We’re proud to share that McAfee’s “Keep It Real” campaign has been named a finalist in the 2026 Shorty Awards Social Good Campaign category.
This category recognizes work that doesn’t just perform, it matters: campaigns that raise awareness, inspire action, and make a real-world impact.
That’s exactly what “Keep It Real” set out to do.
Because behind every scam statistic is a person who thought they were making the right call. And too often, what follows isn’t just financial loss. It’s embarrassment, silence, and stigma.
We wanted to change that.
The campaign launched alongside McAfee Scam Detector to address a growing reality: scams powered by AI are becoming harder to recognize and easier to fall for.
“Keep It Real” paired real survivor stories with AI-driven protection to show how scams actually happen and how people can stop them in the moment.
The goal was simple:
- Normalize the experience
- Remove shame around being scammed
- Help more people recognize scams faster
Because when people feel safe talking about scams, they’re more likely to spot them and stop them.
What Are the Shorty Awards?
The Shorty Awards honor the best work in social media, digital campaigns, and online storytelling across brands, creators, and organizations.
Now in their 18th year, the awards recognize campaigns that combine creativity, impact, and real-world relevance. Finalists are selected alongside leading global brands and judged on both industry evaluation and public voting.
How McAfee’s Scam Detector Fits In
McAfee’s Scam Detector is designed to help people identify scams across everyday digital moments.
It uses AI to fight AI by flagging suspicious:
- Text messages and emails
- QR codes and links
- Social media messages
- AI-generated and deepfake content
By combining automatic detection with clear guidance, Scam Detector helps people better understand what they’re seeing and decide what to trust.
Real Stories Behind the Campaign
A core part of “Keep It Real” was giving space to people who experienced scams to share what happened, in their own words.
These stories helped show that scams can happen to anyone and played a key role in breaking the stigma around being targeted.
This recognition reflects the work across McAfee teams who built and brought this campaign to life, including product, engineering, research, creative, and communications.
It also reflects the individuals who chose to share their real scam stories to help others recognize scams, stay safer, and end the shame and stigma around being scammed.
Support the Campaign
The Shorty Awards include a public voting component.
If you’d like to support the campaign, you can vote here:
https://shortyawards.com/18th/keep-it-real-mcafees-ai-scam-media-relations-campaign
Voting is open through April 8, and you can vote once per day.
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