BBB recognizes the brave people who are reporting their scam experiences to benefit others and help us identify and stop scammers. According to the 2024 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, about 53% of people reported feeling anxiety/stress/trauma after being targeted by a scam. Their courage and efforts should be celebrated.
“I’ve worked in financial services my entire career and it’s embarrassing that I allowed myself to be scammed like this. I should have known that usually when something sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam. No one should feel any shame about being scammed. These are professional people who know how to scam almost anyone.”
What is Scam Survivor Day?
BBB created National Scam Survivor Day in 2024, held on the second Thursday in May. We encourage communities to take part and uplift their neighbors through local events that recognize Scam Survivor Day, give survivors the opportunity for their voices to be heard, and combat the stigma that keeps them from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve.
BBB presented an in-person, invitation-only event in Washington D.C., hosted by Capital One, on May 2, 2025. Featuring thought leaders, scam survivors, subject-matter experts, and a demonstration of the updated BBB Scam Survival Toolkit, this powerful event expanded the conversation around survivor needs and how we can better support them. You can view our 2025 event page for photos, a press release, and more.Contact Institute@iabbb.org to learn about future sponsorship opportunities and speaking engagements for Scam Survivor Day and how to support the BBB Scam Survival Toolkit.
Scam Survivor Day Coalition
BBB Institute established the Scam Survivor Day Coalition, a collaboration of corporate and nonprofit organizations that care about consumers and work to champion the needs of scam survivors. Join us! Together, we are creating a toolkit of resources for local communities. Membership is free to nonprofits and government agencies and offered via nominal sponsorship to for-profit organizations. We are proud to recognize the dedicated organizations listed below.
Scam Survivor Day Coalition partners:
Scam Survivor Day Coalition members:
Hold your own Scam Survivor Day event! Our toolkit of resources can help you get started:
Interested in joining the Scam Survivor Day Coalition?
Contact: JGiovanni@iabbb.org
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We are proud to count local and state governments as supporters of Scam Survivor Day. Click here to view some of the proclamations from elected officials.
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BBB Institute Research
| 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. |
BBB Scam Survival Resources
BBB has created resources to empower consumers and small businesses to take action before, during, and after a scam experience.
Before: BBB Scam Prevention Guide (BBB.org/ScamPrevention)
A personalized learning experience with quizzes measuring scam knowledge and videos teaching awareness tips such as how to identify the red flags of scams. It features the BBB Risk Calculator which identifies the top scams that users should understand and recognize.
During: BBB Scam Tracker (BBB.org/ScamTracker)
This unique resource allows people to both report scams AND read reported scams, as well as look up suspicious URLs/emails/phone #s, and more that may be targeting them. BBB Scam Tracker had 4.5M views in 2023 and helped people save an estimated $24.3M.
After: Scam Survival Toolkit (BBB.org/ScamSurvivalKit)
The Toolkit assists those who’ve been impacted by scams, using trauma-informed design and empathetic language to calm, center, and connect users to vital resources. Featuring quotes from scam survivors and a user journey that is easy to navigate, the BBB Scam Survival Toolkit produces a personalized recovery plan and provides useful links to empower actions that can help restore a person’s financial and mental/emotional well-being.
“I was really struggling with shame and self-blame. It’s very important for me to remember that it’s not my fault, I’m not stupid, and I’m not alone. One thing I think it’s very important to note is that there will always be people out there that blame you, whether that’s deliberately or inadvertently, using victim-blaming language. It’s really easy to fall back into a spiral of shame and self-blame. So, if you’re having any trouble remembering that those people are wrong and it’s not your fault, I’ll tell you: It’s not your fault.”
