If you’ve spent any time on the internet dodging messages from random strangers offering financial windfalls, or texts and emails from suspicious “customer service agents” alerting you to an issue with your account, this new scam prevention campaign from Cash App may be as triggering as it is entertaining.
The “If It’s Weird For Real, It’s Weird For Real” campaign coincides with the holiday season—an especially busy time for scammers, with a AARP report finding 80% of U.S. consumers have either experienced or been targets of fraudulent money scams during the period.
Created by agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address and directed by Jeff Low through production company Biscuit Filmworks, three spots depict online scamming scenarios as if they occurred in person. The comic re-enactments of phishing texts emphasize the absurdity of the requests that often result in very real and damaging consequences when taken seriously.
In “Blessings,” a sinuous, smooth-talking, “good person” literally and creepily rolls up on an unsuspecting subway commuter looking at her phone, offering to “bless” her with $500 if she sends him $20. When she quickly rebuffs him, he responds with a verbal and physical “prayer hands emoji.”
In “Customer Service,” a shopper is approached by a phony rep who wheels up to her in a clothing store, warning her that “We think you’ve been hacked,” and demanding that she confirm her name and password. Unfazed by the intrusion, she stares back at him as he continues to pry for personal information by asking her for the answers to more security questions.
And in “Cash Flip,” a slickly dressed banker type emerges from under a table to inform a diner that “I’m rich. And I can make you rich too,” declaring that he can “flip any amount of money into a larger amount.” When his target declines his offer, he persists by asking him how much he wants to flip, rattling off increments before insisting, “Let’s start small.”
“This campaign represents our commitment to championing consumer protection,” Catherine Ferdon, head of brand at Cash App, said in a statement. “The online nature of today’s most popular scam tactics can make people second guess what’s real, but we want to ensure that our users – and the general public – understand the signs to look out for.”
The campaign will run throughout December across Cash App’s social channels, including Instagram, TikTok and X.
A “man on the street” style stunt was also shot for TikTok by director Chris Guerrero with Baby Lion, with the team going to “everyday places” to capture the authentic reactions of real people being read scripts used by scammers.
“Even though online scammers are getting more sophisticated, the language they use is still really strange and riddled with red flags,” Craig Shervin, associate creative director at Mischief, said in a statement.
