Why do so many victims of cyber fraud remain silent, and what support do they need?

It's a common and unfortunate reality that many victims of cyber fraud remain silent.
This silence creates a significant challenge for law enforcement, perpetuates the stigma, and leaves victims isolated.

The reasons are primarily psychological and societal:

Why Victims Remain Silent:
Shame and Embarrassment: This is by far the biggest factor. Victims often feel incredibly foolish, stupid, or naïve for having "fallen for" a scam, especially when it involves significant financial loss or emotional manipulation (like in romance scams). They fear judgment from family, friends, and society, leading them to hide their experience. Phrases like "You should have known better" only exacerbate these feelings.

Self-Blame and Guilt: Many victims internalize the blame, believing it was their fault for being "too trusting" or "not smart enough" to spot the scam. This self-blame is often compounded in investment scams, where victims might feel they were "greedy" for wanting quick returns.

Fear of Judgment and Stigma: There's a societal stigma attached to being a fraud victim that isn't always present for victims of other crimes (like physical assault or robbery). People tend to associate fraud victims with gullibility, which is a harsh and unfair stereotype.

Emotional Distress and Trauma: The psychological impact of cyber fraud can be immense, leading to severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, isolation, and even suicidal thoughts. This emotional toll can make it incredibly difficult for victims to speak out or even process what happened.

Perceived Futility of Reporting:
Lack of Recovery: Many victims believe that reporting won't lead to the recovery of their lost money, especially with international scams and cryptocurrency.

Lack of Faith in Law Enforcement: Some may feel that law enforcement won't have the resources or expertise to investigate complex cyber fraud cases, or that their case is too small to matter.

Complicated Reporting Processes: The process of reporting can sometimes be perceived as complicated or overwhelming, especially when navigating multiple agencies (e.g., police, bank, platform).

Desire to Forget and Move On: The experience can be so painful and humiliating that victims simply want to put it behind them and avoid reliving the trauma by discussing it.

Fear of Further Victimization: Some victims worry that reporting will make them a target for more scams or expose them to public scrutiny.

Lack of Awareness of Support Systems: Victims may not know who to report to or what support services are available to them.

What Support Do They Need?
Victims of cyber fraud need a holistic approach that addresses not just the financial impact but also the profound emotional and psychological distress.

Empathy and Non-Judgmental Listening:
Crucial First Step: When a victim confides, the most important response is empathy and reassurance that it's not their fault. Avoid any language that implies blame or criticism.

Validation: Acknowledge their pain, shame, and anger. Help them understand that professional scammers are highly skilled manipulators who can deceive anyone.

Accessible and Streamlined Reporting Mechanisms:
Clear Pathways: Provide a central, easy-to-understand point of contact for reporting (e.g., Taiwan's 165 Anti-Fraud Hotline).

User-Friendly Process: Make the reporting process as simple and supportive as possible, minimizing bureaucratic hurdles.

Timely Response: Victims need to feel that their report is being taken seriously and acted upon promptly.

Psychological and Emotional Support:
Counseling and Therapy: Provide access to mental health professionals (psychologists, therapists) specializing in trauma and victim support. Fraud can lead to PTSD-like symptoms, anxiety, depression, and distrust.

Peer Support Groups: Connecting victims with others who have experienced similar fraud can be incredibly validating and therapeutic, reducing feelings of isolation and shame. Organizations like the FINRA Investor Education Foundation offer such groups.

Crisis Hotlines: Accessible hotlines for immediate emotional support.

Financial and Practical Assistance:
Guidance on Fund Recovery: Clear, realistic advice on whether and how lost funds might be recovered (e.g., chargebacks, contacting banks, asset forfeiture in criminal cases).

Identity Theft Resolution: Help with credit freezes, monitoring credit reports, and resolving any identity theft issues that arise from compromised data.

Legal Advice: Guidance on their legal rights and options, including potential civil lawsuits.

Practical Steps: Assistance with changing passwords, securing accounts, and removing malicious software.

