BECOMING A SCARS VOLUNTEER OR CERTIFIED MENTOR
Becoming a Volunteer with a Crime Victims’ Assistance Organization is a tremendous opportunity to help others
SCARS is a professional crime victims’ assistance nonprofit organization based in the United States, Mexico, and China, but we accept volunteers from everywhere in the world because we support victims worldwide.
We have several basic types of volunteering with SCARS:
- Online Volunteers – beginning level, help in any way possible with activities of SCARS online
- Victims’ Advocates – help support victims online – providing personal education, direction, and recovery support
- Victims’ Advocates / Ambassadors – help victims directly by phone and in-person – one on one through the “after-scam” stage by reporting to the police and acting as a guide through recovery. In addition, you can serve your local communities to aid local victims, scam avoidance education, and more.
- Professional Volunteers – to work with SCARS in professional or executive capacities to aid the broader community of victims and the longer-term goals of SCARS.
- Certified Scam Victim Mentor – this is a SCARS certification program starting in the Spring of 2023. Come back for more details as they become available.
Supplemental Requirements:
- Volunteering has no fixed time commitment – you can help as much or as little as you can, depending on the type of volunteer.
- Each of these will involve learning, knowledge, and training. It is important that our volunteers can provide real help and that takes a real understanding of scams and the needs of victims.
LEVELS OF SCARS VOLUNTEERS
Structure for SCARS Volunteers:
Volunteers select their preferred level of volunteering based upon their interests. A volunteer can start at different starting levels, it does not have to be the lowest level to begin, it just depends on the individual.
Volunteers can advance through our lavers based upon skill, desire, and commitment. This allows volunteers to participate with low levels of involvement or advance to strategically important roles within SCARS.
SCARS VOLUNTEER LEVELS:
- Level 0: Reporting Fakes & Scammers – this does not require any formalization – you don’t have to apply. You can simply report scammers on www.Anyscam.com or join one of our Facebook Reporting Groups (here or here).
- Level 0: Identifying Criminals to Law Enforcement – SCARS has a propriety process to support criminal arrests
- Level 1: Group Support – help support other victims in our education or support groups or forums through encouragement, empathy, and support.
- Level 2: Educational Support – help other victims understand how scams work and how to seek recovery by sharing important information from SCARS – post SCARS articles and information links in reply to comments made by other victims.
- Level 3: Editorial Support – help by sharing news & official SCARS information and knowledge outside of our groups on other anti-scam pages and wherever you find scam victims.
- Level 4: Publisher Support – we will provide you with a properly designed and setup anti-scam information page on social media where you can help spread the word by acting as a SCARS Educational Partner in the language of your choice, using SCARS publications and information as your resource. Or you can help us on our own SCARS social media or websites.
- Level 5: Victims’ Support – learn to truly understand how scams work in practice and in the victim so that you can help guide a victim through their recovery as a peer – this allows full access to the SCARS resources and research library and includes potential participation in SCARS & Academic research projects to advance knowledge about cybercriminnology and victimology. This provides a pathway to professionalization and certification in crime victims’ assistance.
- Level 6: Become a SCARS Ambassador – a highly trusted role – trained to understand victims and how to provide one on one personal support as well as provide local presentations to civic groups in your country or area.
- Level 7: Victims’ Educational Partner Status – this is for either informal/unincorporated anti-scam groups, publishers (bloggers), or incorporated or registered nonprofits that play a role in educating victims to avoid scams, cybercrime, and to better understand what happened to them. Some involvement in helping online crime victims is needed.
- Level 8: Victims’ Assistance Partner Status – this is for an informal/unincorporated anti-scam group that has certified or licensed professionals on their team, such as: attorneys, counselors & therapists (psychologists), law enforcement, certified victims assistance professionals, or similar professionals.
- Level 9: Victims’ Assistance Organizational Partner Status – must be an incorporated or registered nonprofit organization or association in their country with a focus on victims’ assistance and support, or other beneficial relationship with SCARS.
- Level 10: SCARS Executives, Advisors, Board Members, or Volunteer Officers
When you apply to become a SCARS Volunteer you will select the level that you feel is right for you.
To apply to become a Volunteer, Ambassador or Partner click here
SCARS Victims Services Provider Partner Status
In addition to the above, SCARS has a special Victims’ Services Provider Partner status. Contact us by email to inquire about becoming a Victim Service Provider Partner at contact@AgainstScams.org
VOLUNTEERING
SCARS VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
Here Are The Basics Of Volunteering With SCARS
These are requirements for becoming a SCARS VOLUNTEER
- Make sure that you have Applied For SCARS Membership – it is free: «CLICK HERE»
- Accept the Volunteer Service Agreement: «CLICK HERE»
- Read The SCARS Code of Conduct: «CLICK HERE»
- We will review the Volunteer Application and let you know when approved
Once the above has been completed, you will be asked to begin learning more about the process of helping other victims.
There are considerable information documents in the SCARS Volunteer Group, but also on our www.RomanceScamsNOW.com website. Please make it a priority to start learning. This is for your own benefit and recovery as well as for those you will be helping!
As A SCARS VOLUNTEER You Are Entrusted With:
- Approving new group members based upon our rules and policies (this is typically performed by our Senior Volunteer Managers – but may be assigned by them to other volunteers)
- Supporting scam victims on www.ScamVictimSupport.org
- Supporting victims through your comments and posts and actions – keeping scam victims engaged and talking is the most important thing you can do!
- Providing correct knowledge / correcting urban legends / steering victims towards real answers & support. Remember, the largest repository of scam information is on www.RomanceScamsNOW.com
- Helping to notify management (SCARS management and our Senior Volunteer Managers) of issues / conflicts / upholding the rules for everyone’s safety – do not remove someone from a group without checking with Senior Volunteers or SCARS
- Help spread the existence of SCARS throughout social media
- Help victims wherever you find them
- Notifying SCARS of hate against victims and our organization
- Letting us know about noteworthy events, trends, and news
Recognize that not all victims can be helped or saved. When you encounter someone too entrenched or difficult, just back away and ask for help.
CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE READY TO APPLY TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER OR PARTNER
PLEASE NOTE: Membership and Acceptance for Volunteering or Partnering is subject to review and is not automatic. You will be notified if accepted. We reserve the right to reject any applicant.
Please read our SCARS Policy on Volunteering
SCARS Team
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
Version: July 28, 2020 – Updated November 21, 2020