How To Heal Emotionally After Credit Card Fraud

According to the latest research, about 35% of American consumers have been the victim of credit card fraud. Credit card fraud is any type of theft or form of fraud which involves a credit card. Criminals will use the details of the stolen card to purchase goods and services without paying for them. Your first sign of credit card fraud could be a bill in the post that you weren’t expecting or changes to your online bank account. In this article, we’ll explore the emotional impact of credit card fraud and how to recover if this happens to you. 

What Is The Emotional Impact Of Credit Card Fraud?

Reports suggest that credit card fraud can have a profound emotional impact on victims. One report suggests that more than 80% of victims feel worried, angry and frustrated after an incident like this. Another 83% claimed they felt violated after the incident. 

More concerningly 69% claimed that they struggled with trusting others around them and felt unsafe after the fraud took place. 

These aren’t the only emotional impacts of credit card fraud. Victims also commonly report feeling:

• Lost
• Powerless 
• Helpless 
• Depressed
• Betrayed 

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Credit card fraud is often viewed as a massive intrusion into an individual’s personal life. They may also feel that there is little they can do to stop the fraud, particularly if the money keeps leaving their account. 

These negative emotions lead to significant life changes for the victims. One in four credit card users who experience fraud may end up abandoning a credit card completely and will never use it again, even after a new card has been issued. This can prevent them from making significant expensive purchases that they may require to ensure the best quality of life. 

This impact may last for months or even years and can differ depending on the victim. This is why it’s important to ensure that you are taking the right steps to heal if you are emotionally affected by credit card fraud. 

How To Heal Emotionally After Credit Card Fraud 

The emotional impact of credit card fraud can be significant. However, there are steps that you can take to heal and move on from this dark point in your life. 

First, you need to forgive yourself. A lot of people cast the blame on themselves for falling victim to credit card fraud. They might be angry that they gave away the wrong information or used the wrong website. The reality is that there are countless ways to accidentally leave yourself vulnerable to credit card fraud and it’s probably not possible to avoid them all. It’s also important to remember that you’re not alone here. It’s estimated that $5 billion is stolen from Americans through fraud every year. So don’t add weight to your shoulder by thinking you should be prepared for every possibility and don’t think that you were too trusting. The only person who holds the blame is the person or people who scammed you. 

Accept Your Emotions 

Next, you need to make sure that you are accepting any emotions that you are feeling. Fraud is always a traumatic scenario and people will often bury their emotions to deal with trauma. They think that if they cast them aside or put them to the back of their mind, they will no longer impact them. However, this isn’t the case. If you don’t accept your emotions, then eventually, they will build up to the point where they can no longer be ignored. By accepting your negative emotions you can tackle each one head-on and ensure that they don’t begin to affect your mental health. 

Use The Right Support Options 

Are you struggling to trust people after being the victim of credit card fraud? Do you find that your negative emotions are stopping you from living your life? This is normal and many people do need the support of a professional to help them come to terms with this situation and cope with it effectively. You can seek out counseling if you are struggling with trust issues. Alternatively, you may just want to reach out to those around you including friends and family members. It is highly likely that they have been in a similar situation and can help you through it. 

Understand You’re Not Powerless 

One of the problems with credit card fraud is that it can leave you feeling powerless and a passenger in your own life. However, there are lots of steps that you can take if you notice signs of fraud on your account. You can block payments, notify your bank, contact sellers and lock your card. Taking these steps will empower you and ensure that you no longer feel like a victim. Once you are aware of the mechanisms that are in place to deal with credit card fraud it’s far less traumatic. 

Take Care 

Finally, you should make sure that you are taking care of yourself. Self-care is crucial to recovering from trauma like this. When you are scammed, you need to keep eating well, getting up each morning and maintaining the right healthy boundaries. Don’t shy away from the world because if you do this, then the criminals win. You have to keep moving forward. 

What Shouldn’t You Do After Fraud? 

As hard as it can be, you need to avoid letting anger take over everything if you are the victim of credit card fraud. While it may not seem like it at first, anger won’t solve your issues. Instead, you need to remain calm, take the necessary steps to stop the fraudster and move forward with your life. 

Conclusion 

We hope this helps you understand the emotional trauma that credit card fraud can cause and more importantly, the best way to deal with this. Being the victim of fraud can feel like you are trapped in a deep dark tunnel with no one to help. But once you reach out for the right support and take the necessary steps to heal, you’ll see the light is closer than it seems.