About Us

Who We Are: The Digital Guardians

At ScamAdvisery, we stand as a beacon of trust in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Founded in 2018, our organization has grown from a small team of cybersecurity enthusiasts to a globally recognized authority on scam prevention, digital literacy, and online safety education. We operate on a simple yet powerful principle: every individual deserves to navigate the digital world with confidence, security, and peace of mind.

Our journey began when our founder, Michael Richardson, witnessed his elderly parents fall victim to a sophisticated phishing scam that nearly wiped out their life savings. This personal experience illuminated a glaring gap in public awareness and accessible resources for scam prevention. From that moment of frustration and helplessness, ScamAdvisery was born—not just as a business, but as a mission-driven movement to protect vulnerable populations from digital predators.

Our Mission: Empowering Digital Citizens

ScamAdvisery exists to demystify digital threats and empower individuals, families, and businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to identify, avoid, and report scams effectively. We believe that education is the most potent weapon against digital fraud. While technology can provide barriers and alerts, true digital safety begins with an informed user who can recognize red flags before they become casualties.

We accomplish our mission through three primary pillars:

1. Comprehensive Education: We translate complex cybersecurity concepts into accessible, actionable knowledge for people of all technical backgrounds. Our materials avoid jargon and focus on practical applications.
2. Real-Time Threat Intelligence: Our global network of researchers and partners tracks emerging scam patterns, ensuring our community receives timely warnings about new threats.
3. Community Advocacy: We actively work with legislators, financial institutions, and tech companies to implement stronger consumer protections and more transparent reporting mechanisms.

Our Values: The Foundation of Everything We Do

Integrity Above All

We maintain complete editorial independence and never accept payment for favorable reviews or rankings. Our scam alerts, product recommendations, and educational content are based solely on rigorous research, user experiences, and verifiable data. When we label something a scam, you can trust we’ve done our due diligence.

Empathy in Action

We recognize that falling victim to a scam can be emotionally devastating, often accompanied by shame and embarrassment. Our approach is never judgmental. We provide compassionate support resources alongside practical solutions for recovery. Our forums and helplines are safe spaces where people can share experiences without fear of stigma.

Continuous Innovation

The digital fraud landscape evolves daily, and so must we. Our research team dedicates thousands of hours annually to studying emerging scam tactics across social media, email, SMS, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, and emerging technologies. We’ve developed proprietary detection algorithms that analyze scam patterns across multiple platforms, allowing us to issue warnings sometimes weeks before mainstream media catches on.

Accessibility as a Right

Digital safety education should not be a luxury. We offer the majority of our resources in multiple languages and ensure our website and tools are usable by people with diverse abilities. Our content is available in written, video, and audio formats to accommodate different learning preferences and needs.

Our Expert Team: The Brains Behind the Operation

ScamAdvisery brings together a unique blend of talent from cybersecurity, psychology, law enforcement, education, and consumer advocacy. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to understand scams from both technical and human perspectives.

Leadership Team

• Michael Richardson, Founder & CEO: Former cybersecurity analyst with 15 years at leading financial institutions. His personal mission drives our organizational ethos.
• Dr. Samantha Chen, Director of Research: Cognitive psychologist specializing in decision-making patterns and why even intelligent people fall for scams.
• Robert Johnson, Head of Threat Intelligence: Ex-law enforcement cybercrime investigator who brings insider knowledge of criminal methodologies.
• Maria Garcia, Community Outreach Director: Veteran educator who develops our curriculum and training programs for schools and senior centers.

Our Global Network

Beyond our core team, we collaborate with over 200 volunteers worldwide who help monitor regional scam trends, translate materials, and provide localized support. These “Digital Sentinels” include retired cybersecurity professionals, multilingual students, and community leaders who share our passion for protecting their communities.

Our Impact: By the Numbers

Since our founding, ScamAdvisery has:

• Educated over 2.5 million people through our online courses and workshops
• Issued 12,000+ scam alerts that prevented an estimated $450 million in losses
• Partnered with 85+ financial institutions to improve their fraud detection systems
• Trained 1,200 law enforcement officers on digital evidence collection and victim support
• Assisted 45,000 individual scam victims in recovery processes
• Influenced 17 pieces of consumer protection legislation across 9 countries

These numbers represent real people protected, real losses prevented, and real change implemented in systems that too often fail consumers.

Our Methodology: How We Identify and Verify Scams

Transparency is crucial to our credibility. When we investigate potential scams, we follow a rigorous seven-step verification process:

1. Initial Reporting: We gather reports from our community hotline, email submissions, and partner networks.
2. Technical Analysis: Our cybersecurity team examines websites, apps, or communications for technical red flags.
3. Pattern Recognition: We cross-reference reports against our database of known scam patterns.
4. Financial Trail Investigation: Where possible, we trace payment pathways and corporate registrations.
5. Victim Interviews: We speak with multiple affected individuals to understand the scam’s mechanics and psychological hooks.
6. External Verification: We consult with financial institutions, domain registrars, and regulatory bodies.
7. Public Documentation: We publish our findings with supporting evidence while protecting victim identities.

Only after completing this process do we issue official scam alerts or advisories.

Educational Philosophy: Beyond Warnings to Empowerment

While warning about specific threats is valuable, we believe in building lasting digital literacy. Our educational programs focus on:

Critical Thinking Development: Teaching people to question offers that seem too good to be true, verify sources independently, and recognize emotional manipulation tactics commonly used by scammers.

Technical Skill Building: From recognizing fraudulent URLs to understanding two-factor authentication, we provide hands-on skills for all technical levels.

Psychological Awareness: We educate about cognitive biases that scammers exploit—like urgency, authority, and scarcity—so people can recognize when they’re being manipulated.

Generational Bridging: Our intergenerational programs pair tech-savvy youth with older adults for mutual learning, recognizing that different age groups face different vulnerabilities.

Partnerships and Collaborations

We don’t work in isolation. ScamAdvisery maintains strategic partnerships with:

• Financial Regulatory Agencies to improve reporting systems
• Technology Companies to build safer platforms
• Consumer Advocacy Groups to amplify our collective voice
• Academic Institutions to conduct original research on scam trends
• International Organizations to address cross-border fraud schemes

These collaborations ensure our work has maximum reach and practical impact where it matters most.

Looking Forward: The Future of Digital Safety

As technology evolves, so do the threats. We’re currently expanding our focus to include:

• AI-powered scams and deepfake technologies
• Cryptocurrency and DeFi fraud prevention
• Metaverse and virtual world safety protocols
• IoT device vulnerabilities in smart homes
• Mental health impacts of repeated scam targeting

Join Our Movement

ScamAdvisery is more than an organization—it’s a community of vigilant digital citizens committed to making the internet safer for everyone. Whether you’re here to learn, to report a suspicious encounter, or to contribute your skills to our mission, we welcome you.

Together, we’re building a world where technology empowers rather than endangers, where innovation serves rather than exploits, and where every digital interaction can be approached with confidence rather than fear.