Devon & Cornwall Police
Using humour to take on digital fraud and scams
Devon & Cornwall Police approached us with a difficult problem: young people are now more likely to be targeted by scammers than any other age group. We created a campaign about digital fraud and scams that used humour to make a serious message stick.
Challenge
Devon & Cornwall Police identified that younger people are more targeted by fraudsters and scammers than any other generation, who are confident they can avoid these harms.
Outcomes
Our students were well placed to understand how 16 to 24-year-olds think about digital fraud and scams. They quickly gave the client clear insights into young people’s experiences online.
The campaign set out to challenge a dangerous assumption: that scams only happen to other people. “Scam Animals” used humour across posters and social media videos to show that anyone can become a target. Our students developed ideas shaped by young people, for young people, while gaining valuable experience working on a live brief.
The final campaign appeared on bus stops and Meta ads, helping Devon & Cornwall Police reach the audience they needed to engage. It also gave the police a stronger understanding of how to communicate with Gen Z while supporting efforts to tackle digital fraud and scams.
The campaign launched at The Big Sheep, where students from our media production course documented the day alongside BBC and ITV News. Hear from Det. Sgt. Tona Pooley and Comms Officer Rob Simmonds on the impact of digital fraud and scams, and what it meant to work with Be Good:
Faculty Team
Joel Ferguson, Lucy Cokes
Student Involved
Amelia Belam, Louis Brown, Charli Li
Make change happen
Whether you’re here to shift behaviours or shape your future, let’s start something that makes a difference.