Beware of Scams Targeting Therapists
Email Notice Sent: Mon 5/04/09 2:37 PM
from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Member
Services
Dear Floyd Else,
We have been alerted to
an email scam targeting therapists and other helping professionals.
A person posing as a prospective client, or who claims to represent
a prospective client, will contact you to pre-arrange a series of
sessions. Often, they will claim the client is traveling to
your area from another country and the client will be in your area
for only a short period of time. They describe a problem that
is quite compelling, and ask for your help. They then propose
to pre-pay for the sessions. Upon your agreement, they send you a
check. Shortly after, they cancel the pre-paid sessions and
demand an immediate refund. Only after you send the refund do
you realize the original check was fraudulent and worthless.
There may be variations
on the scam, such as the (fraudulent) check being written for an
amount far greater than agreed upon, and the refund request is for
the overpayment. In some cases the check appears to come from
a third party agent in the United States. Other professionals,
such as massage therapists, dentists, etc. have also been targeted.
Therapists are vulnerable because the situation described sounds
plausible, and we want to help. It is also attractive because
the series of sessions/treatment requested amounts to a great deal
of potential income.
Beware of anyone who
requests to pre-pay for services before you have met them. Do
not issue a refund for payment before you are certain the payment
has completely cleared your bank. These and other common sense
precautions will ensure that you do not fall victim to monetary
scams.
If you (AAMFT
members) happen to receive this kind of solicitation or suspect
something may be fraudulent, please forward a copy of that email to
us.
Sincerely,
AAMFT Member Services Staff
[Webmaster note: I consider Reparative Therapy to be a misleading scam against
homosexuals, their parents and the legitimate counselors who serve
the gay-lesbian community.]
"Reparative therapy, the
psychotherapeutic process pioneered by Joseph Nicolosi and Charles
Socarides, is widely condemned by the vast majority of mental health
professionals, including the American Psychiatric Association, the
American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association,
the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling
Association. In addition, the National Association of School
Psychologists, the National Association of Social Workers and the
Royal College of Nursing also have renounced it.
"The supposed need for
reparative therapy derives solely from this assumption, that
homosexuality is a mental illness and, therefore, in need of
treatment. The fact that this assumption is based on
spiritual-scriptural interpretation, rather than on scientific
research and evidence, is apparent in that most reparative-therapy
practitioners and centers are financially backed and supported by
conservative Christian transformational ministries. They
maintain that homosexuality is a socially destructive and
undesirable chosen behavior, and that change is necessary and
possible." [ From" 'Ex-Gay Therapy' Leaders Confess to
the Scam," August 23 2007,
Mel Seesholtz. ]
