Kuala Lampur, Oct. 9 -- By shifting our focus from victim-blaming to conversational analysis, we can dismantle the coercive scripts behind financial fraud.

"You should have been more careful." "Foolish people lose money like that." "Uneducated." "Greedy." "Use your brain." These are the harsh words scam victims often hear after losing their money. Instead of receiving sympathy and support, they are frequently blamed for what happened to them.

But before we point a finger at a scam victim, we should pause and ask: Was the victim really making decisions in a neutral state of mind? In almost every case, the answer is no. A scam phone call suddenly confronts a person with intense fear, artificial urgency, aggressive authority, and uncertain...