Many stolen goods are traded in classified publications; interested buyers call the phone numbers of sellers who’ve advertised second hand products for sale, and organise a time to meet up and exchange money.We took three products that were most commonly traded on the black market (a laptop, plasma tv and second hand car) and created ads for them in the classifieds.We advertised them at truly ridiculous prices. (A Lexus was advertised for a few hundred dollars, for instance!)When excited buyers called the phone numbers attached, they were greeted with a recorded phone message – telling them just how close they’d come to actually buying a stolen product.This way, we used small space print to generate awareness, and the telephone message to deliver the cautionary message.Mimicking the path-to-purchase that often accompanies the flow of stolen goods.

The phone line was inundated with callers keen to take advantage of the too-good-to-be-true deals.These same people were also educated (via the same phone message) about just how easy it was to purchase dodgy goods.This helped raise awareness of the issue with the EXACT target market we were hoping to reach: The well-intentioned, but ignorant purchasers of illicit goods.From a media perspective, our ‘wastage’ was zero.NB: It’s worth noting that because we made the number a ‘free call’ service, we minimised the backlash against Crime stoppers from disgruntled callers who felt that they might have ‘paid’ to learn a lesson. In fact, not a single complaint was lodged.