Virtual Victim Assistance Network (Project ViViAN)

The Office for Victims of Crime is committed to enhancing the nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. Through the Vision 21: Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime solicitation, OVC seeks to support organizations which demonstrate innovative strategies to create, expand, or enhance the use of technology initiatives on a national or nationally replicable scale to improve response, services, and access for victims of crime. OVC will support projects across a variety of technology platforms that could include, but are not limited to: 1) the development of new national app(s) or creation of another technology platform designed to serve victims of crime, including updating and maintenance for the length of the award; 2) the development of regionally focused app(s) or creation of another technology platform designed to serve victims of crime; or 3) the expansion or enhancement of existing services and/or hotlines on digital, online, or text platforms or an app that uses technology to provide services, referrals, tools, and information to victims of crime.

With this award, the The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) proposes to implement the “Virtual Victim Assistance Network” (ViVian) to create technology solutions that will help victims of identity crimes receive immediate help and reduce risk for further victimization. Through this project ITRC will expand services during demand surges and non-business hours through virtual advisor and interactive voice response technology, improve interface tools and machine learning for faster intake, develop the capability for immediate customized recommendations and resources, expand remediation tools and incorporate an integrated data breach risk score, develop real time alerts and additional remediation tools on the existing identity theft app, integrate ITRC’s existing platform for case management with online portals allowing victims to self-report and access case information, and launch an outreach campaign to increase awareness of ways to mitigate risks associated with identity crime.

CA/NCF