Fraud is now the most frequently reported crime in the UK, and all of us are exposed to harm. Online scams and impersonations affect people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. Criminals use automated tools, AI and spoofed identities to reach people at scale – and the international and organised nature of the criminality means prosecutions aren’t easy. 

This isn’t a fringe problem. It’s a national public protection issue hiding in plain sight.

The recent and, frankly, scandalous Grok episode, which saw people’s images manipulated in disturbing ways, underlines a familiar challenge that is a focus for today’s Safer Internet day: emerging technology evolves faster than public understanding and legislation. What looks like innovation one week can quickly become a flashpoint for trust the next. For us, that reinforces a clear belief: online safety cannot be an afterthought. Prevention has to be built in from the start – and communicated clearly, early and often.

At Barley, we see behaviour change communications as a form of infrastructure. If people don’t understand the risk, or don’t see themselves in it, they won’t act, which in turn keeps demand high and allows criminality to persist. 

If the harm is too distant, behaviour won’t change

Barley works with partners tackling this reality head-on. Alongside organisations like National Trading Standards, we support work that monitors and investigates a broad range of online crimes – from misleading ‘copycat’ websites and subscription traps to shopping fraud and the sale of illegal products – while helping consumers make safer choices.

We’ve also worked with the Intellectual Property Office, where online harm is often less visible but no less serious. Counterfeit and illicit goods traded online don’t just undermine businesses and innovation; they expose consumers to dangerous products and fund organised crime. When intellectual property crime feels abstract, demand persists. When its real-world consequences are made clear, behaviour starts to shift.

This link between online activity and offline harm runs through much of our work. Illicit tobacco and underage knife sales promoted through digital channels don’t stay online – they show up on high streets, in school playgrounds and in local communities. Our role as communicators is to tackle demand, while enforcement partners disrupt supply. To do that effectively, the harm has to feel close, credible and real. If it’s too distant, behaviour won’t change.

That urgency is reflected in the growing public conversation around AI-enabled fraud. Just last week, we were at MediaCity in Salford with National Trading Standards for an interview on BBC Breakfast, discussing new AI tactics being used by criminals to set up direct debits in their name.  Before the interview one of the presenters – Charlie Stayt – mentioned to our spokesperson how more and more consumer protection issues are being covered by national media. The fact these issues are now being explored on national breakfast television is telling: online fraud is no longer a niche or technical concern – it’s a mainstream risk affecting everyday lives.

Prevention as a driver for changing social norms

The rise of sophisticated, AI-enabled fraud is also driving innovation in prevention. One emerging example is Falkin, a UK-based digital safety start-up we supported last year, whose tools embed scam detection directly into banking and fintech apps – flagging risky links, requests and messages before payments are made.

This kind of proactive intervention reflects a shift we strongly support: moving away from passive warnings and towards intercepting harm at the moment of persuasion. It’s about designing safety into systems, not relying on people to spot increasingly convincing deception on their own.

Through our communications work, we’ve consistently challenged the idea that fraud is an inevitable cost of digital life. It isn’t. With the right combination of technology, enforcement and communication, it’s a solvable public protection challenge.

Beyond age limits: a national conversation on regulation

Politically, the UK is grappling with how to translate growing concern into effective policy. Proposals to restrict social media access for younger people have gained traction, bringing questions of responsibility, enforcement and unintended consequences into the mainstream.

Later this month, The Stationers’ and Newspapers’ Company and The London Press Club will host an event asking a deceptively simple question: should youngsters be banned from social media? As ever, the answer is likely to be complex. Online harms affect people of all ages, and regulation will need to balance protection, freedom and practicality.

Whatever the policy direction, communication will be critical – helping people understand not just what decisions are being made, but why, and how they reduce real-world harm.

Communications to tackle demand

Safer Internet Day should be a launchpad, not a once-a-year reminder. In our view, the strongest defence against online harm sits at the intersection of supply (tackled by enforcement) and demand (tackled by behaviour change and public awareness campaigns).

At Barley, we’re committed to helping partners translate complex risks into clear, actionable messages that resonate with people’s real lives.