Americans think they can spot scams – they can't, and Shaq (yes, that Shaq) wants to change it

Legendary NBA player Shaquille O'Neal is using his star power to bring cybersecurity into the mainstream – and with new research showing Americans aren't nearly as good at recognizing online scams as they think, his timing couldn't be better.

“I'm a geek, so I know all about everything that's coming out about technology. I know about malware, phishing, hacking; I know about all that stuff,” Shaq tells me and a room full of reporters – all while hundreds of fans wait patiently in Times Square for a glimpse of the basketball superstar.

But the people that I hang out with don't know. When you say security, secure your phone, or VPN, I want to be the guy that gives out that information,

said legendary NBA player Shaquille O'Neal.

Shaq, VPNs, and why America's favorite baller is talking cybersecurity

Shaq knows firsthand how easily anyone can become a target. He recalled someone attempting to buy a house using his credit card, warning that cybercrime “can happen to anybody and it can happen to me.”

So, instead of blocking shots, the 19-year NBA center has taken up blocking viruses, malware, phishing, scams, and other online threats for NordVPN, kicking off his role as the new face for the company’s next-gen online protection.

Under the catchphrase “Go big on your online protection,” Nord announced a global 18-month partnership with its new ambassador last month.

Some of you already knew. Now everybody does 💥 @SHAQ and @harrymack shook up @TimesSquareNYC to deliver a big message: NordVPN now comes with a next-gen antivirus. https://t.co/RLl7ew5nEZ

undefined NordVPN (@NordVPN) October 7, 2026

Joining Shaq on the bright blue basketball court set up in Times Square, rapper Harry Mack riled up the crowd with his freestyle hooks, while a crew of street ballers decked out in baby blue took turns blocking shots attempted by members of the public, "mirroring how NordVPN blocks digital threats."

At one point, Shaq even offered to give away $5,000 to anyone who could make a free throw, with the crowd going wild when a young boy in an oversized Lakers jersey successfully made the shot.

In person, Shaq is a larger-than-life figure whose physical presence might be intimidating if not for his soft-spoken, humble demeanor.

In fact, Shaq, who “retired as a celebrity 10 years ago” and calls himself just a “regular person,” is hoping to help the average consumer who may be lagging behind when it comes to security knowledge.

“Some people have a lot of stuff to do and a lot of pressure, so they don't have time to look into AI and all this. But when you throw certain terms out like ‘I want to keep stuff on my phone secure.’ Everybody speaks that language,” he said.

The research: Think you're cyber-savvy? Think again

Alongside the global campaign, NordVPN released new research revealing a glaring disconnect between Americans' confidence in identifying online scams and actual reality.

About 50% of Americans surveyed rated themselves highly capable of spotting fake emails, websites, and messages, yet, on average, nearly 80% of those same people failed to spot a fake URL or a fraudulent CAPTCHA.

Gerald Kasulis, VP of Global Affairs at NordVPN and based in the US, said the biggest takeaway from the research was that Americans aren't as cyber-savvy as they think.

“The biggest thing is overconfidence,” Kasulis explained, noting that "younger, more educated, higher-earning respondents around ages 25 to 35 were the most confident," but still struggled to recognize fake content.

70% said they could track any type of illegal activity coming their way – take fake emails, for instance. But when we gave them examples to see if they could actually pinpoint which ones were fake, more than 50% of them failed,

said Gerald Kasulis, VP of Global Affairs at NordVPN.

Furthermore, the research found 71% of Americans believe common sense alone is enough to keep them safe online, while 51% reuse the same or similar passwords across multiple accounts, a no-no in cybersecurity best practices.

And the problem goes beyond simply falling for an online fake.

"Because of AI, there is a much lower barrier to entry" for cybercriminals, Kasulis said, pointing out, for example, the spoofing emails people receive are "now very, very sophisticated."

"[Cybercriminals] don't necessarily need to understand how to put out spoofing attacks, malware attacks, or fake emails themselves. All they need to do is go to the dark web and buy a guide, and that's gonna tell them how to actually put it all together," he said.

When it came to AI-generated scams, identity theft topped the list as the most feared, with nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents saying they had recently encountered an online scam, and 13% of those admitting they had either lost money or come dangerously close.

Interestingly, the research showed older generations faring much better, even though they are “less educated in cybersecurity tools themselves,” Kasulis said.

Using his own parents as an example, Kasulis explained, "They always think someone is out to get them. But that's actually kind of a good thing as well because the more cautious they are, the less likely they are to click."

And then there's cybersecurity fatigue. The Chicago-based VP says most people are overwhelmed by the number of security tools on the market, with most "thinking that a standard antivirus tool would protect them from phishing emails, from all the attacks coming their way. But in reality, it's different."

Why now? Why cybersecurity?

At first, one might wonder: Shaq and cybersecurity? But if you know Lithuania – home to Nord Security and its extended tech family – and the Baltic country's love of basketball, it makes perfect sense.

Add Shaq's star power and trusted persona (he is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist), and it's easy to see how the basketball Hall of Famer could give cybersecurity a much-needed makeover in the public eye.

NordVPN now packs a next-gen antivirus! When you spend a lot of time online, basic protection doesn't cut it — you need a championship-level defense. NordVPN helps stop phishing scams, malicious websites, and intrusive ads before they ever hit your screen. You're welcome 😉 https://t.co/YwHwPlL38r

undefined NordVPN (@NordVPN) September 18, 2026

Maybe cybersecurity won't ever be considered “cool” outside the tech world, but at least now, with Shaq on board, we can say it's officially culturally relevant.

“I think it's always easy to look at, you know, who the big celebrity is in the world now and just pick any celebrity that would be able to get reach. But no matter what age a person is, they’ve had some sort of exposure to Shaq and have trust in Shaquille O'Neal," said Kasulis.

I still have awareness. People still listen to me. I speak to regular people. So like I said, I just want to be the guy that gives that information out.

Shaq tells Cybernews.

The partnership’s end goal is paramount: promote online safety to consumers who have been left holding the bag when it comes to figuring out how to stay secure in a world where cybercriminals seem to have the courtside advantage.

"I think cybersecurity should be mainstream for educational purposes. It's similar to our digital lives, which I don't think we are taking seriously enough yet," Kasulis said.

So why has it taken the public so long to pay attention to data protection, and has the tech world failed the consumer in some way?

It's not that companies have failed; I just think that we [the industry] haven't focused enough on really understanding how important [data protection] is to individuals,

Gerald Kasulis, VP of Global Affairs at NordVPN.

And that includes the young people who look up to the 7-foot-1-inch-tall Shaq – who’ll now surely be exposed to learning about data security from an early age.

"I love learning. I realize I don't know everything. So whenever I see something that's very interesting, I just try to read up on it a lot," Shaq tells Cybernews, adding that he’s sort of addicted to using the ChatGPT prompt "explain it to a fifth grader."

“I feel like a genius, but that's AI. It's just another learning tool,” he said.

The approachable Shaq

When I originally asked Shaq about using his “celebrity” status to spread the word about cybersecurity, he immediately pushed back on my superstar framing.

"If you saw me pull up, I pull up by myself with two guys. No security, no entourage, no homeboys. So I don't like that word," he said.

Oh no, I just offended Shaq! I thought to myself while apologizing out loud. But apparently, I wasn't the first to make that "celebrity" faux pas.

Shaq graciously replied, "It's OK, I love you," giving me just enough courage to fangirl and ask for a selfie – to which he happily obliged.

Whether basketball hero or regular guy, Shaq can reach everyday people in a way cybersecurity companies often struggle to – and that kind of approachability is exactly what makes him the perfect cyber spokesperson.