Increased Public Awareness and Education:
De-stigmatization Campaigns: Public campaigns that highlight the sophistication of scams and emphasize that anyone can be a victim, thereby reducing shame and encouraging reporting.

Educational Resources: Easily digestible information about new scam tactics and prevention methods. This needs to be continuously updated and disseminated through various channels.

Focus on Emotional Impact: Educate the public on the psychological toll of fraud, not just the financial loss, to foster greater understanding and empathy.

By focusing on compassion, practical support, and systemic change, societies can help victims of cyber fraud break their silence, heal from their trauma, and contribute to a more effective fight against these pervasive crimes.

Best Psychologist in India for Mental Health Support

Find the best psychologist in India offering expert help for stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Get confidential, personalized counseling from trusted professionals to improve your mental well-being and lead a balanced life. Book your session today.

For more info visit : https://manochikitsa.com/

Best Bipolar Treatment in Delhi - Tulasi Healthcare

At Tulasi Healthcare, we are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate bipolar treatment in Delhi, tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Our experienced team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health professionals work together to deliver evidence-based care that addresses both the emotional and medical aspects of bipolar disorder. From accurate diagnosis and medication management to psychotherapy and lifestyle counseling, we offer a holistic approach that promotes long-term stability and well-being. With decades of experience in mental health care, Tulasi Healthcare has earned the trust of countless patients and families seeking effective and supportive bipolar treatment in Delhi. Our goal is to help every individual lead a balanced, fulfilling life with the right guidance and care.
Visit us - https://www.tulasihealthcare.com/bipolar-disorder-treatment-delhi-gurgaon/

For people who suffer from anxiety, persistent concern, uneasiness, or panic attacks, Anxiety therapists in Noida provide committed treatment and useful answers.
#Anxiety #counselling #mentalhealth #therapists #Psychologist #Anxietycounselling
Website: https://truecarecounselling.com/anxiety-counselling-in-noida/

Whether you are struggling with emotional problems or experiencing difficulty in overcoming behavioural issues, the certified Psychologists of Med1 Clinic can find a way to restore your optimal mental health.
https://med1clinic.com.au/psychology-counselling/

immigration evaluations

https://www.brighterdaypsych.com/immigrationevalationservicesorlando

See Brighter Day Psychological Services for expert immigration evaluations. Our professional evaluations support difficulty exceptions, protection, and more. Put your trust in our expert psychologists sympathetic assessments that can bolster your immigration case with comprehensive reports customized to your requirements.

#immigrationevaluations

ALCOHOLISM-
"Happy Hour" All Day? Drinking While Working at Home.
Working from home encourages problem drinking.
Setting limits can help.
Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

KEY POINTS-
Working from home makes some people want to drink more, and they may do so when working at home.
In-person work has its challenges for problem drinkers, but it can also provide needed structure and social support.
One can make a plan to get problem drinking under control, starting with an assessment.

One in eight of all full-time workers in the United States now perform their jobs entirely remotely. This is five times the pre-pandemic rate. For professionals whose jobs don't need them to be on-site every day, the numbers are even higher. Most white-collar jobs offer at least a hybrid option of working at home one or two days per week.

Much of this is good news for people who have the ability to work at home for at least part of the week. According to Stanford scholar Nicholas Bloom, working from home can enhance overall job satisfaction—as reflected by a 35 percent reduction in job quitting rates. People working from home are engaging in more outdoor recreation, including playing more golf, which increased by more than 50 percent since 2019, especially on weekdays. But, it's not all good news for people who have an issue with problem drinking.

Working From Home Can Lead to Greater Alcohol Consumption
Remote work, for some people, is accompanied by a substantial increase in alcohol consumption. During the COVID pandemic, more than a third of Americans reported consuming more alcohol while working at home than was previously the case. While the lockdowns and imposed isolations are over (we hope), those who continue to work from home at least two days per week report higher levels of alcohol consumption than people who do not work from home at all. Studies also indicate that:

The sharpest spikes in alcohol intake are seen in younger adults working from home.
Executives and others in managerial positions report higher levels of alcohol consumption than front-line staff members.
Professionals with higher levels of education report higher levels of alcohol consumption than less educated people—possibly because their jobs are more conducive to being done remotely.
A number of factors contribute to a rise in problem drinking among people working at home. These factors include blurred boundaries, reduced fear of detection, convenience, and availability.

