Getting scammed can do more than break the bank — it can break the mind
STUDY: Ahmad SK et al, J Psychiatr Pract 2026;32:86–89
STUDY TYPE: Case series
FUNDING: Independent
Background
Online fraud is surging globally. Victims commonly report anger, anxiety, and depression — but psychosis? That’s less recognized. This report describes two cases of brief psychotic disorder triggered by the stress of being scammed online.
The Study
Two women in Malaysia — a 26-year-old student and a 39-year-old accountant — developed frank psychosis after losing money to online fraud. Both had no prior psychiatric history and negative medical and toxicological workups. Both were diagnosed with brief psychotic disorder with marked stressor (DSM-5-TR) and responded to antipsychotic treatment within two weeks.
The student lost her entire student loan to an investment scam and developed auditory and visual hallucinations, persecutory delusions, and disorganized behavior. The accountant was victimized by a romance scam, losing $4,500, and became paranoid, locked herself in her home, and was eventually found removing her clothes on a highway.
Practice Implications
- Acute stress dysregulates the HPA axis, which can drive dopamine dysregulation in susceptible individuals — the same pathway implicated in other stress-triggered psychoses.
- 1 in 3 Americans were victims of online scams in the past year, with increasingly sophisticated techniques.
- Scammers create delusional beliefs in their victims to enact fraud. We are all susceptible. Learn more about the psychology of scammers in our two part podcast series, PART 1 and PART 2.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
What’s Your Take? Share in Comments
- Are you seeing patients, friends, or colleagues who are victims of fraud?
