We were lucky to catch up with Kathy Waters recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
Working in the health care industry for nearly ten years before starting the advocacy, I would never have thought that people would look at me as someone who could potentially help thousands, maybe even millions, regarding online crime. After many hours of research, skimming through the largest social media platform for fraudulent accounts, and creating a solid report showing the downfall of their reporting system, Facebook agreed to meet with my partner and I in the Washington D.C. office. That is when I knew I could make a difference. Even if Facebook didn’t move forward with our concerns, I knew our data showed interest. I knew the hard work we endured was worth getting the attention of Facebook. The report made it more than evident that millions of people were being victimized at the hand of scammers and with the support of social media companies. The research, education, and advocacy needed to continue.
We at A.A.R.S. are proud to help educate in the area of online romance scams from our backyard to around the world. Romance scams are a global epidemic. In the U.S. alone, this country sent just under 1 billion dollars from romance scams.
Not many people can say they have met with Facebook, Congressional offices, the FTC, the FBI, and Pentagon. Each division recognizes the need for safer platforms. They are also aware change is inevitable. We have a goal, and that is to educate all online about romance scams. We have no doubt we can do this! I know firsthand that you can do anything you put your mind to. Sounds cliche, but oh, how truthful it is!
Kathy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Kathy Waters, and I am Co-Founder and Executive Director of Advocating Against Romance Scammers. My heart became attached to this project when I realized my mother’s friend was falling for a scammer who ran a fake account, using another person’s image on a large social media platform. Once I found the real person whose image was stolen, the “real” person and I joined forces to help stop this epidemic. After months of research, more needed to be done; more education, awareness, and support to victims (identity and scammed). Advocating Against Romance Scammers is now a federally recognized nonprofit. We strive to give every person that reaches out the attention and education needed to champion the torment they went through during the scam. We have sites where people can reach out for professional help, links where the scam can be reported, and several forms of educational pieces.
How’d you meet your business partner?
My business partner did not venture into this work voluntarily, per se. Ret. Colonel Bryan Denny had his images stolen and used to scam innocent people in online romance scams. Bryan retired from the U.S. Army after 26 years, with only a few months of rest before taking on his next battle, the battle of the scammers. Unfortunately, my mother’s friend was a woman who was romantically scammed by someone using Bryan’s photos. By recognizing the last name on Bryan’s uniform, I reached out to his authentic account on Linkedin. Bryan confirmed that his photos had been stolen and used to scam people online. Everyone hears of the scams happening online but hitting so close to home piqued my interest. I asked Bryan if he would be interested in looking more into the scams. Not only was Bryan interested, but he also wanted to make a change. Bryan has been a remarkable partner in this crusade; someone who never gives up fights for the innocent, and believes in justice. You can not ask for anyone more dedicated and selfless. A.A.R.S. could not have be built without the heart of this soldier.
Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?
Funding has been no easy feet. As a non-profit for a program that affects not every person, it’s been a struggle to help others understand how a romance scam can genuinely affect every person. Donors are typically those who have been subject to a romance scam, whether their photos have been stolen, they were scammed, or a loved one fell victim. Most people do not realize the extent of the emotional and psychological abuse until they have been affected in one way or another. Funding for something that does not relate to a person can make our jobs a bit more difficult when requesting donations. For years the advocacy was funded out of our own pockets. If the donations were not there, it could not stop us from trying to keep everyone online safe. That just wasn’t an option. Any donation funds a project we are doing or allows us to speak to others who have a hand in law-making. Of course, having significant funding could open a lot more doors when providing support to victims. Still, we do the absolute most we can and pray the future holds great accomplishments that we can only endure with additional financial support.
Contact Info:
- Website: advocatingforu.com
- Instagram: @advocatingforu
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advocatingforu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advocating-against-romance-scammers-855835199/
- Twitter: @advocatingforuc
- Other: TiKTok: @advocatingforu
Image Credits
Kathy Waters