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The Scammers’ Psychological Warfare: A Call to Arms

Hanoch, Yaniv ; Wood, Stacey ; DeLiema, Marguerite ; Han, S. Duke ; Lichtenberg, Peter A. (2026) — Psychological Science in the Public Interest

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DOI: 10.1177/15291006261431553 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Global
Tags:   AI-Enabled Fraud, Cross Cultural, Crypto Romance Scams, Financial Exploitation, Fraud And Scams, Law Enforcement, Older Adults, Pig Butchering, Prevention, Psychology, Romance Scams, Scam Susceptibility, Social Engineering, Victim Experience
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Synopsis

            
Fraud and scams represent some of the most widespread offenses globally, causing substantial emotional, financial, health, and psychological distress to millions each year. Although the scope of the problem is broad, the psychological research that investigates why certain individuals are more vulnerable to fraudulent solicitations, the methods scammers employ to attract victims, the therapeutic strategies that may aid those affected, and the design of educational or preventive programs to curb susceptibility, as well as how to improve reporting and what policies might protect the public, is still in its early stages. This article aims to address this urgent social issue by outlining a clear set of objectives. It begins by offering readers state-of-the-art insights into fraud research—summarizing what has been accomplished to date and identifying the most pressing gaps that remain unaddressed. A further objective is to communicate the urgency of the problem and to motivate researchers to pursue investigations that are relevant to their areas of expertise. By documenting current knowledge and highlighting critical unknowns, the piece seeks to mobilize scholars and practitioners alike to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of fraud dynamics and to develop targeted research agendas. In approaching these aims, the article also emphasizes the need for research that translates into real-world impact, bridging theoretical findings with practical applications that can inform policy, prevention, and intervention efforts. The overarching goal, however, extends beyond scholarly discourse. To effectively combat fraud, the article advocates for coordinated action that unites a broad array of stakeholders across sectors. Collaboration is urged among private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, educational providers, financial institutions, government agencies, grassroots and international movements, and law enforcement bodies, among others. By fostering such alliances, the work envisions pathways to translate knowledge into tangible change. The authors hope to captivate a diverse audience of interested parties and to stimulate partnerships that lead to direct, actionable outcomes—ranging from enhanced prevention and reporting mechanisms to informed policy development and coordinated responses that reduce the incidence and impact of fraudulent activities.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
Psychological fraud research is limited across behavioral, clinical, cognitive, forensic, health, personality, and neuropsychology. Evidence on demographic and individual risk factors is mixed and contingent on scam type, data source, and outcome measure. Research rarely measures stress or high arousal during scams; ethnicity, mental health, dementia, learning disability, risk perception, and non-older populations are underexamined. There are few bespoke victim treatments, limited evidence on financial-decision tools in fraud cases, and little research on the tactics and lifecycle of emerging crypto-romance and digital-arrest scams.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
This is a narrative, state-of-the-art review and call to action, described as comprehensive but not exhaustive. It synthesizes prior surveys, administrative complaint and law-enforcement records, longitudinal victim databases and cohorts, laboratory and field experiments, interviews, qualitative and mixed-methods studies, psychometric assessment development, neuropsychological testing, and neuroimaging. The review organizes evidence on scam prevalence, susceptibility, persuasion tactics, neurocognitive correlates, financial decision-making, impacts, prevention, reporting, and coordinated institutional responses.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The article states that psychological fraud research is methodologically limited and that evidence is inconsistent across studies. Findings vary because studies use different scam types, samples, measures, data sources, and outcomes such as susceptibility versus reported victimization. Reporting is substantially incomplete, which limits survey and administrative data. Neuroscience evidence is nascent, often based on older-adult samples, includes relatively few longitudinal studies, and sometimes has small samples that constrain generalizability. The review itself is explicitly comprehensive but not exhaustive.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Test scam-specific psychological tactics and stages, especially crypto-romance and digital-arrest scams. Conduct longitudinal, larger, and more representative studies to establish temporal links between cognitive, affective, contextual, and victimization factors. Develop and validate standardized, ecologically valid financial decision-making assessments and risk-prediction tools. Experimentally assess stress and emotional arousal, and test multilevel prevention, support, reporting, and recovery interventions involving platforms, banks, law enforcement, health services, and international stakeholders.

          

              

    
    

        
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