Scams have become one of the defining challenges of our digital lives. They are not just obvious red flags or suspicious emails anymore. They increasingly show up inside the places and interactions people already trust every day: a familiar platform or message that feels legitimate.
Telling people to “watch out for scams” is no longer enough. The bigger question is: What helps people make safer decisions in the moment?
That’s a question we're constantly exploring at Gen, and one our Global Head of Scam Research, Leyla Bilge, took to the Global Anti-Scam Summit America in San Francisco earlier this month. Leyla joined industry leaders from Amazon, Bank of America and Match Group for a discussion on what’s actually working in consumer education for scam prevention.
The working group explored approaches ranging from gamified learning experiences and children's education programs to AI-powered tools and interactive chatbots. The common thread: moving beyond warnings and awareness campaigns to exploring new ways to help people recognize and respond to threats in real time.
Scams are becoming a larger ecosystem of harm
Today’s scams are rarely isolated incidents. What begins as a convincing message can quickly lead to stolen credentials, compromised accounts, financial loss or long-term identity fraud.
Gen’s latest Threat Report shows that scammers are moving closer to the places people already trust online. That makes scams harder to spot, and more likely to succeed. By the time something feels wrong, a scam may already be underway, and we may have clicked the link, approved the request or opened the door ourselves.
The challenge isn’t just preventing scams. Protection can't only be about recognizing obvious warning signs. It has to help people make better decisions while an interaction is unfolding.
Beyond awareness: protecting and educating consumers
Knowing that scams exist isn't the same as knowing what to do when a convincing text, call or message appears.
Effective scam education has to move closer to the moment of decision. That means helping people recognize manipulation, question what they're seeing and know what action to take before money, information or access changes hands.
“As scams continue to evolve, the way we educate and protect consumers must evolve with them,” says Leyla. “The most effective education helps people spot manipulation early, make informed decisions in the moment and know what to do if something feels wrong.”
At Gen, that belief shapes how we think about protection. We provide education online through our products and digital channels, invest in nonprofit partnerships and training programs, and work to make trusted guidance more accessible to consumers, schools and families around the world.
We're also finding new ways to put Gen's threat intelligence directly into people's hands. The recently launched Fearless Planet Index gives anyone a live view of scams and threats emerging around the world, along with practical guidance for staying protected.
Collaborating across industries to understand what’s working
No company can solve scams alone. Scammers move seamlessly across platforms, financial systems, borders and industries. Our response has to do the same.
Sharing evidence across industries can help organizations learn faster, scale what's effective and respond more quickly as threats evolve.
Through organizations like GASA and other cross-sector partnerships, Gen is helping advance a broader conversation about how people can stay safer in an increasingly complex digital world. We're sharing what we're learning, learning from others and helping build a stronger collective response to scams. Because as scammers change their tactics, the way we protect people has to keep changing, too.
Explore Gen’s latest scam research and insights.
