Hello everyone, so I just got scammed almost all my savings today. I am only a teenager and it is the first time I have experienced this. To be honest, I don’t really know how to cope. My mom is quite mad at me for my ‘silly mistake’, she is adamant about me not going out and honestly, that truly sucks. I know I should not blame myself for this, I really can’t help but do so since the loss means a lot to me. If anyone has a similar experience, I hope we can have a meaningful conversation about it, perhaps? Or do give me advice to recover from this. Thank you!
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Omai. It must have been tough for you 
I went through 1 scam before but the consequences of it was I can’t recover my account 
it’s really easy to blame ourselves when this kind of thing happens (I meant no one wants this right) so I feel you and my parents also gave me a lecture 
, slowly but surely you will be alright 
- coping can look different to everyone, what may help me, may not necessarily help you but you can try it - for me I cope by crying, colouring , holding my favourite toy, sleeping early, eating my comfort food 
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I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve also been scammed before and it definitely sucks to be on the receiving end.
If the loss is significant, I’d recommend to make a police report first and see if there’s any chance of recovering some of your savings. There’s a high chance you won’t be able to get anything back but at least it may help prevent future scams for other people.
I don’t have many coping mechanisms to share but I guess you could take this chance to “restart”? This is an expensive lesson but I’m sure you learnt something from this episode and hopefully use this experience to help others (and yourself) in future too.
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Hey Joules,
Im sorry to hear about this 
I hear that the loss means a lot to you and it sounds like you have worked hard to accumulate those savings…Realizing that you have lost most of it, then getting scolded and asked to stay at home must feel quite frustrating and shocking 
As a teenager, managing finances and saving up is a new experience for many so it is quite normal to be feeling the way you do and not know how to cope (Im also trying to learn myself heh). It’s easy to start self-blaming in situations like these but you mentioned that it’s your first time experiencing this. Just wanted to point out that even adults/ elderly can get scammed too, the goal for scammers is to exploit their victims regardless of age.
Hope you can also hold space to be compassionate and gentle with yourself, making mistakes is part of learning too 
Reaching out on this platform like you are doing is already a good start to learn from others’ experiences and get useful advice from the other users. All the best 
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Hi Joules,
I’ve gotten scammed too and I remember the scammer used my account to scam others and my friends were very angry at me…so I can imagine how you must feel too. I remember feeling a lot of guilt and feeling stupid for getting scammed but I hope you also recognize that it’s not on you, but the scammer’s fault for being so exploitative of others trust. Humans are meant to cooperate and trust each other for progress, but unfortunately, people (such as scammers) can take advantage of that. Now thinking back, I guess the silver lining of that situation was that I’ve become quite wary of scams now and help prevent others from falling into scams whenever I see something similar 
Since you posted this, how have things been? I know it’s difficult not to self-blame but I hope you feel a little less alone hearing everyone else’s scam stories. Please feel free to update us how you feel and what you’ve been doing to cope so far! 
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Dear @joules,
Thank you for openly sharing with us. I’m really sorry to hear about what happened to you. It’s understandable that you’re feeling upset and unsure of how to cope with this difficult situation. Remember that it’s important to be kind to yourself and not blame yourself entirely for what happened. Scams, especially in the recent times, can be very sophisticated and designed to deceive even the most cautious individuals. You are most definitely not alone in this.
Like some of the users have mentioned, I’m curious to know if you’ve reported the scam? For what it’s worth, this could help others from falling victim in the future and perhaps assist you in recovering your savings.
In the meantime, here are a couple of suggestions on how you can manage your emotions in this trying time:
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Allow yourself to feel. It’s natural to feel a wide range of emotions, including anger, sadness, and frustration. Give yourself permission to acknowledge and process these emotions. Find healthy outlets for your feelings, such as talking to a trusted friend, writing in a journal, or engaging in activities you enjoy.
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Educate yourself: Take this experience as an opportunity to learn about scams, online safety, and financial literacy. Understanding the warning signs and best practices for protecting yourself can help prevent similar situations in the future. This site by the National Crime Prevention Council seems to have comprehensive information on warning signs, types of scams etc in our local context.
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Take small steps towards rebuilding your savings. While it may feel overwhelming, try to take small steps towards rebuilding your savings once again. Create a budget or financial plan to help you manage your remaining funds wisely. Consider seeking advice from a trusted adult or a financial professional who can guide you through the process. You may also wish to refer to some of the resources we have on money management and financial literacy here.
Lastly, healing from such experiences takes time, and it’s important to be patient and gentle with yourself. As you navigate through this, try to focus on the lessons learned and the steps you can take to protect yourself in the future.
We wish you the very best, and please take care!
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