Photo source: Ads of Brands
Online scams increasingly depend on one thing: convincing people to react before they have time to think. Fraudulent messages, fake security alerts and phishing attempts are often designed to create a sense of urgency, pushing users to click first and question later.
The creators of the Take9 initiative believe that breaking that cycle may be surprisingly simple. Their latest campaign, Count Before You Click, asks people to pause for nine seconds before opening a link, downloading a file or sharing information online.
To deliver that message, the campaign turns to an unlikely but instantly recognisable ambassador. Developed with Bully Pulpit International, the initiative features Count von Count from Sesame Street, a character whose entire identity revolves around counting.
The choice is not accidental. Organisers argue that a short moment of reflection is often enough for users to notice warning signs they might otherwise overlook, whether it is an unfamiliar phone number, a suspicious link or a message that feels unusually generic.
The campaign’s first film, “Jazzercise,” demonstrates the idea in practice. A woman exercising at home receives what appears to be an urgent banking notification. Rather than reacting immediately, she is guided by Count von Count through nine seconds of counting and movement, giving her just enough time to recognise the message as a scam attempt.
The initiative arrives as online fraud continues to grow. According to figures from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers reported around three million fraud cases in 2025. At the same time, artificial intelligence tools are making scams increasingly sophisticated, allowing criminals to create more convincing messages and impersonations.
Research by Aspen Digital suggests that Millennials and Generation X remain particularly important audiences for online safety education. Many people in these generations manage not only their own digital security but also help protect younger and older family members from online threats.
“I launched Take9 to help people protect themselves from online scams and other digital threats. I have spent more than 25 years fighting internet fraud, and Count has been counting for much longer than that. We want to give people simple tools they can use to protect themselves and their communities,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and the Take9 initiative.
According to Jen Ahearn, Vice President of Global Strategic Partnerships at Sesame Workshop, Count von Count has spent decades helping children learn through numbers, making him a natural messenger for a campaign built around a simple counting habit.
The campaign will run across television, streaming services and social media platforms, bringing its message directly into the digital environments where users encounter potential scams every day.
For the team behind Take9, the reasoning is straightforward. Nine seconds may not seem like much, but it can be enough time to interrupt an impulsive reaction, evaluate a situation more carefully and avoid a mistake that could prove expensive.
Sometimes, they argue, the most effective form of online protection begins with a brief pause.