Blurred Boundaries Between Work and Leisure Contribute to Heavier Drinking
Unless you are extremely disciplined, the boundaries between work and leisure tend to become blurred when you work at home. When does work end and private time start when your colleagues, managers, or clients expect you to be available 24/7?

Blurring the boundaries between work and home may be eroding inhibitions about drinking "on the job" when your workplace is also your private residence.

"Closet" Drinking Is Easier at Home
At an office, you might never even think about putting wine or beer in your coffee cup to help you get through a long meeting. Others in the meeting are likely to smell the alcohol. Online, this is not an issue. Being able to drink undetected removes one of the "backstops" that often discourage drinking in the workplace. Without a backstop, some remote workers drink more frequently and in larger quantities in the course of a workday.

Unlimited Availability
Anyone who has worked at home knows how much the refrigerator can be a temptation. The same is true for alcoholic beverages. At home, there is unobstructed access to alcohol any time of the day or night.

Drinking to Dull Pain When You Have Less Social Contact
The isolation of working from home can encourage reaching for alcohol as a way to manage unpleasant stressors. Alcohol can offer a balm to the pain or loneliness that feels more intense when we work less often alongside other people.

Drinking While Working at Home Can Escalate into a Serious Problem
Drinking from home does take longer to detect but over time it certainly can catch up with you. Over time, your drinking may increase incrementally before you realize that it has become a deeply ingrained habit, if not a full-blown addiction.

Alcohol can reduce your productivity, limit your ability to manage your professional responsibilities, impair your judgment, damage your health, and compound other mental health challenges you have. Drinking can completely derail your career and cause your relationships to deteriorate.

Make a Plan to Deal With Your Drinking
If you’re concerned, it’s important to get help as soon as you start noticing that your drinking is becoming a problem. With proper support, you can get your alcohol consumption under better control. Here are some initial steps you can take:

Start with an online self-assessment.
Set your goals. With your psychologist, you can determine if you can aim to learn how to drink in moderation or if you should focus on abstinence.
Structure your week to reduce the opportunities for drinking. This may include spending more time in the office, working in a shared space, or setting strict times for work and leisure.
Get social support that you might be missing from in-office work. This might include joining a support group, spending more in-person time with friends or family, or joining a team.
Try to identify the stressors and emotional issues that might be powering your drink. Seek professional therapy from an addiction psychologist or other qualified practitioner who can help you learn new coping skills and reduce your need to "self-medicate" with alcohol or other substances.

3 Dangers of Constantly Faking a Positive Attitude.
There is a dark side to manufactured happiness. Here’s what it is.
Reviewed by Davia Sills

KEY POINTS-
People who are going through difficult times are often encouraged by social norms to act positively.
While genuine positivity can help those who are struggling, faking it can have harmful effects on someone's health and well-being.
Fake positivity can also erode meaningful relationships that might otherwise be a support.

We all experience challenges and struggles at various points in our lives that leave us feeling exhausted, stressed, and anxious. During such times, social norms encourage us to mask our true emotions behind the veil of positivity. We may receive tidbits of advice like:

“You may not feel it now, but you have to fake it until you make it.”
“This is all in your mind. Just smile, and you will feel better.”
“Only focus on feeling better, and you’ll see your problems disappear.”
While positivity can be a helpful tool for overcoming certain challenges and setbacks, constantly feigning happiness can take a serious toll on our mental health and can prevent us from addressing the root causes of our problems.

Here are three research-backed reasons why it’s sometimes not OK to just keep smiling.

1. It bottles up real emotions.
It is impossible to expect yourself to be 100 percent genuine and authentic about what you are feeling on the inside. Time, place, and situation often dictate the appropriateness of our expressions—guiding us, in certain cases, to protect someone else’s feelings or respect others’ space.

