Buzzworthy Videos in Nacha Contest Aim to Stop the Scams

The winners have been announced for the second annual Spotlight! Payments Video Challenge, presented by Nacha’s Payments Innovation Alliance. This unique contest encouraged contributors to create up to one-minute videos centered on the theme, “Take a Stand Against Scammers.”

The goal? To empower consumer education and rapidly spread awareness about payment-related scams through engaging, original content amplified across social media. FICO is a gold presenter for these awards, and I was one of two FICO team members who participated in the judging.

The Contest’s Mission

With payment scams and financial fraud on the rise, the challenge sought to broaden the ecosystem’s messaging by inviting a wide range of participants to share educational videos. As Jennifer West, Nacha Senior Director, Payments Innovation Alliance, Education and Accreditation, noted, “The public at large cannot be educated enough about the emerging threats of cybersecurity, financial frauds and scams. Everyone has a role in mitigating payment-related financial scams.”

Watch the 2025 Winners

Grand Prize ($5,000): “It’s a Scam” by Marcius Parks, a catchy music video reminding viewers, “Don’t be brainless, protect your payments.” Parks also earned the Sponsor's Choice Award, adding an extra $1,500 to his winnings.

Second Place ($2,500): “Spot the Signs” by Jessie Soliday. This video features a grandmother recounting a scammer’s failed attempt to convince her that her grandson was in trouble and needed money.

Third Place ($1,000): “Puppy Love” by Katherine Mitchell, a humorous music video starring a dog who falls for a mysterious online admirer—who turns out to be a wolf.

All of the winning videos are available to watch here. 

Why This Contest Matters

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance’s 2025 report, Americans lost a staggering $64.8 billion to scams in just one year, with each victim averaging $1,087 in losses and encountering scam attempts 377 times annually. Globally, $442 billion was lost to scammers over the past 12 months. With these numbers in mind, the importance of consumer education and awareness is clear.

From my perspective, this contest was a fantastic way to educate consumers about scams—especially since the videos were created by consumers themselves. The entries were not only creative and well executed but also did a wonderful job highlighting the different types of scams and exposing the methods scammers use to deceive people.

Seeing such enthusiastic consumer involvement and the diversity of submissions was inspiring. Education is key to combating scams, and this contest was a powerful way to promote it.

I particularly appreciated the genuine consumer voice throughout the videos. It offered a fresh approach, making the dangers of scams more relatable and personal — far more effective than having financial institutions deliver the message alone.

Several videos drew on real-life experiences, adding authenticity and making the advice resonate. Humor also played a big role; a couple of the entries genuinely made me laugh, and that kind of engagement helps the message stick.

Overall, the Spotlight! Payments Video Challenge proved that when the community gets involved, educational efforts become more impactful, memorable, and effective in the fight against scammers.

How FICO Can Help You Fight Fraud and Scams

• Explore how FICO helps fight fraud, regardless of channel or portfolio
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