Expert Witness Journal Dec 24 - Journal - Page 34
the perpetrator is someone close – a family member,
partner, or friend – the betrayal can hurt even more.
The victim is left not only with a financial loss but also
with a shattered relationship which may never fully heal.
development. What were the tell-tale signs? Next time,
is there someone I can contact straight away who can
help verify if I am being targeted by fraudsters? Are
there measures I can put in place (like Cifas) which
can help me falling victim to fraud moving forward?
Even when the fraudster is a stranger, the experience
can make victims wary of others. They may become
overly cautious and doubt the intentions of people that
they once trusted. This can strain personal relationships, making it difficult for victims to reconnect with
loved ones or form new, meaningful connections. The
fear of being taken advantage of again can leave
victims isolated and alone in their suffering.
Always remember that fraud is deceitful by nature and
is intended to trick you by playing on the core aspects
of human nature. Falling victim to fraud is not shameful, nor should it ever be perceived in that way. If you
are ever in doubt, always speak to someone who may
be able to assist.
Crowe’s Forensic Services team are accredited counter
fraud specialists and can support with investigating
cases of fraud. For further information on anything
discussed in the article, please contact Daniel
Sibthorpe.
The cycle of shame and self-blame
One of the most common yet least talked about
consequences of fraud is the sense of shame that many
victims feel. Despite being deceived through no fault of
their own, victims often internalise the blame, believing
they were “stupid” or “naive” to have fallen for the scam,
particularly when those close to them make comments
like “how could you fall for that?”. This self-blame can be
crippling and particularly damaging to one’s self-esteem,
leading to a cycle of negative thoughts.
About the author:
Daniel Sibthorpe
Senior Manager, Forensic Services, Crowe UK
+44 (0)20 7842 5308
daniel.sibthorpe@crowe.co.uk
Daniel is a Senior Manager in the Forensic Services
team and manages the delivery of cybercrime and
fraud related projects. He is an Accredited Counter
Fraud Specialist and a BSc Psychology and MSc Cybercrime and Counter Fraud & Corruption graduate
from the University of Portsmouth. His experience
has led to Daniel leading on Crowe’s international engagements; from investigating complex organised
fraud, to uncovering undisclosed criminal networks,
to projects relating to the dark web.
Societal attitudes to those who experience fraud can
often exacerbate this shame. There is a stigma attached
to being defrauded, which fuelled by a belief that victims should have been more cautious or that they were
somehow complicit in their own victimisation. This
mentality prevents many victims from coming forward
or seeking help, which they so often need. The psychological burden of shame and self-blame can have lasting
impacts, contributing to symptoms of depression, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you are unfortunate enough to experience fraud,
what should you do?
• Report to Action Fraud – Action Fraud is the UK’s
national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
You can either report the fraud via their online fraud
reporting tool, or by calling them directly.
• Contact your bank – If your bank accounts have
been impacted, then make sure you contact your bank
immediately to freeze your account and attempt to
recover funds.
• Consider the use of proactive counter fraud
measures – There are services that exist, such as
Cifas’s Protection Registration, which (for a small fee)
put a warning flag against your name and other personal details on their National Fraud Database. This
means that any organisation that uses Cifas data to
apply for their products will carry out extra checks to
ensure that it is really you, who has contacted them,
and not a fraudster.
• Confide in family and friends (where possible) –
Sometimes it can be difficult to confide in family and
friends due to the stigma around being a victim of
fraud, and romance fraud in particular. However, if
you have a trusted circle of individuals you can lean on
in difficult moments, then it is important that you
contact these individuals.
• Lessons learned – Reflect on the incident, not from
a negative perspective, but from a place of personal
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
32
DECEMBER 2024
