Stop The Scammers Case Study

Stop the Scammers, a Fraud Fighters initiative through the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS), was an 18-stop event series across Iowa in 2024.

The Stop the Scammers Roadshow was made possible by DIFS as well as a strategic partnership with AARP Iowa and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. The Stop the Scammers Roadshow was built as a seminar to inform Iowans about how to prevent becoming victims of fraud and scams while educating themselves for the future. Throughout the tour, speakers including Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen, Attorney General Brenna Bird, Investigator Al Perales, and AARP volunteers provided helpful tips to over 1,000 Iowans.

Stop the Scammers event organizers and DIFS worked with the LS2group marketing team to develop the Roadshow name, branding, presentation slide deck, event materials and signage, event registration, paid media, and more. Through the event registration, LS2group conducted “hard count” calls to every person who RSVPed, ensuring accurate headcounts for the events. The LS2group team designed and developed all creative needs for the event, including staff apparel, messaging, retractable banners, posters, and directional signage. The marketing materials were appreciated and regularly complimented by event attendees. The mobile, back-lit stage backdrops made a particularly favorable impact on Roadshow participants.

LS2group’s marketing team also managed advertising efforts for the Stop the Scammers events. The team designed, developed, and placed a paid social media campaign across the state, inviting seniors to attend the events, especially in smaller markets. The LS2group marketing team provided results analytics for all paid social media.

The Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services also contracted with the LS2group event planning team to manage logistics and on-the-ground support for all 18 events. Services included venue identification and contracting, catering, set-up and tear-down logistics, run-of-show development, communication between speakers and the venue, audio/visual support, and travel planning. As part of the event management services, LS2group accurately scheduled drive time between events, ensuring all speakers arrived at every event on time.

In addition to marketing and event management services, LS2group managed all public relations efforts for the tour, including coordinating a kick-off press conference before the first Stop the Scammers event, working with Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen, Attorney General Brenna Bird, and AARP State Director Brad Anderson to develop the run-of-show and needed talking points. The public relations team also developed a media communications plan with news releases, media pitches, and media advisories to alert local outlets about the Roadshow making a stop in their city. LS2group secured 81 earned media placements across the state and several interviews with spokespeople from DIFS.

The 18 Stop the Scammers events were held in Des Moines, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, Davenport, Coralville, Newton, Creston, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Carroll, Ames, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, and Johnston. In total, more than 1,000 Iowans attended the Stop the Scammers Roadshow. These individuals left each event with more education on fraud and tips to prevent falling victim to scams in the digital age.