Home / Technology / Craig Newmark: 'It Pisses Me Off' - Fighting Scams
Craig Newmark: 'It Pisses Me Off' - Fighting Scams
1 Jun
Summary
- Craig Newmark partners with Count von Count for Take9 project.
- The campaign urges users to 'think before you click' by counting to nine.
- AI advancements pose a growing threat to online scamming tactics.
Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is collaborating with the beloved character Count von Count from Sesame Street to launch the Take9 campaign. This initiative aims to educate the public on recognizing and avoiding online scams. The core message encourages individuals to take a brief pause, specifically counting to nine, before engaging with suspicious emails, texts, or downloads.
Newmark emphasized that the campaign, launched in October 2024 with the Aspen Institute, addresses the urgency often exploited by scammers. He noted that increasingly sophisticated AI technologies, including large language models, will likely enhance the effectiveness and real-time capabilities of malicious actors. This elevates the importance of simple behavioral changes like the 'take nine' approach.
The Take9 campaign also promotes fundamental cybersecurity practices. These include using password managers, enabling multi-factor authentication, and adopting phishing-resistant passkeys. Newmark also called on tech companies to bolster customer security, citing on-device AI for scam detection as a positive step forward, stressing that phones are now primary communication devices.
