BBB Recognizes Scam Survivor Day by Honoring Voices & Fighting Fraud Together
MICHIGAN (May 8, 2025) – The Better Business Bureau® of Michigan is recognizing “Scam Survivor Day” by sharing stories of survivors, in hopes of educating the community on the importance of combating scams and praising those who report their scam experiences. May 8th, 2025, is the official day BBB and many organizations around North America. It is recognized on the second Thursday in May annually.
According to the 2024 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, about 53% of people reported feeling anxiety/stress/trauma after being targeted by a scam. Michiganders have reported over $1.2 million in losses in 2025 to the BBB Scam Tracker so far.
“Scams steal hard-earned money from Michiganders, and dilute trust in the marketplace, hurting legitimate, trustworthy businesses as well,” says Lisa Frohnapfel, President & CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Michigan. “BBB wants to celebrate those who share their stories to benefit others and help us identify and stop scammers.”
A Bay City man thought he was investing in Cryptocurrency but ended up losing $20,000 after wiring the money to someone he thought he could trust.
A Jackson County woman thought she landed an online job. The company asked her to transfer her own money in order to perform tasks. She had transferred more than $8,000 before she became suspicious and started doing more research to find out it was a scam.
A Kent County woman was selling furniture on Facebook when a potential buyer told her she needed to send money to activate a business account with a payment app. The woman kept receiving emails stating she needed to pay taxes and transfer fees to receive her money. She ended up sending $2,600 of her own money before the scammer asked for gift cards and the woman realized it was a scam.
“Being targeted by a scam can happen to anyone,” said Frohnapfel. “It takes real courage to share your experience, and there’s no reason to feel embarrassed. Your voice can make a difference.”
Those who have come across, or lost money to a scam are encouraged to share their story at bbb.org/scamtracker. There, consumers can also get tips on scam prevention, and gain access to our scam survival toolkit.
ABOUT BBB®: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2024, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.3 million businesses, for free at BBB.org. Regional, independent BBBs can be found across the United States and Canada, including the BBB of Michigan, which serves the entire state except for Hillsdale, Monroe, and Lenawee counties (BBB Serving Northwest/West Central Ohio and Southeast Michigan operates in these counties). Visit www.bbb.org/mi or call 517-837-2162 for more information.
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