Scam Prevention Guide
Helping consumers spot, avoid, and report scams with confidence
Role: UX/UI Designer
Platform: Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
Status: Launched as an add-on experience to Scam Tracker
Timeline: 2024–2025
Deliverables: Content model, UX flows, component specs, high-fidelity designs, AEM authoring blueprint
Impact statement: A guided, educational experience that turns Scam Tracker insights into clear, actionable prevention steps, reinforced by short quizzes that assess vulnerability to common scam types.
Project Overview
BBB’s Scam Tracker surfaces real consumer reports across North America. Many visitors arrive after a suspicious message or offer, seeking immediate guidance rather than only a reporting form. The Scam Prevention Guide was designed in AEM to complement Scam Tracker with proactive education, pattern recognition, next-step guidance, and interactive quizzes. The Guide’s entry page orients users to learning paths such as the Risk Calculator, quizzes, videos, and a resource library, while providing direct links back to reports or to look up scams.
Problem Statement
| Problem | Impact |
|---|---|
| Educational content scattered across properties | Users struggled to find concise, situation-specific advice at the moment of need |
| Long, jargon-heavy articles without decision support | Visitors could not translate information into immediate protective steps |
| Weak bridge between education and reporting | Missed opportunities to route users to Scam Tracker actions |
| Static pages hard to update and personalize in AEM | Content velocity lagged behind emerging scam patterns |
Users & Research
Primary users
- Consumers who have encountered a suspicious message, call, link, or offer
- Caregivers or advocates assisting less tech-savvy users
- Media and community partners referencing BBB resources
Methods
- Heuristic review of existing scam content and flows
- Analysis of top Scam Tracker categories and search terms
- Interviews with local BBB experts and call-center staff
- AEM content inventory and authoring constraints assessment
Key UX insights
- Users want quick triage: what it is, why it is risky, what to do next.
- Examples and red-flag patterns outperform long narrative text.
- Clear bridges to Report a Scam and File a Complaint increase follow-through.
- Mobile-first layout is mandatory for on-the-go incidents.
Design Goals
- Reduce time to find relevant guidance by one to two clicks from entry.
- Provide pattern-based education that aligns with the top scam types.
- Increase conversion from the education page to the Report a Scam action.
- Deliver an AEM authoring model that allows rapid updates and localization.
Design Goals
- Reduce time to relevant guidance by one to two clicks from the Guide landing page.
- Provide pattern-based education that maps to top scam vectors.
- Increase conversion from the education page to the Report a Scam action.
- Deliver an AEM authoring model for rapid updates and localization.
Strategy & Approach
- Built a guided content model in AEM using reusable sections: Intro, Red Flags, What To Do, Protect Yourself, and Where To Report.
- Introduced pattern tiles tied to common vectors such as phone, text, email, social platforms, and marketplaces.
- Embedded contextual CTAs that connect prevention content to Scam Tracker reporting and look-up paths.
- Authored scannable blocks with checklists and examples.
- Established governance for frequent updates aligned to emerging scam trends.
Before & After: Content Experience
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Long articles mixed across multiple pages | Modular, scannable sections with clear anchors |
| Generic advice with little pattern recognition | Red-flag checklists tied to specific scam types |
| CTAs buried at the bottom | Persistent, contextual CTAs to report or look up scams |
| Hard to maintain and slow to update | AEM componentized content with authoring guidelines |
Reframing static articles into a guided, modular experience accelerates understanding and action.
Core Feature Enhancements
| Feature | User Value |
|---|---|
| Test Your Knowledge quizzes | Short, ~5-question quizzes (~2 minutes) help users gauge susceptibility to major scam types such as impersonation, online purchase, phishing/SMShing, investment, and employment. |
| Red-flag checklist blocks | Teaches recognition skills in under a minute with concrete examples |
| “What to do next” steps | Clear, immediate actions to reduce harm |
| Contextual CTAs to report or look up scams | Seamless transition from learning to action |
| Mobile-first cards and accordions | Faster scanning on small screens |
| AEM authoring blueprint | Consistency, localization, and faster updates |
Validation & Feedback
| Measure | Legacy | New Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Findability of relevant guidance | Inconsistent | Improved task path clarity in tests |
| Time to key action (Report a Scam) | Longer | Fewer steps from landing to action via embedded CTAs |
| Comprehension of red flags | Mixed | Higher recall with checklist format and quizzes |
“The quiz made me realize where I am most at risk.”