I’m excited to announce that Cybercrime Support Network has launched the Partnership to FightCybercrime, an initiative where public and private sector organizations join together to boost awareness and make targeted communities more secure. Over the next few months, we’ll introduce two new programs that aim to provide at-risk groups with the necessary tools to defend against fraud and cybercrime.

The Partnership to FightCybercrime kicked off in April with the highly anticipated Military & Veteran Program. Our Peer Support Program will launch later this year. Read on to learn more about the Partnership, its fantastic programs and how to become a partner.

What is the Partnership to FightCybercrime?

The Partnership to FightCybercrime brings public and private organizations together to increase education and awareness, share resources, and improve the cybersecurity of small businesses and individuals. Partners such as Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the FINRA Foundation, Trend Micro and Comcast have already joined the cause. Other organizations are welcome to support the initiative, including corporations, foundations, and service and non-governmental organizations.

Through this partnership, we will unveil two impactful programs that serve key communities: the Military & Veteran Program and the Peer Support Program. Partners receive CSN resources to share with their audiences, including blogs, PSAs and social media content. In addition, all partners will be listed on our new website: FightCybercrime.org. Finally, CSN will promote partner participation in our ongoing webinars and special events.

Military & Veteran Program

The first initiative to launch in our Partnership to FightCybercrime is the Military &Veteran Program. Between 2016 and 2020, active and former military staff have reported losses from cybercrime to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) topping $420.5M. In 2020 alone, military veterans reported about $66 million in fraud losses. Active-duty members and their families lost an additional $30 million, and $6 million was stolen from members of the reserves.

To combat fraud and other cyber threats, CSN will provide Military & Veteran Program partners with relevant, shareable tips through resources that promote safe cyber practices for active military, veterans, and their families. The resource toolkit, created by top advertising firm Crosby Marketing, includes materials to which partners may add their logos.

“Service members devote their lives to protecting us, so it’s our duty to protect them. This program is a true partnership that brings the best military advocates together to facilitate a coordinated, actionable response to serve those targeted by cybercrime in a simple, effective manner,” said Craig Newmark, whose charitable organization Craig Newmark Philanthropies is a founding partner of this program. “Experiencing cybercrime is stressful enough. I’m proud to support CSN and their groundbreaking work in helping those who have been harmed by cybercrime and taking the stress out of identifying the right help.”

Since announcing this program, Comcast quickly joined as a sponsor. CSN will carry out a 12-month capital campaign to raise the $3.5M needed to allow for the full implementation of the program. Corporations, foundations and other for-profit organizations interested in supporting our Nation’s military & veteran community can join CSN in this effort.

Peer Support Program

Our second Partnership to FightCybercrime program, Peer Support, strives to help survivors of romance scams in their recovery. According to the FTC, consumers reported losing over $304 million to romance scams in 2020—a 50 percent increase over the previous year. In fact, for three years running, people have reported losing more to romance scams than any other scam. Beginning next month, CSN will launch peer support groups to help survivors combat feelings of embarrassment and isolation, while teaching the necessary skills to fend off cybercrime.

The Peer Support Program is designed to help survivors gain the technical and emotional awareness to avoid re-victimization. Participants will be provided with a digital workbook with links to articles and other resources on how to identify scams and other forms of online fraud, which they will gather to discuss via weekly Zoom meetings led by a licensed counselor. Foundational funding for the Peer Support Program was provided by the FINRA Foundation. Private sector organizations interested in supporting our work to recognize and defend against romance scams are invited to sponsor this program.

Join the Fight

We are excited to launch the Partnership to FightCybercrime and so proud of these programs serving important communities at risk for cybercrime. To learn more about these programs and to become a partner, visit FightCybercrime.org. Corporations, foundations and other for-profit organizations interested in supporting these efforts can contact Joan Giovanni, CSN’s Chief Revenue Officer, at [email protected].