Cybercrime Support Network

The number one asset at CSN is the talented team members that give their time everyday to service. Winning the Elevate Prize will allow us to add team members to grow services, create and implement a national media plan and decrease the impact of cybercrime on the mental health and economic stability of individuals and small businesses in the US. We have built a sound foundation and voice as a thought leader in circles who understand cybercrime. I sit on cybercrime committees for the World Economic Forum and frequently speak on cyber podcasts and events. The next step is to be an influencer known by everyone who needs our programs. The Partnership to FightCybercrime needs to be as ingrained in our online lives as much as social media. With the strategic marketing and media expertise, mentorship and connections, we can help tens of millions fight cybercrime and actually save the economic draining of the pockets of those most vulnerable. I know the value of being surrounded by other leaders after participating in the Presidential Leadership Scholars and Women Leaders of the World programs.

As the founder of CSN, the most rewarding part of my work is serving victims. The second is creating a servant leadership organization. Our entire team is mission driven and is working toward a society where everyone has the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to recognize and defend against cybercrime. I quit my paying job on January 1, 2018 to build CSN. We now have 28 team members and brought in $2.6M in revenue in 2020. The growth is testament to the need we fill. Our vision is to have a society where everyone has the knowledge, tools and skills needed to recognize and defend against cybercrime. We need to stop the economic and mental health destruction this crime is having on our communities. Our goals include national programs that change the security of at-risk users, provide one-on-one counseling to survivors and to have free tools and resources in every community. Giving victims a voice so that more resources can go to nonprofits providing legal help, support for those being cyber stalked and free mental health care is a large goal that we are making progress on. Before CSN started, victims had nowhere to turn for help.

The impact of an online scam can be devastating financially and emotionally, and knowing where to go for help is confusing. Over 50 million individuals and small businesses in the US are affected by cybercrime each year and struggle to find resources to respond, report, and recover. Active and former military staff have reported losses from cybercrime of over $420M to the FTC in the past 5 years. According to the FTC, romance scams alone cost victims who reported $304M in 2020. Recorded Future found, "Members of the Black community are highly impacted by fraud campaigns compared to other racial and ethnic groups, as disparities in financial literacy and wealth are large barriers to recovering from any resulting financial loss."

Everyone is a target! The criminals are winning and stealing over $200 billion from the US economy every year causing financial instability around the country. 

Our organization is the only one in the US that provides free resources for addressing cybercrime and online fraud for individuals and small businesses. Law enforcement send victims they cannot serve to fightcybercrime.org for help. Our programs provide practical guidance, change people's online security and build partnerships to change the trajectory of cybercrime. 

Prior to CSN creating fightcyberime.org, there was no one-stop source for people in the US to find the information they needed to defend against cybercrime. We are the only organization providing resources to recognize, report, recover and reinforce your security. If someone is a victim of cybercrime in the US, they can report to the FTC and FBI. However, no one calls them back or has any follow up after the report. That leaves the victim with no next steps or a way to improve their security. That is where we come in and provide free resources to support the victims. I was told many times over the years that having one national call center to serve cybercrime victims was too difficult to do in the US. So, I partnered with other countries that had a call center focused on serving victims and learned best practices. I took that information to Congress to educate them on the needs of victims. There is now, for the very first time, draft legislation in the US Congress for a national cybercrime victim call center and direct funding for nonprofits who serve these victims. We are giving them a voice! 

Imagine losing your spouse, and being approached by a new potential love interest online. The person appears to be a military service member overseas and quickly professes their love for you. The whirlwind online romance ends with you sending all of your life savings to the criminal who posed as your love interest. Research shows that romance scam victims are often suicidal and too embarrassed to reach out for help. We are taking a tested pilot program that provides facilitated peer support for these survivors and decreases suicide. Our #SecureTogether program is pairing tech-savvy people with non-tech savvy people who sit together for 30 minutes and add security features to the critical accounts and devices. We are partnering with Consumer Reports and will measure the number of people who are more secure due to our program. With simple, free security tools added to accounts, we can decrease crime and help seniors keep their money and ability to pay for basic needs. We are building free, online resources and a grass roots volunteer army to actually change the security posture of millions of people in the US.