5 ways to end victim blaming language
The way we talk about scams and financial crime experiences shapes public understanding, policy responses, and survivors’ ability to seek help.
We should be using language that focusses on the criminals and the institutions enabling them to peddle their harms - but most victims retreat into self-blame, rumination and shame.
All too often, outdated stereotypes and subtle blame creep into our words, discouraging victims from speaking up and making recovery harder. Try these 5 ways to turn the discussion around.
find the best way to talk about crime, not ‘scams’
The word ‘scam’ is a euphemistic word that hides the harms of the industrial-scale human trafficking, drug-running and forced scam compounds which Amnesty and Interpol have called out as a global crisis.
Financial crime, fraud and elaborate social engineering are tools turning democratic world orders upside down - these crimes are not caused by one lone hacker in a hoodie trying to steal your money.
They are elaborate schemes with bad nation states and threat actors operating as professionalised crime networks.
2. social engineering is the biggest threat vector - not your stupidity
Too many victim-survivors say: “I can't believe I didn’t see it.” That’s normal. Scammers - and their enablers - create an entire world where doubt is suppressed and trust is engineered.
Many red flags only look obvious after the scam is exposed.
Most financial crimes don’t rely on stupidity, they rely on:
Cognitive overload and people being too busy to thoroughly check (too much to process at once)
Emotional manipulation (love, fear, urgency - there’s a reason investment, romance and job scams flourish - these are core emotional needs that are exploited by scammers)
Social trust (fake authority figures, testimonials - nearly every scam starts with impersonation or deception around something you trust)
Timing (moments of stress, loneliness, or change like buying a house or being widowed)
Remind others that scams are psychological operations, as well as criminal.
3. reframing the experience
Dont say: “I lost $30,000 to a romance scam”. Say: “A sophisticated fraud ring exploited me through emotional abuse”.
Don’t say: “I should’ve checked the link before clicking on it". Say: “The phishing attack was designed to trick even the most careful users”.
Don’t say: “I fell for it”. Say: “I was targeted and manipulated by criminals”.
4. help for the media or other family members
Financial crime can happen to any of us.
Focus on the scam’s design, not the victim’s choices.
Avoid sensationalism (like “duped” or “fooled” headlines).
Use person-first language: “Person affected by fraud” instead of “gullible victim.”
5. Words matter to ensure change happens
Cyber-enabled crime survivors are not just victims - they are witnesses to a growing crisis and have the power to advocate for changing. By using accurate, compassionate language, every survivor can help build a culture where:
Survivors feel safe to report and recover.
Media coverage is fair and informed.
Public shame is replaced by public awareness.