Scams and Fraud: Emotional Impact and Recovery

Source: Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center

Published: 2023

Summary:

The impact of fraud and scams is generally described by highlighting the amount of money transmitted from victims to perpetrators. That financial loss, even when it is devastating, only illuminates one piece of victims’ experiences. This session discusses how to identify the emotional toll taken by fraud, the range of emotions experienced by victims both immediately after the victimization and over time, and steps a service provider or advocate can be taken to improve the wellbeing of older fraud victims. We also confront, although we don’t promise to completely answer, the question of what can be done when victims are reluctant to believe they are on fraudsters’ hook. The presentation addresses how we talk about fraud and why some of the common language describing fraud can inadvertently harm victims, including by implying they are to blame for failing to identify the fraud, and our collective fraud fighting efforts, including by implying only certain people are vulnerable to fraud.

This webinar is the third session in a four-part series on fraud and scams. You need not watch every part of the series, please join us for some or all!