your profile link on that FB page. If you are on your App and see your HOME - click on the Profile Photo, then the THREE DOTS, then at the bottom of the Profile Setting page will be your Link! If using a browser, you will find your profile link in the address bar/fiend.
  • Just enter the number of years. If it is less than one year, enter 0
    Please enter a number from 0 to 20.
  • We now offer support groups on LinkedIn too
  • We also offer support groups on LinkedIn - We need this to confirm your identity and spot scammers or fakes, AND that you have a LinkedIn Account. You can get your profile link from your LinkedIn profile.
  • We now offer support groups on Reddit too
  • Enter your Reddit account or profile identifier "r/..." -- If you have none, please enter NONE
  • We need this to send you the invitation to join one of our Facebook support groups.
  • This is optional, but often we follow up with victims before onboarding them into our groups. We ask for this so that in the event of a crisis or other concern that we might reach out to you and offer help. It also helps us spot fakes or scammers asking to join.

  • Tell Us About What Happened/The Crime

  • The Following Questions are about the Most Recent Scam

    You can add any additional details about past scams, frauds, or cybercrimes in the general fields below

  • An approximate date is ok
  • How many days, weeks, or months ago did it end? When was your last conversation or communication with the criminals?
  • Includes: Secret Service, FBI, FTC, Europol, etc.
  • Tell us what you think might be useful so that we can best help you

  • Your CONTACT with the Criminals

  • Meaning you are not talking, chatting, or emailing with them.
  • Meaning that you are communicating with the criminals.
  • How many days, weeks, or months?

  • What Support You Are Looking For?

  • Please tell us what you are looking for in a support group. What services you would like to receive?
  • Either a Psychologist or Psychiatrist or other Medical Professional about your mental health. A Coach is not the same.
  • We are not trying to diagnose you, just to get a better understanding of how you are doing currently.

  • Other Anti-Scam Activities

  • Mental Healthcare Activities

  • Your Commitment

    The services that are asking to receive are free of cost, however the SCARS Institute only accepts those that are sincere and committed to their recovery after the scam.
  • Failure to participate regularly in the program may result in your removal from the program.

  • Your Consent

  • NOTE: If you click the submit button and nothing happens, scroll up and see if you missed any fields or there are errors.

  • Thank you for trusting SCARS to help you through your scam recovery and for requesting to join our SCARS Institute 120 Recovery Program. If approved and confirmed, you will receive an email invitation or a message through Facebook or directly with information on how to find and finalize your participation in our program. Sincerely, SCARS Institute Team Miami Florida U.S.A.
Save and Continue Later

NOTICE

PLEASE NOTE: Membership and Acceptance for SCARS Support Groups is subject to review and is not automatic. We will follow up with you by email, and if accepted, you will be notified. We reserve the right to reject any applicant.

Things to Learn Now – the Next Steps

Before you can fully begin your recovery after a scam, you need a baseline of essential knowledge. Understanding how scams work, how scammers manipulate victims, and how trauma affects your thoughts and emotions is critical to making sense of what happened. Without this foundation, recovery becomes harder and slower.

Start by visiting www.ScamVictimsSupport.org, where you will find structured resources created by the SCARS Institute professionals and survivors to help you gain the clarity, language, and understanding you need to move forward safely and effectively.

Knowledge is your starting point, and your shield.

 

 

SCARS Institute Resources: