BBB has established National Scam Survivor Day, to be recognized each year on the second Thursday in May.
On this date, we recognize the brave people who are reporting their experiences to benefit others and to help us identify and stop scammers. They are not victims, they are survivors, and their courage should be celebrated. The purpose of Scam Survivor Day is to uplift all scam survivors around the globe for coming forward to tell their stories. Their voices are helping to combat the stigma that keeps people from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve. We recognize their bravery and resilience.
We welcome all fraud-fighting organizations and the public to join us in recognizing their bravery and serving the needs of all scam survivors. Together, let’s make National Scam Survivor Day a cherished annual tradition.
We’ve all heard stories about the latest scams and tips to avoid them. But what about the people who experienced the scams? Too often, scam victims suffer in silence, embarrassed to admit what happened for fear of being judged. The truth is, experiencing a scam can be as traumatic as a violent crime and require just as much support and assistance. According to our research, 47.5% of survey respondents reported they lost confidence or peace of mind because of the emotional impact of being targeted by a scam.
At the Better Business Bureau, we recognize the importance of people coming forward to report their scams as a means of not only pursuing justice but taking back control of their lives. We created BBB Scam Tracker, our online prevention and reporting tool, so that people can report scams (regardless of whether they lost money) and, in doing so, make it possible for others to search those reports to see if they are also being targeted. In 2023, this tool had 4.5M views and helped people save an estimated $24.3M by avoiding scams.
The brave men and women who are reporting their experience to help others aren’t victims, they are survivors. And their courage should be celebrated! We introduced Scam Survivor Day for the purpose of uplifting all scam survivors nationwide for coming forward to tell their story. Only then can we combat the stigma that keeps people from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve.
“If only, you know, we could all think of this as a survivable event and […] remove these feelings of guilt, shame, and self-loathing. The world can call you an idiot, but you don’t have to believe it. If you start believing it, then you’re really lost.”
BBB recently created the Scam Survival Toolkit to assist those who have been impacted by scams, connecting them with the resources they need to restore their financial and mental/emotional well-being. It features a trauma-informed design and empathetic language to put people in the right frame of mind to process the guidance on the site. Users are also connected to BBB’s Scam Prevention Guide to provide them with the knowledge they need to avoid becoming repeat victims.