How Do Individuals Justify and Rationalize their Criminal Behaviors in Online Romance Fraud?

2022 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Offei, Martin; Andoh-Baidoo, Francis Kofi; Ayaburi, Emmanuel W.; Asamoah, David

Abstract: Online romance fraud (ORF) is a growing concern with such serious negative conse ... Expand

Abstract: Online romance fraud (ORF) is a growing concern with such serious negative consequences as financial loss or suicide to the victim. Majority of empirical studies on online romance fraud using attachment, deception, protection motivation and relation theories focus on the victim. While neutralization offers insights into how individuals justify their deviant behaviors, the results have not been consistent in different contexts. In the ORF context, offenders may not only rely on justifying techniques but also rationalize their actions by denying risk both to the victim and the offender. Thus, drawing from the neutralization and denial of risk theories, we develop a research model to explain how online romance offenders justify and rationalize their intended criminal activities. To confirm our theoretical model, we collected 320 responses from individuals at Internet Cafés alleged to be online romance fraud hotspots. Our results highlight the boundary conditions of neutralization techniques in the context of online romance fraud. The study shows that denial of risk, a rationalization mechanism, moderates the relationship between denial of victim, a justification technique, and intention to commit romance fraud. This insight advances the frontiers of neutralization theory. We offer both theoretical and managerial implications of the findings. Collapse

Topics: criminality internet technology online dating internet fraud information security policy violation

Methods: psychometrics structural equation modeling theory development data transformation SEM tool

Theories: neutralization theory

A study on the impact of design attributes on E-payment service utility

2016 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: See-To, Eric W. K.; Ho, Kevin K. W.

Abstract: Prior research has shown how consumer perception, when risk is an important fact ... Expand

Abstract: Prior research has shown how consumer perception, when risk is an important factor, may affect the adoption and the usage of E-payment service. Given this general knowledge, this study investigates the more specific issues of the mix of design attributes to drive consumer choice in using E-payment services. Using six design attributes defined by a group of practitioners and E-payment service users using the Delphi method, an online conjoint experiment is conducted. We find out how these design attributes may affect consumer choice under risk and the rank order of the magnitudes of their effects. Collapse

Topics: electronic payment smart card anonymity website privacy

Methods: conjoint analysis regression analysis method experiment delphi study theory development

Theories: theory of reasoned action prospect theory

The Impact of TV Ads on the Individual User's Online Purchasing Behavior

2015 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Stange, Martin

Abstract: The importance of a well-balanced cross-channel marketing strategy has increased ... Expand

Abstract: The importance of a well-balanced cross-channel marketing strategy has increased over the past few years. The synergies caused by the interdependencies of different online channels, such as e-mail advertising, search engine and banner advertising, have also drawn the attention of many researchers. However, relatively little is known about the impact of offline marketing, such as TV advertising, on online user behavior. In this article, a model commonly used in clickstream analysis is extended by adding several TV advertising variables. Based on this model, a hierarchical Bayesian logistic model is developed to estimate the cross-channel effects of both offline and online channel contacts. By applying this model to a case study, it is shown which online channels are most supported by television ads. The findings of this paper have managerial implications for practitioners in the field, in particular because of the increasing use of a so-called “second screen” while watching TV. Collapse

Topics: advertising management logistics management marketing management search engine online advertising

Methods: case study regression analysis method logistic regression machine learning descriptive statistic

Toward a Rational Choice Process Theory of Internet Scamming: The Offender’s Perspective

2014 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Claude, Tambe Ebot Alain; Siponen, Mikko

Abstract: Internet fraud scam is a crime enabled by the Internet to swindle Internet users ... Expand

Abstract: Internet fraud scam is a crime enabled by the Internet to swindle Internet users. The global costs of these scams are in the billions of US dollars. Existing research suggests that scammers maximize their economic gain. Although this is a plausible explanation, since the idea of the scam is to fool people to send money, this explanation alone, cannot explain why individuals become Internet scammers. An equally important, albeit unexplored riddle, is the question of what strategies Internet scammers adopt to perform the act. As a first step to address these gaps, we interviewed five Internet scammers in order to develop a rational choice process theory of Internet scammers’ behavior. The initial results suggest that an interplay of socioeconomic and dynamic thinking processes explains why individuals drift into Internet scamming. Once an individual drifts into Internet scamming, a successful scam involves two processes: persuasive strategy and advance fee strategy. Collapse

