What happens when someone is so deeply caught in a scam that facts and logic no longer reach them?
In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger Levin sits down with Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour, to explore the emotional and psychological impact of scams and why empathy is so important in prevention, intervention and recovery.
When someone is in the middle of a scam, they may be under intense pressure, emotionally invested or deeply manipulated. Simply telling them, “This is a scam,” may not work.
Trina introduces a powerful green, yellow and red framework for understanding a victim’s emotional state. If someone is in the red, bringing more logic may only push them further away. Instead, we need to recognize where they are, slow things down and adapt how we communicate.
“Trust is the connective tissue to all of this.”
The conversation also looks at the broader scam lifecycle, from early intervention to financial institution response, recovery and healing. Because scams are not only financial crimes. They can leave victims struggling with shame, isolation, loss of trust and increased vulnerability to repeat scams.
Ultimately, fighting scams requires more than detection. It requires understanding human behavior and meeting people where they are.
In this episode
- Why logic alone may not stop a scam
- The green, yellow and red emotional framework
- How empathy can improve scam intervention
- Building trust without shaming the customer
- The emotional impact of scams
- Preventing repeat victimization
- Connecting prevention, recovery and healing
About the guest
Dr. Trina Clayeux is CEO of Give an Hour, a national social impact organization focused on mental health and supporting people impacted by human caused trauma. Give an Hour provides clinical support, peer support, education and training, including programs focused on the psychological and emotional impact of fraud and scams.
https://giveanhour.org/
About the host
Ayelet Biger Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI, the company behind ScamRanger. With more than 15 years in fraud prevention and cybersecurity, she is an Ambassador for the Global Anti Scam Alliance and host of Scam Rangers, exploring how we can better protect people and fight scams.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/
To learn more about RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/
