The BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust (BBB Institute), the educational foundation of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus launched a new online resource aimed at helping people who have been impacted by scams. Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Carolinas (BBB) wants to share this resource with businesses and individuals in our service area so they know what to do if they find themselves impacted.
The Scam Survival Toolkit connects people with the information they need to help restore their financial, mental, and emotional health. The online toolkit was made possible with support from two BBB Institute’s Corporate Trust Council members: Amazon and Capital One.
Recent research published by BBB Institute highlighted the broad impact of experiencing a scam incident. Survey respondents reported losing personal information (37.7%), experiencing financial instability (8.1%), and/or having their credit hurt (6.9%). When asked about the emotional impact of being targeted by a scam, respondents reported feeling anger (69.0%), anxiety/stress (66.7%), loss of trust (58.0%), shame/embarrassment (39.4%), loss of confidence (28.7%), guilt (19.6%), strained relationships (7.5%), and loss of reputation (4.6%).
“When a person is targeted by a scam, they’re not only impacted financially, but in other ways as well,” said Melissa Lanning, executive director of BBB Institute. “We know from our research that they can also experience stress/anxiety and loss of confidence, as well as an impact on their financial stability and credit health. With more and more people being impacted by scams, we need to work together to help them in all the ways they need assistance.”
BBB’s Scam Survival Toolkit, which can be found on the homepage of BBB Scam Tracker, provides tailored guidance and resources based on a person’s specific situation. It includes steps they should take to prevent further financial impact and guidance for restoring their long-term financial and emotional well-being.
“Amazon is committed to protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance,” said Scott Knapp, Director of Worldwide Buyer Risk Prevention at Amazon. “Scams can happen to anyone, and we are grateful to partner with the Better Business Bureau to provide valuable recovery resources to those who may have been impacted by a scammer.”
“Capital One is proud to continue our support of the Better Business Bureau’s important education efforts around scams,” said Travis Moseley, Senior Business Director, Scam Prevention. “The new Scam Survival Toolkit fills a critical gap by connecting people who have been impacted by scams to the resources and support tools they need.”
The new online resource was developed with input from a wide range of subject matter experts, including mental health counselors, fraud prevention specialists, and cybersecurity professionals.
Questions about the project or how to get involved should be directed to BBB Institute at [email protected].
For more information, visit bbb.org.
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