Cybercrime Support Network is Funded for a Three-State Expansion to Continue Building "Cybercrime Hotline" for Victims
Oct 10, 2019, 09:06 ET
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybercrime Support Network (CSN), with support from community leaders, government officials, law enforcement, state 211 partners and the United Way Worldwide, has been funded to expand the Cybercrime Victim Support Initiative to North Carolina, New Jersey and Mississippi in early 2020 with funds from the U.S. Department of Justice Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
Millions of American consumers and small businesses are affected by cybercrime each year and struggle to find the resources they need to report, recover, and reinforce their cybersecurity. CSN is utilizing the existing 211 call/text/chat infrastructure across the country to connect cybercrime victims with trained specialists who can help them through the reporting and recovery process after a cybercrime occurs. In 2018, 211s across the U.S. made more than 12.8 million connections with people needing assistance with housing, food, mental health and other human services. CSN is helping 211s add a new service to help cybercrime victims report and recover from a crime.
In addition to CSN's existing partners and sponsors, these new partnerships with United Way of North Carolina and NC 2-1-1, NJ 2-1-1 Partnership, and United Way of the Capital Area are key to fulfilling the organization's mission to improve the plight of Americans facing the ever growing impact of cybercrime. The goal of a nationwide cybercrime hotline would not be possible without the help of these United Way and 211 partners.
"This three-state expansion funding for North Carolina, New Jersey and Mississippi will bring CSN one step closer to our goal of a nation-wide cybercrime assistance hotline by the end of 2021," said Kristin Judge, founder and CEO of CSN. "Our goal is to see a time when citizens calling 211 for cybercrime assistance will be as commonplace as calling 911 for a health emergency."
So far, CSN has launched the 211 cybercrime assistance hotline in three states, in partnership with United Way Rhode Island, Heart of West Michigan United Way and Heart of Florida United Way. Victims in Rhode Island; Kent County in Michigan; and Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties in Florida can call 211 to get help reporting and recovering from cybercrime.
For people who live in areas where the Cybercrime Victim Support Initiative 211 service is not yet available and for those who prefer to use a website for help, CSN created FraudSupport.org as a resource database for cybercrime victims and for law enforcement to refer. This website provides cybercrime victims with resources and action steps they can take to report, recover, and reinforce their cybersecurity after a cybercrime occurs.
About Cybercrime Support Network
Cybercrime Support Network (CSN) is a public-private, nonprofit collaboration created to be the voice of cybercrime victims. With the strong support of our sponsors, Craig Newmark Philanthropies - AT&T - Comcast - Google - KnowBe4 - Nord VPN - Trend Micro - Verizon, CSN can continue to support victims through FraudSupport.org, which provides assistance to both individual and small business victims of cybercrime and online fraud.
For more information, please visit: Cybercrimesupport.org
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SOURCE Cybercrime Support Network
