Excerpt from Breaking Free: How Scammers Manipulate and How to Fight Back
https://youtube.com/shorts/3Evry8vtBNU?si=l3Pay0YORfuMR8kp
Self-Assessment Questionnaire:
Have You Been Scammed?
Instructions: Answer the following questions honestly. If you answer “Yes” to multiple questions, you may have been targeted by a scammer.
🚨 Section 1: Identifying the Scam Relationship
1️⃣ Did you meet this person online, through social media, a dating app, or a business connection?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣ Has this person claimed to be a professional (doctor, engineer, military, investor) who is currently working overseas or in a different country?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
3️⃣ Did they avoid video calls or live conversations, citing technical issues or work-related reasons?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
4️⃣ Do they seem too perfect—kind, patient, deeply interested in your life, but never revealing too much about themselves?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
5️⃣ Have they quickly established emotional closeness (calling you “love,” “dear,” or saying they feel deeply connected to you)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
6️⃣ Have they discouraged you from discussing your relationship or connection with others?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
7️⃣ Has their communication been inconsistent, alternating between extreme attention and unexplained disappearances?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
8️⃣ Have they shared a dramatic personal hardship (widowed, single parent, lost everything, dealing with corruption at work)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
💰 Section 2: Financial Requests & Manipulation
9️⃣ Have they asked for any money, even if it was for a “small favor” at first?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
🔟 Did they frame the request as a temporary emergency (stolen wallet, delayed payment, hospital fees, travel expenses)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣1️⃣ Did they insist they would pay you back as soon as they got their next paycheck, accessed an account, or completed a business deal?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣2️⃣ Have you sent money via wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or through a money app (Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, PayPal, Western Union, etc.)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣3️⃣ Did they make you feel guilty if you hesitated or said no to a financial request?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣4️⃣ Have they asked you to keep a financial request private or discouraged you from discussing it with friends/family?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣5️⃣ Have you given them access to your bank account, credit card, or other financial information?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣6️⃣ Did they encourage you to take out a loan, sell something, or dip into savings/retirement funds to “help” them?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣7️⃣ Have they ever claimed to have sent you a check, deposit, or package that required you to send money first (for customs, fees, verification, etc.)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
1️⃣8️⃣ Have they ever said that money they previously received from you was “stuck” and had to be resent?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
🔍 Section 3: Psychological & Behavioral Changes
1️⃣9️⃣ Have you felt emotionally dependent on this person, even though you have never met in person?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣0️⃣ Have you started withdrawing from friends and family or avoiding discussions about your relationship with them?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣1️⃣ Have you felt increasingly anxious, depressed, or isolated since meeting this person?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣2️⃣ Has this person made you question your own judgment or instincts when you expressed concerns?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣3️⃣ Do you feel obligated to help them because they’ve “been through so much” or because they “would do the same for you”?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣4️⃣ Have you noticed financial strain (missing bills, debt increasing, paycheck disappearing faster) but kept justifying it?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣5️⃣ Have you tried to block them before, only to be drawn back in with guilt, promises, or new urgent problems?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
🚩 Section 4: Confirming the Scam (Advanced Research Questions)
2️⃣6️⃣ Have you done a reverse image search on their profile pictures to see if they appear elsewhere?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣7️⃣ Have you researched their name, job title, and employer and found discrepancies or no trace of them?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣8️⃣ If they introduced you to a “friend,” “lawyer,” or “colleague,” did they also make financial requests?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
2️⃣9️⃣ If you’ve tried to meet in person, has something always come up (work emergency, visa issue, last-minute crisis)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
3️⃣0️⃣ Have you seen any unnatural phrases in their messages (e.g., “well understood,” “I’m a God-fearing man,” “you are needful to me”)?
• ☐ Yes
• ☐ No
🔴 Scoring & Next Steps
✅ 0-2 “Yes” Answers
• You may be safe, but continue to be cautious.
• Do not send money or share personal information.
⚠️ 3-5 “Yes” Answers
• You may be dealing with a scam.
• Review your interactions for red flags.
• Stop sending money immediately.
🚨 6-10 “Yes” Answers
• You are likely being scammed.
• Cease communication and seek help from an anti-fraud organization.
• Run a credit report & check your accounts for fraudulent activity.
🛑 11+ “Yes” Answers
• This is a full-blown scam.
• Block all contact immediately.
• Report the scam to the FTC (IdentityTheft.gov) and your local authorities.
• Seek financial and emotional support.
🚨 If You Think You’ve Been Scammed:
✔️ Immediately stop all financial transactions and block communication.
✔️ Report the scam to your bank, credit bureaus, and law enforcement.
✔️ Talk to a trusted friend or family member for support.
✔️ Protect your financial future—monitor your credit and accounts for fraud.
📢 You are NOT alone, and there is help available. The sooner you act, the better your chances of minimizing the damage.
Additional resources https://againstscams.org/