Fraud and scam victims are a growing population worldwide, who are not only re-traumatized by victim-blaming when they seek support, there are few services that address and understand the emotional impact they have experienced. As mental health professionals, we can bridge this gap in support and guide them in their healing process.
Unfortunately, this population is growing fast. In 2023, the amount scammers stole from victims was more than $10 billion, and this was over five times the amount stolen in 2019. Scammers are becoming more skilled and technological advances are making it easier for them to steal. There is an urgent need for more of us to be knowledgeable about how this kind of crime happens, ways to prevent it, and ways to protect ourselves, too.
Read on to see the full course description, or click below to register for the course today!
Continuing Education Hours: 3.5 (the hours will increase soon, expected in December 2024, and CE approval is being applied for with NBCC and APA)
Join Cathy Wilson, LPC, ACS, in this professional development course in trauma treatment, to understand the unique challenges of working with scam and fraud victims. Experiencing this type of crime is traumatic, and effective clinical treatment requires a thorough understanding of how it is different than other forms of trauma. Scams in particular are shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and victim-blaming. The information you learn in this course will prepare you to effectively guide clients in their healing process.
We will examine the following topic areas:
- The emotional impact, the intensity of emotions, and the wide range of reactions that people frequently experience.
- Several ways to respond, and importantly, ways NOT to respond; this includes demonstration by viewing several of my videos that have been prepared for victims.
- How victim-blaming and the general public’s lack of understanding about how these crimes occur can contribute to secrecy, stigma, shame and can leave many victims unwilling to seek help.
- The systematic and structured way that scammers target victims and their use of manipulation tactics that include exploitation of biases, thinking errors, persuasion techniques, circumstances and beliefs/values.
- Clinical considerations including potential approaches, documentation examples for treatment plans and progress notes, and specific “homework” examples to support and guide clients in their healing process.
This course is created from many voices of victims (survivors!) about what they experienced and what they needed. There are very few published resources about the emotional impact victims experience. Those resources are based on what people share when they are willing to make the information public such as through social media, research, or an FBI report. This course, however, allows you to also gain an understanding directly from my work with scam and fraud survivors who were unwilling to share the information publicly. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the reluctance so many people have about telling anyone, even their closest friends and family.
In addition to the voices of victims/survivors, this material applies many concepts related to the power of manipulation and influence, drawn from resources on social psychology, social engineering, mind control, cults, abusive relationships, and sales/marketing.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain an understanding of the impact on a person after a scam or financial fraud crime has happened to them; this includes emotional, relational, and cognitive effects.
- Learn different ways of responding to a person in this situation, and ways of not responding.
- Understand stigma, victim blaming, and shame and how these contribute to an extremely distressing emotional experience when someone is the victim of fraud or a scam.
- Learn the many tactics that scammers and financial fraud criminals utilize as their weapons to steal from people, and how these can be used against anyone.
- Gain knowledge of ways to support victims clinically, and the common mental health concerns that clients present with.
Includes a special in-depth section on ways you can help your loved one see that they are in a relationship with a scammer. This requires patience and gentleness, and you’ll learn several ways to approach the topic and support them through the process.
Instructor Credentials:
Cathy Wilson is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado and Arizona, USA, and is also an Approved Clinical Supervisor. She specializes in working with people who have been scammed, and helping them heal and overcome this difficult experience. She has facilitated presentations on many aspects of the emotional impact of being scammed, has written a book on this topic, titled The Emotional Impact of Being Scammed and How to Recover, and has also created several trainings and informative videos on this topic as well.
Colorado Licensed Professional Counselor #6143
Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor #22949
Approved Clinical Supervisor #3328