Mark Batchelor is the senior director of programs and outreach for the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, IABBB’s educational foundation, where he oversees programming designed to educate consumers and businesses about how to identify and avoid scams. He has served in nonprofit outreach for over 16 years, tackling issues involving cybercrime, financial stability, senior services, trafficking survivors, and persons with disabilities. He is driven to help people impacted by online scams and fraud to find resources for recovery.

Abigail Bishop is the head of external affairs for Scam Prevention at Amazon where she leads the company’s work to protect customers from falling victim to scammers globally. She joined Amazon after spending 15 years in the media and education sectors at the intersection of public affairs, business strategy, and operational transformation.

Christine N. Kieffer is senior director of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation for which she directs research and develops programs for law enforcement, victim advocates, and consumers to advance investor protection and fraud prevention initiatives. She also serves on advisory boards to the National Adult Protective Services Association and the Cybercrime Support Network. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University with double majors in Economics and Mathematics.

Jane K. Lee is a senior attorney advisor in the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), U.S. Department of Justice.  Jane works with United States Attorneys’ Offices, federal law enforcement, and regulatory agencies to recommend and coordinate victim compensation.  Jane also works on the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which provides compensation to certain victims of international state-sponsored terrorism.

Kip Morse is the CEO of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus. He possesses 32 years of BBB experience, including 22 years as president and CEO of the BBB in Columbus, Ohio. Kip is known for his commitment to integrity, having launched programs such as the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics, BBB Spark Awards, Center for Character Ethics, BBB TrustScore, and other programs that focus on the role of honor and truthfulness in personal behavior and in business performance. He was instrumental in initiating and chairing the Ohio Consumer Fraud Advisory Group and sits on the Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable Advisory Committee. He received the 2020 FBI’s Directors Community Leadership Award.

Nicholas Smyth has served as Pennsylvania’s Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General since 2017, when he started the Bureau’s mini-CFPB. Today, in addition to helping to lead the Bureau of Consumer Protection, he manages the consumer finance and scam cases, which have resulted in more than $374 million in relief for Pennsylvanians and the PA Treasury. Nick is a co-leader of the Attorney General’s Multistate Mortgage Group and vice chair of the American Bar Association Consumer Financial Services Committee’s Personal Property Subcommittee. He started his career at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he helped draft and revise the Dodd-Frank Act. He was one of the CFPB’s first Enforcement Attorneys.

Renée Williams is the executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime. She also serves as the director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association, an affiliate program of the National Center. Before taking the helm of the NCVBA, Renée was the executive director of a legal services organization in Pittsburgh, which focused on the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and other indigent clients. Renée is seasoned in nonprofit leadership, also serving as a board member for Athena International and Voices in Action.

Cathy Wilson is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, who specializes in helping people heal after a scam has happened to them.  She has developed training courses on this topic for supportive professionals such as other mental health providers, advocates, those in finance, and other similar roles. Cathy is the author of The Emotional Impact of Being Scammed and How to Recover and creates helpful videos for scam survivors on her YouTube channel.  She is passionate about reducing the stigma associated with being the victim of a scam.  You can find information and resources to support yourself or others on her website dedicated to this topic, at https://www.ScamSurvivorHealing.com.

 

 

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.