Online IOP for College Students and Emerging Adults in MA
Recently, we became aware of some online ads impersonating the Austen Riggs Center and other well-known treatment centers. These are fraudulent scams and should not be trusted; they are designed to collect and use your personal information. It is particularly distasteful that scammers are targeting those seeking mental health help. We are working to identify and take action against those responsible and want to provide you with information to help identify and avoid these scams.
Identifying An Online Scam–Things to Look For:
- Company/organization name in web address/URL
- Name of listed advertiser
- False sense of urgency/immediate availability
Many of the fraudulent ads target mobile devices and appear for people looking to call or contact us quickly.
The image below is a sponsored (paid) ad from a mobile search for “Austen Riggs Center.” This is a fraudulent ad. Notice the URL/web address is generic (“treatment-help")and that the language used (“Call Us Instead” “Available 24/7” “On Call Help Available”) has an urgency to it that is designed to get people to click on the ad.
The image below is a legitimate Austen Riggs Center sponsored ad. Notice the name of the organization (“Austen Riggs”) is in the web address/URL and below the 800 number listed.
In addition, there are three dots to the right of all sponsored ads (circled in RED in the image above). When you click on the three dots, you will see the information about the advertiser (see image below). If the Austen Riggs Center is not listed as the advertiser (highlighted), do not click on the ad.
How to Protect Yourself Online
- If you have questions about any ads that you see online, it is always a good idea to go to the organization’s legitimate website and find their contact information there.
- Check the organization’s website to see if there is a staff directory. Verify you are talking to an admissions team member.
- Confirm the hours of operation at the treatment facility. Members of the staff may only be available during business hours.
- Our admissions officers will never ask you to arrive immediately. Admissions days are scheduled with advance notice.
- If someone directs you to another location outside of Stockbridge, MA, it is not the Austen Riggs Center. We have one location.
- Never give payment information over the phone. Austen Riggs will not ask for a prepayment for treatment until admission is offered during the in-person admissions consultation.
Patient privacy and safety are paramount to the Austen Riggs Center. If you suspect you have given information to someone other than Austen Riggs, please contact our admissions team. To securely contact the Austen Riggs Center, you can call 800.517.4447, M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Eastern) or email info@austenriggs.net. You can also visit our website: www.AustenRiggs.org.
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