Online victimization risk and self-protective strategies: developing police-led cyber fraud prevention programs

ABSTRACT

The prevalence and impact of cyber fraud continues to increase exponentially with new and more innovative methods developed by offenders to target and exploit victims for their own financial reward. Traditional crime reaction methods used by police have proved largely ineffective in this context, with offenders typically located outside of the police jurisdiction of their victims. Given this, some police agencies have begun to adopt a victim focused, crime prevention approach to cyber fraud. The current research explores with a sample of two hundred and eighteen potential cyber fraud victims, the relationship between online victimization risk, knowledge and use of crime prevention strategies. The study found those most at risk of cyber fraud victimization despite accurate perceptions of risk and knowledge of self-protective behaviors in the online environment underutilise online prevention strategies. This research has important implications for police agencies who are designing and delivering cyber fraud education. It provides guidance for the development of effective prevention programs based on practical skills development.

KEYWORDS:

• Cyber fraud
• policing
• victimization
• crime prevention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jacqueline M Drew

Jacqueline Drew is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a member of the Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University. Dr Drew trained as an organisational psychologist and has worked as a practitioner and researcher across a number of police agencies. Her research interests include cyber fraud and white collar crime (particularly, advance fee fraud and financial fraud and regulation) and leadership and performance management.

Lucy Farrell

Lucy Farrell is a member of the Australian Federal Police working in digital forensic examination. She graduated in 2015 with First Class Honours in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University. She holds a double degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Forensic Science.