The number of people who are defrauded of money has increased sharply in recent years. Primarily, it is about card fraud through, for example, BankID, but also through social manipulation, he states crime-preventing counsel.
Despite the fact that in 2024 new records were broken in the number of reports against fraud, few dare to talk about it.
News24 have therefore spoken to Victoria Milosevskasenior physician in psychiatry, to get answers on how to deal with the shame of being a crime victim.
– Shame is perhaps the most taboo feeling we have. Many people can say they are angry or sad, but have a much harder time admitting that they feel shame, she says.
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Elderly people are affected by fraud
During her professional career, Viktorija Milosevska has met many victims of fraud, and common to the victims is that they never seek psychiatric help because they have been deceived, even if it is the cause of their mental illness.
– Instead, you blame anxiety or feeling bad, but that usually comes up when we talk about trauma or previous negative life events.
Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to fraud, which Viktorija Milosevska believes is due to the fact that they are not as familiar with digitalisation.
– It is a generation that is not so used to digital fraud. Everything is new, it’s fast. It’s hard to keep up, even if you’re middle-aged, she says and continues:
– These are professional complex operations that the criminals have established. Older people trust to a greater extent the good behavior of people and therefore do not suspect that there is an ulterior motive. You simply believe in the good.
Viktorija Milosevska is a senior physician in psychiatry. Photo: Annette ORiordan
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The psychiatrist: “You’re not stupid”
A natural consequence of being gullible is that you engage in fraud and maybe even get into debt.
Viktorija Milosevska believes that it is almost inevitable to feel ashamed after being the victim of a fraud, but to move on in life you need to stop blaming yourself.
– It’s so shameful for many, but it’s really nothing to be ashamed of. You’re not stupid, you’ve just been unlucky, she says.
Then it is important to contact your bank to see if they can help. Although it feels difficult, Viktorija Milosevska thinks it is good to report the incident to the police.
Then you have been proactive, which can help other victims, but it can also calm your own anxiety.
– Reporting does not have to mean that you are unsmart or naive, but it means that you have civil courage. By reporting, you help the police, the state and others who may experience this, she says and adds:
– Don’t forget that you are a hero if you have the courage to pick up the phone to the police.
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