Erin West; Watchlist Internet; BBB Win at Scam Fighter of the Year Awards
AMSTERDAM, January 31, 2024 (Newswire.com) - The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and ScamAdviser have announced the winners of the 2024 Scam Fighter of the Year Awards. Previous years honored a single winner, but the latest edition has diversified to recognize the remarkable efforts of individuals, organizations, and tools in their relentless fight against online fraud and scams.
Best Scam Fighting Individual
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Winner: Erin West, Santa Clara County Prosecutor & REACT Task Force, for her exceptional work in combating high-tech crimes, including the disruption of international SIM swappers and fraudulent call centers. Her dedication to addressing sophisticated scams, such as romance investment scams, underlines her significant contribution. Collecting her award, West said, "I can't stop, won't stop, until the day I open my email box and find it empty. Every day I'm deluged with victims of pig butchering and I'm gravely concerned about the transnational organized crime that is powered by human trafficking victims. I am so honored to be chosen for this award. It shows me that this work resonates with others and it motivates me to continue. I'm grateful."
- Runners-up: Pierogi, 'Scammer Payback'; Nazia Karrim, SAFPS
Best Scam Fighting Organization
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Winner: Watchlist Internet, Austria-based internet safety platform recognized for its comprehensive approach to providing insights into internet scams and frauds. Established by the ÖIAT, their extensive coverage on a range of topics, from subscription traps to phishing. Watchlist Internet Project Leader, Thorsten Behrens, celebrated by saying, “This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication and support of the community.” Head of Research at ÖIAT, Louise Beltzung, praised all nominees, “We all share the same mission – to make the internet a safer place for everyone.”
- Runners-up: BlockchainUnmasked; Trilogy Media
Best Scam Fighting Tool
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Winner: BBB Scam Tracker (Better Business Bureau), scam reporting and identification tool awarded for its significant impact in empowering consumers to report and avoid scams. BBB Executive Director, Melissa Trumpower, stated, “We're incredibly proud of BBB Scam Tracker and grateful for this recognition. Thanks to the collaborative work of BBB's professionals, we estimate that our scam-fighting tool helped people avoid losing $24.3 million in 2023."
- Runners-up: ÖIAT Fake-Shop Detector Plug-in; Guardio
After public nominations, the jury of anti-scam professionals included Brook Stein (Trend Micro), Chien Fu "Jeff" Kuo (Gogolook), and Jayde Richmond (Australian National Anti-Scam Centre at ACCC), and previous winners, Derek Smythe (Artists Against 419 - AA419) and Ayleen Charlotte (Romance Scam Speaker and Tinder Swindler Victim).
Prof. Jorij Abraham, Managing Director of GASA and ScamAdviser, said, “Thousands of scam fighters across the world don't get enough credit. Putting the spotlight on these dedicated scam fighters spreads the news of their good deeds and hopefully inspires the next generation of scam fighters.”
In October 2023, GASA and ScamAdviser released the Global State of Scams Report, which estimated worldwide losses to scams of $1.026 trillion in 12 months.
Source: Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA)
