Category Archives: Crime

Ensuring Online Safety and Security for Seniors

The prevalence of online scams targeting seniors is an issue that demands our attention. In light of the increasing number of fraudulent activities on the internet, it is essential that seniors exercise prudence and caution when exploring online opportunities.

To assist seniors in navigating the online landscape and safeguarding their financial and personal information, we offer the following guidance:

  1. Comprehensive Research: Prior to engaging with any online opportunity, we strongly advise conducting thorough research on the company, the offer, and the individuals involved. Seek out reviews, ratings, and independent sources of information to verify the legitimacy of the opportunity.
  2. Avoid Get-Rich-Quick Schemes: Beware of offers that promise substantial profits with minimal effort or within an unrealistically short timeframe. Legitimate avenues for earning income typically require dedication, time, and skill development.
  3. Legitimacy Verification: Ascertain the legitimacy of the company or individual promoting the opportunity. Scammers often create counterfeit websites and profiles, so it is crucial to validate their contact information, physical address, and online reviews.
  4. Protection of Personal Information: Exercise caution when sharing personal and financial information online. Reputable companies will not request sensitive data at the outset, and seniors should only provide such information when they are entirely confident of an opportunity’s credibility.
  5. Beware of High-Pressure Tactics: Scammers often employ high-pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency and compel quick decisions. Seniors should resist making hasty choices and should take the time to evaluate an opportunity thoroughly.
  6. Access to Contact Information: Always check for a legitimate means of contacting the company or individual offering the opportunity. The absence of accessible contact information should be viewed as a red flag.
  7. Trust Your Instincts: If an offer appears too good to be true or elicits discomfort, it is advisable to trust your instincts. Warning signs should not be ignored.
  8. Consult Trusted Sources: Before committing to any opportunity, discuss it with friends, family, or a financial advisor. An external perspective can help identify potential scams.
  9. Self-Education: Seniors should familiarize themselves with common online scams and the tactics employed by fraudsters. A deeper understanding of potential threats can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim.
  10. Secure Payment Methods: When making payments for online opportunities, ensure the use of secure and reputable payment methods. Avoid wire transfers or unconventional channels.
  11. Stay Informed: Scammers continually adapt their tactics, necessitating the need for individuals to stay informed about the latest scams. Regularly check official government websites and consumer protection organizations for updates.
  12. Enable Security Measures: Maintain up-to-date security software and firewall protections on your devices to guard against phishing attempts and malware.
  13. Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Offers: Unsolicited emails, messages, or phone calls presenting enticing opportunities should be treated with skepticism. Legitimate opportunities are rarely presented in this manner.
  14. Reporting Suspicious Activity: If you encounter a potential scam or suspicious offer, it is imperative to report it to the relevant authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the equivalent agency in your country.

In conclusion, while legitimate opportunities for financial gain exist online, it is essential for seniors to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from scams. By staying informed and adhering to the provided guidelines, seniors can substantially reduce their vulnerability to online fraudulent activities.

 

Victims of Psychopathic Relationships

Victims of Psychopathic Relationships

Olympia Life Coach helps and supports victims of psychopaths. Suffering at the hands of a psychopath can have devastating results. At the very least, they will drain all of your energy, leaving you broken and alone and they may have drained all of your financial resources, leaving you broke and alone.

If you think you might be suffering at the hands of a psychopath, it might be a good idea to know how to identify whether the person responsible for your suffering is a psychopath. So, how can you identify a psychopath?

Is-he-or-she-a-psychopathHere are some signs that you might be dealing with a psychopath:

  1. Psychopaths are charismatic and are able to attract supporters easily. They are wonderful speakers who are able to engage their audience who can easily engage the emotions and attention of those fortunate enough to be in their presence. They exaggerate stories skewing the truth for their self-serving benefit and will go as far as to lie and place themselves in someone else’s story and claiming it is their own.
  2. Psychopaths are intellectual. They have a gift of having an incredibly sharp wit and intelligence enabling them to masquerade as highly-educated, bob and weave in live situations. This also makes them excellent con artists able to conceive, plan and execute elaborate schemes, while (mostly) staying one step ahead of the authorities.
  3. Psychopaths are devoid of feelings. They do not grieve, are incapable of feeling guilt, shame or remorse, empowering them to easily victimize anyone. They will enthusiastically engage in anything that bolsters their position at someone else’s expense. They do not love. They are incapable of giving or receiving love, but terribly acute at acting as though they are in the throes of love if it will help them achieve a desired result. They are great actors/performers with no real feelings whatsoever.
  4. Psychopaths are impulsive, often acting or speaking without thinking through potential consequences of their words or actions, and are more likely to take risks, being free of repercussion, since they see themselves as above the law or the constraints of the social norm.
  5. Psychopaths never lose. They will dominate anyone who gets in their way, will vehemently defend their position, often by telling lies and spinning wild tales in an effort to discredit naysayers.
  6. Psychopaths are never wrong. They never apologize; they do not feel remorse for hurting others and are incapable of feeling guilt. If asked to apologize, they will often strike out and attack their victim, rather than admit they may have made a mistake or misstep.
  7. Psychopaths believe their own press. Once they have said something, it becomes gospel in their mind; so much so, that they can often believe their own bold-faced lies, even to the point of being able to pass a lie detector test. They keep a long list of secrets and are not forthcoming about intimate details of their past unless they are fictitious.

In most cases, the victims invariably ask, “Why me?” This is often followed by feelings of self-doubt, taking responsibility for the loss to the extent of blaming themselves and even self-ridicule.

The truth is, it is not your responsibility, any more than it may have been your responsibility for being hit by a drunk driver; except in this case, the drunk driver did carefully seek you out and ran over you on purpose!

