Students work with police to raise scam awareness
BBCUniversity students have worked with police on a campaign to alert young people to the dangers of online scams.
Falmouth University students worked with Devon and Cornwall Police to create posters which will be used on bus stops across the counties.
Amelia Belam and Louis Brown, both students at the Cornish university, came up with the idea to stop young people falling victim to scams by using puns relating to farm animals. They said a comical approach was the best way to get interest.
Det Sgt Tona Pooley said "scammers can be highly manipulative and convincing, often leaving their victims feeling ashamed and too embarrassed to report what has happened".
The students designed posters which the police said were "eye-catching" and hoped they would "draw people's attention".
Brown said it was a "great way of showing humour in an anti-scam campaign without making it patronising".
"It's amazing to see our initial concepts being brought to life and I hope the campaign helps to protect people from scams," he added.
Police said the posters would be used on bus stops near colleges and universities across Devon and Cornwall, as well as AI-generated adverts on social media.
The posters would feature a QR code which directed people to police advice, the force added.
Pooley said: "It's a mistake to assume that scammers only target older people.
"Fraudsters have all kinds of schemes targeting young people, with research recognising that 16-25-year-old victims account for over half of all scams in the UK.
"Scammers will adapt their techniques to take advantage of anyone, of any age."
