Kicks off national partnership between Aura and Together We Rise to reduce the impact of cybercrime targeting foster youth
Aura, a leading provider of all-in-one digital security for consumers, announced a new national initiative and local collaboration with the Minnesota Timberwolves to support Together We Rise, a non-profit organization devoted to improving the experience of more than 430,000 children in the American foster care system.
The courtside, cause-based collaboration is the latest part of Aura’s partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves, building upon the Official Jersey Patch sponsorship announced in September. Aura’s Defensive Play of the Game will celebrate the strongest display of proactive protection in each game by making charitable donations to Together We Rise. The collaboration is designed to raise awareness around the need for proactive defense in consumer digital security, while helping to combat the acute risk of digital crime and identity theft in the foster community.
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“Children have always been an attractive target for identity thieves; their credit reports are clean and they are often left unmonitored for many years, providing ample time to cause substantial damage to the child’s credit,” said Hari Ravichandran, founder and CEO of Aura. “That said, foster youth are often at higher risk because of the nature of their upbringing. As they move between homes and locations, an ever-expanding group of adults gain access to their private information, creating opportunities for misuse.”
Through the program, the Minnesota Timberwolves will identify one standout defensive play during each game that highlights the power of proactive protection. For each Defensive Play of the Game, Aura will donate $2,000 to Together We Rise for allocation to the Minnesota foster community. At the conclusion of the Timberwolves’ season, fans will vote to name the Defensive Play of the Year, honoring the team’s most proactive protection of the season. Fan voting and engagement will have the potential to trigger further donations by Aura to the foster organization.
“Two in three foster children do not check their credit scores at all while in the foster care system and many indicate that they are not confident in their understanding of their credit reports,” Ravichandran stated. “We want to give current and former foster youth the knowledge and tools to proactively protect themselves from digital crime and financial fraud, through educational programming and Aura product donations to eligible youth.”
“Foster care, with its frequent transitions can be a difficult — if not traumatic — experience. But one of the most challenging transitions of all occurs when foster youth age out of the system and lose their network of caregivers and basic needs providers,” said Max Lowy, Together We Rise Director of Development. “At Together We Rise, we provide foster youth with the critical education, tools and resources they need both during and after they exit the foster care system. We’re pleased to collaborate with Aura to expand our impact and address a far-reaching need that disproportionately affects this already vulnerable community. Together, we will work with both the Minnesota and national foster community to create awareness of this issue, offer training around how to better combat it, and equip current and former foster students with the resources they need to empower them with independence and control in their digital and financial lives.”
“The Timberwolves have long been committed to supporting underserved communities and youth across the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota,” said Ethan Casson, Timberwolves and Lynx CEO. “We’re pleased to partner with Aura to support Together We Rise and promote the protection of our most vulnerable here at home.”
Beyond the Defensive Play of the Game collaboration, Aura is working with Together We Rise to build and deploy an educational campaign for both foster children and agencies in Minnesota and across the United States that outlines the risks of digital crime and provides tips for more proactive protection online. Aura will also donate its flagship, all-in-one digital security application to eligible current and graduated fellows of the Together We Rise college scholarship program for use up to five years, to support them as they look to build a secure financial and independent future. The Timberwolves will also work with Aura and Together We Rise to provide foster youth in the local community with complimentary tickets to select Timberwolves home games.
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Aura’s Defensive Play of the Game will be shared during each game on Bally Sports North, the Timberwolves’ local broadcast partner, as well as on the Timberwolves’ social channels.
Aura’s simple, all-in-one app provides proactive digital security that alerts users to potential digital threats and helps resolve identity theft issues. Aura simplifies digital security – helping to alleviate the burden on members and their families – all backed by an experienced team of customer service professionals. All plans include a $1 million insurance policy from a third party insurer for every customer to cover any eligible losses from identity theft and fraud.
