Industry educates youngsters on the perils of scam ads

Advertising literacy charity Media Smart is supporting the UK Government’s National Campaign Against Fraud through a new scam ad awareness campaign, as the industry continues its drive to help young people understand advertising and media as part of its broader literacy programme.

With research from Action Fraud showing over a thousand children and teenagers in the UK are scammed every month, the new activity aims to help 13- to 18-year-olds identify possible scams and how to avoid them. It will also offer resources on how to report them on social media platforms, Action Fraud and the Advertising Standards Authority, and where those affected can go for support.

The “Scam flags add up to a scam” push has been co-branded with the new National Campaign Against Fraud – Stop! Think Fraud – which the Home Office launched in February to provide consistent, clear and robust anti-fraud advice to the general public.

Media Smart worked with youth focused creative agency Livity to cover a range of topics young people are most concerned about: cryptocurrency, online shopping deals, unauthorised remote access of webcams, scholarships and spoofing.

Launching today to support both students and educators, the campaign will be delivered directly to young people in the places where they hang out online through engaging animated films. The assets will also be available for teachers and parents to use in the classroom and at home. A dedicated support hub is available on Media Smart’s website with downloadable support guides and access to video content.

Media Smart executive director Rachel Barber-Mack said: “This is a vitally important initiative, and we are pleased to be supporting the UK Government’s National Campaign Against Fraud to drive awareness of scam ads to keep young people safe and empowered online. There is a shared responsibility for all of us in the media and advertising industry to invest in media literacy, it will reap dividends from an educational perspective as well building public trust.”

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat added: “Fraud is the most prevalent crime in the UK. It’s a sad reality that criminals target young people.

“I welcome Media Smart’s work to help teenagers spot and report scam adverts as well as their support of our Stop! Think Fraud campaign so we can all detect and avoid fraud.”

Media Smart was incorporated into UK advertising trade body the Advertising Association in 2023 and this campaign follows research from the AA’s Trust Working Group which showed suspicious advertising was a significant driver of distrust in the industry. The resulting Media Smart campaign is one of multiple actions the AA is taking to drive public trust in the industry.

In 2023 alone, Media Smart resources reached 845,000 young people and saw 6,000 educational resources downloaded, backed by 36 supporters across 10 industry sectors. The organisation covers topics including body image, digital advertising, greenwashing, piracy & IP and career opportunities.