The campaign centered on one idea:
When people stay silent, scammers win—and the only way to truly understand online scams is to let real people tell their stories.
The goal:
McAfee believes that staying safe from scams requires more than just technology; it takes a combination of digital street smarts and the right tools. That’s why we launched the Keep It Real campaign alongside the release of McAfee’s Scam Detector, an AI-powered solution that proactively protects people from scams across text, email, social media, and manipulated videos.
Our goal was not only to introduce new technology, but also to empower people to recognize scams, speak up, and feel less alone as threats become more convincing every day. With AI making fake messages look real, people often blame themselves when they’re fooled, especially during busy or emotional moments when their guard is down.
Through Keep It Real, we set out to change the conversation around scams and let scam victims become scam survivors. By sharing honest, relatable stories and highlighting the emotional impact, we aimed to remove stigma, encourage open dialogue, and drive awareness of the new tech.
Our media strategy was to launch Scam Detector in tandem with real survivor stories, helping audiences and reporters understand the human side of scams and creating space for people to share their experiences without shame.
Strategy and Tactics
Our media approach was built around Scam Stories, a series of short films featuring survivors of delivery scams, SIM-swap attacks, romance scams, ticket scams, and IRS impostor calls. Survivors included Brittany, who lost her concert tickets; Henry, misled on a social platform; and Deshawn, who clicked a convincing delivery link. Their honesty showed reporters that scams happen to anyone living their lives.
We shared these stories early with journalists and offered to connect them directly with survivors. Each story was paired with insights from McAfee experts who explained how scams are evolving with AI.
To reach wider audiences, we partnered with recognizable faces: Grey’s Anatomy star Chris Carmack and his wife Erin Slaver, a social media powerhouse and performer, participated in Scam Stories, opening new consumer-focused media opportunities.
To strengthen the emotional connection, we added Surprise and Delight moments at the end of each film, giving survivors something meaningful to help replace what they lost. These moments provided visuals reporters rarely get in cybersecurity stories and encouraged empathetic coverage.
Execution
We launched Keep it Real and Scam Detector with briefings, exclusives, and hands-on demos, anchored by coverage in USA TODAY.
Consumer tech columnist Jennifer Jolly interviewed Scam Stories survivors and tested Scam Detector herself. On the morning of her interview, Jennifer received a phishing message disguised as a standard NDA request, an experience she shared in her article to illustrate how scams can fool anyone, even experts. Her story explained how Scam Detector works, how scammers use AI to target people at vulnerable moments, and why Keep It Real was created to help end the silence and stigma survivors often feel. The USA TODAY feature validated the launch and influenced the framing of subsequent coverage.
We then expanded into outlets that reach broad consumer audiences. Chris Carmack and Erin Slaver’s involvement led to a full feature in US Weekly, placing Scam Detector in front of millions of everyday readers and establishing an ongoing relationship with the outlet. Since launch, US Weekly has regularly reached out for scam-related context, data, and expert support -- a rare outcome for a cybersecurity product launch.
A detailed Mashable feature focused on Bradley, a new father targeted by an IRS impostor during an overwhelming moment in his life. His story showed how confusing and emotional these experiences can be, adding depth to the broader narrative.
Throughout the launch of McAfee’s Scam Detector, reporters used Scam Stories films, images from Surprise and Delight moments, and interviews with survivors and spokespeople to bring more humanity to their coverage. A MAT release broadened reach across over 1,000 regional outlets.
The campaign exceeded expectations. In the first month, it generated more than 330 earned global stories and an estimated reach of nearly 2 billion, demonstrating immediate impact and media interest.
The USA TODAY feature served as the anchor and shaped the rest of the coverage, with reporters echoing themes we hoped would resonate, including the idea that scams can happen to anyone and that Scam Detector helps people pause before reacting.
Chris Carmack’s story and the US Weekly feature became important consumer-facing moments, reaching audiences who would never read tech or business media and establishing an ongoing relationship with US Weekly that continues today.
Mashable’s story added additional depth and helped readers understand the emotional recovery process. The MAT release produced more than 1,100 additional placements.
Scam Stories content drove about 9 million social impressions and 8.9 million video views. More than 55,000 people visited McAfee’s scam education resources, and Scam Detector pages saw significant increases in traffic during launch. Adoption of McAfee’s Scam Detector feature also continues to grow, with millions of Scam Protection users joining in the first weeks.
The campaign succeeded because it was grounded in real stories. It gave reporters meaningful human experiences to work with, met consumers where they already spend time, and showed how AI shapes both the threat and the solution. Most importantly, it helped survivors feel seen and encouraged others to speak openly. Scam Detector launched successfully because Keep It Real made the story personal.
