On Friday, I wrote an article about some research on the psychology of scams.  In that article, I attempted to dispel a few myths about victims of online scams.  For example, there is an idea that scam victims do not think before being victimized.  This research indicates that victims of scams actually devote more time to thinking about scams than those who are not victimized.

The saddest thing about crime is the fact that so many victims choose to remain silent. Can you imagine how it would feel to be a victim who cannot report a crime? Can you imagine the shame? And can you imagine how incredibly helpless you would feel?

Many resources exist for victims on online crime. If you are in Canada, contact Phonebusters - the Canadian anti-fraud call centre.  You can reach Phonebusters by calling 1-888-495-8501, or you can email them at info@phonebusters.com.  Or, if you are in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National White Collar Crime Center, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance have teamed up to form the Internet Crime Complaint Center.  They have a contact form right on their home page.

Phonebusters and the IC3 are two amazing organizations and frankly, I am very glad that they both exist.