Aura, the leader in intelligent safety, and Aura Board member Robert Downey Jr.today launched a public service campaign to grow awareness of the online crime crisis in America. To kick off efforts and mark the beginning of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Downey will debut a commercial spot on his social media channels. The spot aims to educate consumers on the risk of online crime, leveraging a new, shocking statistic: the odds of falling victim to online crime in America are 1 in 4¹.

As part of the campaign, Aura is launching a new, free online safety resource center for all Americans – available starting this week via Aura.com — that provides visitors with step-by-step instructions to help resolve instances of online crime. Beyond instructional articles and directories to available web resources, Aura will debut an AI-enabled chat tool that will provide personalized support to individuals struggling to resolve a digital crime. Finally, Aura will be making free appointments with its highly experienced White Glove Resolution Team available to non-members, should anyone require more hands-on help.

What Are the Odds?
In the brand's new creative spot titled "What Are the Odds?," Downey delves into the reality of being affected by online crime, as compared to other far less likely occurrences that have established themselves as instinctual fears, such as being in a plane crash or routine surgery.

The spot was developed in partnership with Arnold Worldwide, a Havas Creative Group Company.

"It's shocking to see how common online crime has become," said Downey.  "No one is immune to what cybercriminals can do. I'm incredibly passionate about this issue and I want everyone to understand the risks and take action to protect their families."

Consumer Misconceptions
A core aspect of the public service campaign is anchored in the common misconceptions around online crime that Aura hears from users daily. Proprietary research, commissioned by Aura and conducted online by The Harris Poll, spotlights consumer confusion around the major risks facing families today, both online and off. Here are just a few of the common misconceptions we found:

• Online crime is a national crisis that is often overlooked. Nearly one third (29%) of Americans note that they are not concerned about falling victim to online crime, but data suggests they should be. In the past 12 months, 1 in 4 Americans have fallen victim to online crime.²

• It's assumed that older individuals are most at risk. Many believe older adults are most vulnerable to online crime, with 67% of Americans stating they believe older Americans are more likely to fall victim than teenagers are. In reality, everyone is a target amid this crisis. In fact, 1 in 2 Gen-Z individuals (ages 18-26) are actually at high risk for online crime³.

• The younger generation harbors more fears than their elders. Americans ages 18-34 shared they are concerned about never waking up from anesthesia (53%), being in a plane crash (58%), getting stuck in an elevator (62%) and an intruder breaking into their home (66%). At the same time, Americans ages 65+ were minimally concerned (responding that they were "not at all" or "not very" concerned) with these same fears:

  • 69% minimally concerned with never waking up from anesthesia,

  • 78% minimally concerned being in a plane crash,

  • 79% minimally concerned with getting stuck in an elevator,

  • 53% minimally concerned with intruders in their home.

In fact, the only thing these generations seem to agree on is that they are concerned about being duped online. 68% of 18-34 year olds and 69% of 65+ Americans report they are concerned about falling victim to online crime.

To check out Downey starring in "What are the Odds?," and learn more about how Aura can protect your family online, visit aura.com.