Therapists are trusted professionals who often work remotely and one-on-one, which makes them ideal targets for phishing scams and payment fraud. Scammers take advantage of your visibility and empathy.
A “client” wants to pay in advance, requests to send a check, cashier’s check or payment in advance for multiple sessions. If you accept, they likely will ask you to refund the difference.
🚩 Red flag: Anyone asking for money back before a payment clears.
They say they’re moving to your area, traveling due to military, or booking therapy for a child or spouse from abroad.
🚩 Red flag: As a therapist, I find these tricky because these are common in families who normally travel or are in military families, but when they request to pay ahead of time, I find this to be a red flag. These situations may not be detectable until you respond. It’s common for these type of emails to have typos.
Examples include:
“Hi, I need therapy. Are you taking new clients?”
“I saw your profile and want to talk.”
“Hi dear”
✅ Tip: Direct vague messages to your an official intake form requiring more details: “Thank you for reaching out. Please complete this intake form [link] so I can better understand your needs.” This form can help weed out scammers who are not actually interested in therapy. There may still be people out there with ill intentions so if you are ever concerned, please consult.
They offer podcast interviews, speaker invites, or writing opportunities that seem too good to be true.
🚩 Red flag: No website, fake organization, or requests for payment or downloads. Check the sender to be sure it is from the official organization. You can always forward it to an email on the official website via google to confirm the sender’s identity. An association should not be asking you for money to feature you (on radios, maganzines, podcasts or articles).
They claim your license needs verifying or ask you to download a client record.
✅ Tip: Don’t click anything. Verify directly with platforms like Latinx Therapy or your state board.
Spam emails often include:
Unnatural tone
Misspelled words
Robotic sentence structure
If it sounds off, trust your instincts.
Someone claims to be a fellow therapist with a client to refer, but asks you to invoice them directly instead of the client.
🚩 Red flag: The “referring therapist” disappears after you provide a session or two.
If it sounds off, trust your instincts.
Sexually harassing callers often:
Pretend to be potential clients
Often role play inappropriate situations
Ask intrusive or inappropriate questions under the guise of therapy
Use sexual language or make explicit comments during the call
Refuse to identify themselves or create a fake identity
May call multiple times or from different numbers
These calls are not accidents — they are intentional harassment.
This is something I have experienced on and off over the years through various platforms and each time is rattling. I want to reassure our members that I am here for you as a colleague and also as founder of Latinx Therapy. Although these individuals are mentally ill, there is also a duality of predatory behavior that we do not deserve to go through.
✅ Tips:
Hang up immediately when you feel something is off. You have no obligation. Request consultation to process your experience.
Allow phone calls to go to voicemail: “Hi, this is [Your Name], [credentials]. Please leave your name, the reason you’re calling, and whether you’ve filled out the intake form on my website [or confirmed insurance/rates that I accept].”
Normalize requesting for identification in order to schedule a consultation call
Block and Report the Number
Your safety is non-negotiable.
Therapists across the U.S. have reported receiving terrifying calls from someone posing as a police officer, court official, or detective. These calls are not real, but they’re part of a growing scam targeting licensed professionals, commonly on Psychology Today but it’s possible on any directory. Personally, in 2017, I experienced a sheriff waiting outside of my therapy office to hand me a subpoena and although it had my name, it was an incident that happened in a city 2.5 hrs away and that I do no frequent, and a situation I was not involved in. I notified the sheriff and they said this was a common spam tactic and they took the subpoena.
Someone impersonating law enforcement calls a therapist, often saying:
There’s a warrant for their arrest
They’ve missed a court date or subpoena
They’re under investigation for HIPAA violations or client-related charges
They must act immediately to avoid arrest — usually by paying a fine or confirming personal info
They may:
Demand payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or ask for Social Security/license numbers
Use caller ID spoofing to appear from a local police station or court
Reference real agency names or case numbers
Threaten that officers are “on their way”
🛑 What to Do if You Receive This Call
Call your local police or court directly using a verified phone number.
Report the call to your licensing board and local fraud unit.
Alert your therapist network & Latinx Therapy admin to warn others.
🔐 How to Protect Your Practice
✅ Request for identification during the consultation.
✅ Require an intake form before booking sessions (at least for individuals where your gut is telling you something is off)
✅ Avoid accepting paper checks, cashier’s check from new clients (and verify credit card identities)
✅ Don’t list your direct email publicly—use a contact form instead (as we have in the Latinx Therapy directory)
✋ What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
Mark the message as spam or phishing in your email system
Report it to Latinx Therapy or your directory admin
Don’t reply or click links
Block the sender
Ask therapist peers if they’ve received similar messages
💬 Final Thoughts
Scammers rely on therapists being kind and responsive. But you can be both empathetic and discerning. By understanding the most common spam tactics and using a consistent, secure communication process, you’ll protect your time, finances, and emotional energy. Lastly, remember that people who inquire are not clients until they consent to psychotherapy services with you via verbal consent or signing an informed consent.
Blog written by Founder of Latinx Therapy: Adriana Alejandre, LMFT
Inclusion of individual and group practices on our website does not mean we directly endorse or recommend their services. All of our members offer a free consultation and we recommend screening any and all potential therapists before beginning your therapy services. For any issues, please contact us via email. Therapists listed practice independently.