If you’re currently in a relationship with a psychopath (either professional or personal) you might ask, “Why not have the psychopath seek treatment?” You might think that your psychopath is not truly a psychopath, but simply displaying the symptoms of psychopathic due to some life circumstance.

You are an authentic human being and you would not purposely do something to harm or defraud another person, so why would this person of whom you are quite fond of – and may even love – act out in such a nefarious fashion? Surely he (or she) would not treat someone who cares about them so much this way unless there were some deep-seated issues that caused them to act-out like this…

Certainly, normal people may temporarily act in a manner similar to that of a psychopath if under some extreme type of stress, but for the psychopath, it is a life-long condition and there is no successful form of treatment for their psychological disposition.

That is why Olympia Life Coach specializes in reaching out to and supporting victims of psychopaths. This is a special calling. Victims of psychopaths have a wide range of pain, needs, resources and options. The range of techniques and tools available vary significantly based on each individual circumstance.

The needs of the victim whose relationship has been forever severed are completely different from the needs of someone who must navigate an ongoing relationship with a psychopath.

If you think that you can benefit from Olympia Life Coach services in either your dealings with or consequences from a psychopathic relationship, please feel free to call us at (206) 395-4870 to see if we are a good fit to get you back on your path to wellness and wholeness as we walk hand-in-hand down the road to your recovery.

Click Here for tips on How to Deal With a Psychopath

Copyright © 2013 Olympia Life Coach, All Rights Reserved

 

Crime Victim Recovery

Crime Victim Recovery

Realizing that you have been victimized in some way by crime can have a devastating effect on one’s life. One can become a victim of crime in many different ways. Some examples of the types of crime victims that we help at Olympia Life Coach include:

Adolescent Victims of Abuse

This could be a young, underage person who has been physically or emotionally victimized either by another adolescent or adult and may include molestation, or physical abuse resulting in injuries, like, bruising, broken bones or other maladies. This could be an immediate issue, or one that has continued to cause suffering through adulthood.

You-meant-to-victimize-me-Victorious-olympia-life-coachAdult Physical or Emotional Assault or Abuse

Again the spectrum covers the widest range of forms of assault or abuse. Assault or abuse can include everything from psychological manipulation or mind-control techniques to physical threat of violence or the use (real or implied) of a deadly weapon.

Gang Violence

The obvious negative effect of gangs on or society is the victimizations of others who may or may not be actively involved in the gang environment; and may include all forms of crime, violence and/or victimization.

Random Act of Violence

Occasionally victims of violence are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when a violent act occurs. This is the most difficult type of violence to rationalize, due to its randomness. Acts of terrorism may result in violence that may be experienced as random.

Sexual Assault/Abuse

Obviously these crimes are sexual in nature but also cover a wide breadth of possible assaultive or inappropriate methods that can have an emotional impact on the victim. This category includes sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, rape, incest, exhibition or pornography without consent.

DUI or DWI Victim

These victims have special needs because there may be no logical rationalization for the victimization except for maybe being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlike a random act of violence, there is a definitive underlying cause of either driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated while piloting a 3,000 pound weapon. Victim may also include the driver operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, presenting a completely different set of emotional issues.

Human Trafficking

You might be surprised to know that human trafficking is alive and well in the USA. Often we associate human trafficking as something that only happens elsewhere.

Property Loss, Robbery, Theft, White-collar Crime

This is the most annoying type of crime for our judicial system… After all, “How would you feel if someone took something from you?” Of course the perpetrator wouldn’t like, it… but their answer is simply to re-steal it from someone else. Many thieves are psychopaths or sociopaths who have no conscious or regard for others; no social boundaries.

Usually these crimes are less violent and involve deception and manipulation to facilitate loss or injury but may have a violent influence by integrating a threat of violence (or presence of deadly weapon) in the con. May include identity theft, embezzlement or fraud whereby the perpetrator gains unfairly at the expense of the victim or arson.

Stalking

Stalking includes any unwanted contact between two persons and can occur at home, at work, or now even online. Thankfully, our judicial system has supported an effort to curtail stalking and has initiated laws to protect you from stalking and cyber-stalking.

Vulnerable Adults

Some adults, who are advanced in age or may have a physical or mental dysfunction or disability, may be more susceptible to becoming a victim of any crime. Realizing this, our government has passed new laws that offer protection and more severe penalties for defending the rights of vulnerable adults.

Elder abuse and fraud falls under this category also.

Homicide Survivors

Friends, relatives and loved-ones of murder victims often suffer emotionally and the grief from underlying unresolved issues can be debilitating.

This brief list is not by any means complete, but gives you the idea of the types of crime victims that can benefit from working with an Olympia Life Coach to stop the victimization, cessation of continued pain and discomfort and moving on victoriously in a positive manner.

Victims of crime can suffer from a variety of physical and emotional pain. Examples of issues of victims commonly addressed in our sessions include:

  • Financial-exploitation-of-the-elderly-fraudLoss of sense of security and/or fearfulness
  • Ruminating or the re-playing of the event or circumstances ad nauseam
  •  Haunted by dreams, nightmares or sleep depravation
  • Social withdrawal or detachment
  • Internalization, guilt or self-blame
  • Memory of concentration dysfunction
  • Poor self-image, helplessness
  • Bleak future outlook
  • Lack of trust

Know that you are not alone. We are experienced in dealing with victims who struggle with these symptoms of crime victimization, and are well-equipped to help you deal with these and many other issues that you might be struggling with.

Let us help you review your recovery options and put you back in control of your life.

Copyright © 2013 Olympia Life Coach, All Rights Reserved