Description & Objectives

Continuing Education Hours: 1 CE for LPC, SW, LMFT, and Psychologists - NBCC Approved

Description:  The aim of this presentation is to offer a comprehensive view of online romance scams within the United States. Despite the increasing prevalence of online scams in this country, there has been a lack of concrete data on the prevalence or the firsthand experiences of those affected. This research gap contributes to a limited understanding and often leads to misconceptions and biases about romance scams. Drawing from a nationwide mixed methods pilot study, this presentation will present key findings to establish a foundational understanding of online romance scam victimization in the U.S. Additionally, it will outline implications for help-service providers such as law enforcement, judicial officials, victim advocates, and social workers. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and define online romance scams 
  • Identify tactics and techniques employed by scammers in online romantic relationships 
  • Explore the consequences following ORS victimization 
  • Identify barriers to reporting and seeking help from ORS victimization

Instructor

Rebecca Cole

Rebecca Cole is a licensed clinical social worker supervisor and practices in Texas. Rebecca is a PhD candidate at University of Texas at Arlington in their School of Social Work. Her research centers around online romance scams in the United States as well as social worker professional development. She resides and practices mainly in Houston, Texas. Rebecca has extensive experience in community mental health and works as a member of the Harris Center’s Crisis Intervention Response Team working on a co-responding mental health crisis team.