Holding back and masking your true emotions with a smile for the greater good is a good skill to have at your disposal. However, always smiling to avoid dealing with your own discomfort can be a sign of a deeper, toxic pattern.

One study published in the Academy of Management Journal discovered that workers who tried to fake their emotions and go on with their day reported worsened emotional states over time.

Smiling to keep up a facade is self-deceiving and only delays the inevitable. While sometimes we need to smile our way through a tough spot, constantly divorcing yourself from your true feelings does more psychological harm than good.

2. It leads to unrealistic beliefs.
Conventional wisdom suggests the more people smile, the more positive they feel, and those positive feelings enhance well-being.

Challenging this popular belief, an article published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that frequent smiling may, in fact, backfire. It is not the act of smiling itself that increases happiness or well-being, but the interpretation of the smile as a reflection of happiness that holds more weight.

To put simply, the belief “I am happy because I smile” can be counterproductive as opposed to “I smile because I am happy.”

Other unhelpful beliefs that can lead to unrealistic expectations and jeopardize well-being are:

“I am invincible; nothing hurts me” versus “I am strong enough to overcome this obstacle.”
“My life is just perfect” versus “I am happy where I currently am, and I will work toward making a better life for myself.”
“I am the most beautiful among my friends” versus “I love the way I look and enjoy making an effort on my appearance.”
Affirmations that don’t align with one’s internal values can lead to added resistance, creating complacency and reduced accountability for one’s own happiness.

3. It gives an untrue impression.
In the quest to convince yourself of your happiness, you also inevitably give the same impression to friends and loved ones, which prompts them to treat you in a particular manner.

While a positive self-representation can definitely encourage a more positive outlook, an honest self-representation returns on one’s need for social support. Studying the online behavior of individuals on Facebook, researchers found that genuine self-disclosure plays an important role in signaling one’s need for social support.

“While hiding behind a smiling Facebook mask, one may still feel happy,” states the lead author of the study, psychologist Junghyun Kim. “Such happiness, however, may not be rooted in meaningful social support provided by Facebook friends.”

Conclusion
Continuously feigning happiness and positivity can lead to a misrepresentation of your true emotional state. This can cause emotional confusion, and it can influence others to interact with you in unhelpful ways. Most importantly, it can get in the way of you getting the mental health help and support you need.

ALCOHOLISM-
Why I’m Hooked on Psych.
A Personal Perspective: The study and treatment of addictive disorders.
Reviewed by Lybi Ma

KEY POINTS-
Alcohol use disorder is a global and prevalent mental health concern.
Having a parent with an alcohol use disorder can be life-altering, but it does not need to be life-defining.
There is support for individuals who are close to those with problems related to drinking.
I have spent nearly half of my life studying psychology, with much of this time focused on substance use and addiction. It is not uncommon for others to ask why I have chosen to devote so much of myself to the study of and treatment of addictive disorders.

The Personal Hook
I initially entered this field for very personal reasons. My father had an alcohol use disorder. While the definition of AUD has changed over time, it is currently diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria as having two or more symptoms related to one’s drinking that have a significant physical and or emotional impact on one’s life.1 Examples of these symptoms include difficulty controlling or stopping one’s drinking and continued drinking despite social, interpersonal, or occupational problems. These symptoms need to be in place over the past 12 months for it to be a current concern. While I will never know if my father was formally diagnosed with AUD, his drinking pattern and behaviour when intoxicated were consistent with this diagnosis.

While the personal impact can play out very differently in various households, I often felt alone among my peers as a child and then as a teenager navigating being a child of someone with AUD. Little did I know that AUDs are one of the most prevalent mental health conditions in the world, affecting nearly 9 percent of adult men and nearly 2 percent of adult women.2 I was actually among millions of children with a parent with AUD.

Unfortunately, my father did not reach a point where he regained control over his drinking. He died suddenly from heart disease a few weeks shy of his 67th birthday. It is a common misconception that alcohol is good for the heart. In fact, alcohol use, particularly when exceeding one to two standard drinks per day, has been shown to have toxic effects on heart health.3 To help cope with this loss, I briefly attended Al-Anon, a group focused on supporting people who are worried about someone else’s drinking.4 This group was incredibly helpful and supportive, and I only wished I had learned about this option earlier in my life.

