Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Scam & Cybercrime Exposure Alliance ("SCEA", "we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and share your information. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding data we collect through our website at scea.org and scea-480501.web.app (the "Site").

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you submit a scam story, you may provide:

• Story details (scam description, type, channel)
• Optional identification (initials or anonymous submission)
• Tags and categories

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our Site:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• IP address (anonymized)
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze site usage. Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for site functionality
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Site
• Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to display relevant ads

3. Third-Party Advertising

Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our Site. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our Site or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our Site and/or other sites on the Internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or by visiting www.aboutads.info.

For more information about Google's privacy practices, please review the Google Privacy Policy.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Publish scam stories to help protect others from fraud
• Analyze scam patterns and trends
• Improve our Site and services
• Respond to user inquiries and support requests
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
• Comply with legal obligations
• Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense

5. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

• Public Stories: Story submissions (excluding personal identifiers unless you choose to include initials) are published publicly
• Service Providers: We share data with Firebase (Google Cloud) for hosting and database services
• Advertising Partners: Google AdSense receives anonymized usage data for ad targeting
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information
• Opt-Out: Opt out of personalized advertising
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
• Right to deletion of personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

We do not sell personal information as defined by CCPA.

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the rights listed in Section 7 above.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@scea.org
Website: https://scea.org