Outsmarting Scammers: A game that can save you from online fraud

In a study of 3,000 people, those who played ShieldUp! were significantly better at spotting scams than those who just watched awareness videos

Every day, thousands of people become victims of online fraud in India. Fake UPI alerts, phishing emails, and investment scams are costing Indians billions of rupees every year. For perspective, UPI fraud alone accounts for nearly half of all financial cybercrimes, costing Indians over INR 1,750 crore (USD 209 million) in the first four months of 2024.

Conventional scam awareness programs, while informative, rarely translate into behavioral change, as they often rely on passive learning methods rather than active engagement. This is where ShieldUp!, a mobile game developed using inoculation theory, steps in. A paper titled "ShieldUp!: Inoculating Users Against Online Scams Using A Game Based Intervention" submitted on arXiv demonstrates the potential of game-based inoculation as a scalable and effective scam prevention strategy.

Building online scam resilience through gamified learning

The study behind ShieldUp! introduces an innovative psychological inoculation approach to scam prevention. Unlike traditional scam education that focuses on identifying specific fraudulent schemes, inoculation theory works by exposing users to weakened versions of scams, allowing them to recognize manipulation tactics before encountering real threats. By simulating scams in a controlled environment, ShieldUp! trains users to identify and resist deceptive tactics, fostering long-term resilience.

The game design follows a structured skill progression model, where players navigate through scam scenarios of increasing complexity. Each level mirrors real-world scams - including UPI fraud, phishing, customer care scams, investment scams, and social engineering tactics - ensuring players gain practical, transferable skills. Through interactive storytelling, decision-making challenges, and immediate feedback, the game helps users develop critical thinking skills that protect them from online fraud.

Additionally, ShieldUp! does more than just present scam scenarios: it actively teaches psychological manipulation techniques used by scammers, such as:

• Social proof and conformity tactics, where fraudsters create fake reviews or testimonials to lure victims.
• Urgency and scarcity pressures, pushing victims into hasty decisions.
• Authority exploitation, where scammers impersonate bank officials or government representatives.
• Emotional manipulation, where fraudsters use fear, excitement, or greed to cloud judgment.

By reinforcing scam recognition through active recall techniques, ShieldUp! ensures that players retain the knowledge needed to detect scams in real life. Unlike static training methods, gamification encourages users to engage repeatedly, improving long-term awareness and scam resistance.

Proven results: How gaming is enhancing scam detection skills

To assess ShieldUp!'s effectiveness, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial with 3,000 participants across India. Participants were divided into three groups:

1. ShieldUp! Group (Treatment): Played the game for 15 minutes.
2. General Awareness Group (Active Control): Watched scam awareness videos and read safety tips for 10 minutes.
3. Chrome Dino Group (Control): Played a non-educational digital game to control for engagement effects.

Scam detection ability was measured using the Scam Discernment Ability Test (SDAT-10), a tool specifically designed to assess scam recognition skills. The results were striking:

• ShieldUp! players demonstrated a significant improvement in scam detection compared to both control groups.
• The game-based approach outperformed passive awareness campaigns, with players showing higher retention of scam identification skills even after 21 days.
• Initial skepticism toward genuine online offers was observed immediately after gameplay, but this effect dissipated over time, confirming that ShieldUp! builds scam resilience without fostering excessive distrust in legitimate transactions.

These findings provide compelling evidence that gamified interventions can be far more effective than traditional scam awareness programs in preparing users to identify and resist online fraud.

Implications for scam prevention strategies and future research

The success of ShieldUp! has significant implications for both digital literacy initiatives and cybersecurity policy.

• Integrating Gamification into Scam Prevention Programs: Policymakers and cybersecurity agencies should consider incorporating game-based learning into public awareness campaigns. By offering interactive scam prevention modules, financial institutions, government agencies, and digital platforms can better equip users to navigate digital threats.
• Context-Specific Scam Prevention Measures: Given that different demographics are vulnerable to different types of scams, tailored interventions should be developed. Financial literacy programs for seniors, scam detection training for gig economy workers, and fraud education for digital banking users could benefit from customized versions of ShieldUp!.
• Scaling and Expanding the Research Scope: Future research should explore how long the effects of ShieldUp! persist and whether booster interventions can further strengthen scam resistance. Additionally, cross-cultural studies could help adapt the game for global scam prevention efforts.
• Collaboration with Digital Platforms and Regulators: Financial institutions and tech companies should partner with researchers to deploy ShieldUp!-style interventions directly within digital ecosystems. Embedding scam detection training into banking apps, e-commerce platforms, and social media networks could significantly reduce scam susceptibility.

As online scams evolve, so must our defensive strategies. The research behind ShieldUp! demonstrates that gamified learning can empower users, create behavioral shifts, and provide scalable solutions to combat online fraud. By equipping users with the skills to identify fraud, ShieldUp! is proving that the best way to fight online scams is not just through awareness but through active engagement and psychological resilience-building