Within a few months of processing my grief, I changed career paths and majors from pre-med to psychology, with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. Needless to say, these personal experiences played an incredibly important role in who I am and where I am today.

The Intellectual Hook
While these personal factors undoubtedly steered my life towards clinical psychology and researching and treating addiction, I have grown to appreciate that my passion for this field has outgrown my original reasons for study. Addiction to substances is incredibly widespread, and the use of certain substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, are leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity.2,5 Nonetheless, further work is needed to develop and strengthen interventions for many of these concerns. My continued work in this area is fueled by my desire to rectify this problem for individuals who are harmed by substances, including those who use the substances and those who are in their lives.

Where I am now
I conduct research examining factors increasing the risk for substance-related concerns and evaluate and develop interventions for substance use. I also supervise and mentor students who have an interest in this field, with the hope of nurturing future researchers and clinicians.

Why Mothers Are Our Number One Hero.
Mothers fulfill at least a dozen important psychological functions of heroism.
Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

KEY POINTS-
Research consistently shows that people list their mother as their favorite hero.
Mothers fulfill many important psychological functions involving mental and emotional well-being.
Mothers can mentor us through our nostalgic reminiscing even after they are gone.

Each year we celebrate Mother’s Day and for good reason. Our mothers are our number one heroes, according to our surveys. Fathers occupy second place in our hero surveys, but they are a distant second.

Mothers are indeed the mother of all heroes.

How do mothers do it? Over the past decade, psychologists have been able to identify at least 12 functions of heroes and heroism:
Heroes give us hope.
Heroes energize us.
Heroes develop us.
Heroes heal us.
Heroes impart wisdom.
Heroes are role models for morality.
Heroes offer safety and protection.
Heroes give us positive emotions.
Heroes give us meaning and purpose.
Heroes provide social connection and reduce loneliness.
Heroes help individuals achieve personal goals.
Heroes help society achieve societal goals.
Our mothers play a role in fulfilling these 12 functions, either directly or indirectly. This list of hero functions tells us that mothers offer benefits that span many dimensions of human well-being.

First, Mothers confer basic survival benefits (e.g., safety and healing). They protect us when we’re young and vulnerable and are there for us when we get sick or injured. Second, consistent with recent research, mothers give us cognitive benefits, such as intelligence, creativity, and wisdom.

Third, mothers offer motivational benefits. They are our biggest cheerleaders and inspire us to become our best selves. Fourth, mothers provide emotional benefits. Although there are obvious exceptions, mothers are often warmer and more nurturant than fathers.

Fifth, mothers bestow moral and spiritual benefits. Mothers teach us empathy and compassion for others. As children, we watch our mothers’ selflessness and daily sacrifices and learn that we’re all called to perform these acts of kindness for others. Finally, our mothers offer existential benefits such as meaning and purpose. They show us that connection and love for family and friends are the foundation for living a healthy life.

In short, mothers help us survive, and they help us thrive. They help us through our worst times and prepare us for our best times. Fathers do these things, too, but mothers somehow have an edge.

One of the most important research findings about heroes is that they don’t have to be physically present to help us survive and thrive. Research shows that just remembering our heroes can do the job for us. Nostalgia for our mothers, whether they’re alive or gone, can produce these 12 benefits of heroism. We all benefit from the memory of our heroes, often in ways we’re unaware of.

Mother’s Day far exceeds Father’s Day regarding greeting card sales and gift expenditures, and for good reason. Mothers are our Number One Hero because they shape us in the best of ways. They are there for us when we need emotional support. Mothers love us and hug us. They comfort us when we most need it and role model love in countless ways.

Social norms are changing, and we now see more fathers taking on the role of nurturers than in previous generations. But the emerging science of heroism helps explain why we reserve a special place in our hearts for our heroic mothers.