Online Support Organizations
End Elder Fraud – This organization facilitates in person fraud awareness seminars, and is moving soon to offering them as online webinars. You’ll find examples of scam calls on their website; it is helpful to hear how some aspects of these calls sound!
There are several resources listed on this site, and in particular there are some documentaries you can find on Netflix or other streaming services: https://www.advocatingforu.com
This organization has support groups you can join: https://fightcybercrime.org
AARP has support groups, information, and a hotline: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/about-fraud-watch-network/
Please, if you find another one get in touch with me, I’d love to talk with you about it and check it out!
Federal/United States Fraud Reporting and Information:
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety
FTC Fraud Report Website: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
My resources, also available in some pages of this website:
My video series for survivors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJJ66OXQ1L9syBTSfl1CQNLkZEH7HEYH
The webpage on my main site: https://www.lifepathscounseling.com/emotional-support-fraud-scams/
Purchase the book, The Emotional Impact of Being Scammed and How to Recover
Online video series courses for those in supportive roles: https://lifepaths-school-7a8b.thinkific.com/
Collaboration and Advocacy
I’ve interviewed on a few episodes of Scammer Stories Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/255162 (she also has a Facebook page titled “Scammer Stories”)
Excellent source of information on different kinds of scams: https://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com (Mr. Henderson also has a Facebook group with this name)
I was able to participate in a webinar for the first annual World Romance Scam Prevention Day on October 3, when a video is posted I will add it here, and for now, here is the website to read about it: https://protectingheartsday.com.
(more coming soon!)
Books
I have found each of the books below to be helpful as I have researched and learned about scams and this is why I have included them here. You should also know, however, that if you click on one of these links, I may earn a small commission on purchases you make at that website.
Crimes of Persuasion, by Les Henderson
Martina Dove’s book, The Psychology of Fraud, Persuasion, and Scam Techniques
Propaganda, by Edward Bernays (although this was published quite a few years ago, this and other materials by Edward Bernays demonstrate a lot of persuasion techniques, and how advertising has been shaped by his ideas; there’s a related documentary on YouTube you may find interesting that includes quite a bit about Edward Bernays, called “Century of the Self“)
The Hidden Persuaders, by Vance Packard
Combating Cult Mind Control, by Stephen Hassan (this one may surprise you, but I found good information in this and other books by Dr. Hassan about how to help someone escape the control of another person or group)
For healing, trauma, and overcoming negative self-talk, you could try one of these books:
How We Heal, by Alexandra Elle
Buddha’s Brain, by Rick Hanson
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
I will keep adding resources as I come across them!