Everyday people are falling victims to scams and fraud. Embarrassment and guilt can prevent people from reporting the incident. Not everyone is aware that there are resources available to help navigate the justice system. Today's guest is Rachel Gibson. Rachel is the Director of the Center of Victim Service Professionals at the National Center for Victims of Crime where she works to further the mission by supporting and overseeing programs for victim service professionals, providing training and technical assistance.

Show Notes:

• [0:48] - Rachel shares her background and her role as the Director of the Center of Victim Service Professionals.

• [2:53] - We talk a lot about prevention work, but there aren't as many resources for what to do after an incident.

• [3:47] - Rachel explains the background and how the Center for Victims of Crime was founded.

• [5:46] - Many victims are experiencing polyvictimization and may not realize they are victims of a crime at first.

• [7:14] - 24-hour hotlines are available and very impactful.

• [8:51] - Rachel describes the different programs that she is involved in at the Center for Victims of Crime.

• [9:57] - Part of the work she does is helping people realize the intersection and connections between different types of crime.

• [12:08] - Oftentimes in these cases, this is the first time victims have been involved with the justice system.

• [14:02] - Maybe a victim doesn't want to go to law enforcement, but the crime should still be reported.

• [15:12] - Financial fraud is a crime where society victim blames right out of the gate.

• [16:24] - The conversation shouldn't be about who is victimized, but rather who is being targeted.

• [19:17] - Google is a great first step in determining legitimacy.

• [21:51] - Fraudsters are banking on targets not being knowledgeable.

• [23:55] - We have to come to the conversation with an attitude of empowerment.

• [26:26] - Rachel explains how partnerships are important as service professionals will likely hear about crimes.

• [28:47] - Legally, there's a difference between a scam and fraud. But there's always an opportunity to connect people to resources.

• [32:07] - Think about what someone needs in the moment. It might not be to go to law enforcement.

• [35:03] - Talk to your friends and family. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• [36:24] - A big trend right now in questions and concerns is the intersection of AI and fraud.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

Links and Resources:

• Podcast Web Page

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• National Center for Victims of Crime Website

• Victim Connect Resource Center