Topics: internet technology Facebook decision making spamming electronic mail

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding theory development grounded theory personal interview

Theories: rational choice theory

All Pump, No Dump? The Impact Of Internet Deception On Stock Markets

2013 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 1

Authors: Siering, Michael

Abstract: Internet users are confronted with an increasing amount of deceptive contents. T ... Expand

Abstract: Internet users are confronted with an increasing amount of deceptive contents. Thereby, especially pump and dump manipulations published via e-mail or within the web represent an important problem. Here, deceivers advertise stocks to profit from an increased price level. Within recent years, market surveillance authorities and software vendors have taken several countermeasures against such fraudulent stock recommendations. At the same time, deceivers have constantly updated their tactics when pursuing their campaigns. Thus, we investigate whether recent suspicious stock recommendations still have an impact on stock markets. We find that current pump and dump campaigns have a positive stock market impact and that they are followed by a decline in stock prices within the subsequent days. We enhance the previous understanding by examining whether spam campaign characteristics also influence the succeeding market reaction. In this context, positive sentiment expressed and the number of stock recommendations published have a positive impact. Consequently, market surveillance authorities and investors should be aware of the related risks and software vendors should consider campaign characteristics within their software to detect suspicious behavior. Collapse

Topics: advertising management email spam social media electronic mail internet technology

Methods: longitudinal research event study sentiment analysis descriptive statistic nonparametric test

Product-Related Deception in E-Commerce: A Theoretical Perspective

2011 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Xiao, Bo; Benbasat, Izak

Abstract: With the advent of e-commerce, the potential of new Internet technologies to mis ... Expand

Abstract: With the advent of e-commerce, the potential of new Internet technologies to mislead or deceive consumers has increased considerably. This paper extends prior classifications of deception and presents a typology of product-related deceptive information practices that illustrates the various ways in which online merchants can deceive consumers via e-commerce product websites. The typology can be readily used as educational material to promote consumer awareness of deception in e-commerce and as input to establish benchmarks for good business practices for online companies. In addition, the paper develops an integrative model and a set of theory-based propositions addressing why consumers are deceived by the various types of deceptive information practices and what factors contribute to consumer success (or failure) in detecting such deceptions. The model not only enhances our conceptual understanding of the phenomenon of product-based deception and its outcomes in e-commerce but also serves as a foundation for further theoretical and empirical investigations. Moreover, a better understanding of the factors contributing to or inhibiting deception detection can also help government agencies and consumer organizations design more effective solutions to fight online deception. Collapse

Topics: electronic commerce website deception detection task complexity business-to-consumer

Methods: theory development conceptual modelling

Detecting Fake Websites: The Contribution of Statistical Learning Theory

2010 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 145

Authors: Abbasi, Ahmed; Zhang, Zhu; Zimbra, David; Chen, Hsinchun; Nunamaker, Jr., Jay F.

Abstract: Fake websites have become increasingly pervasive, generating billions of dollars ... Expand

Abstract: Fake websites have become increasingly pervasive, generating billions of dollars in fraudulent revenue at the expense of unsuspecting Internet users. The design and appearance of these websites makes it difficult for users to manually identify them as fake. Automated detection systems have emerged as a mechanism for combating fake websites, however most are fairly simplistic in terms of their fraud cues and detection methods employed. Consequently, existing systems are susceptible to the myriad of obfuscation tactics used by fraudsters, resulting in highly ineffective fake website detection performance. In light of these deficiencies, we propose the development of a new class of fake website detection systems that are based on statistical learning theory (SLT). Using a design science approach, a prototype system was developed to demonstrate the potential utility of this class of systems. We conducted a series of experiments, comparing the proposed system against several existing fake website detection systems on a test bed encompassing 900 websites. The results indicate that systems grounded in SLT can more accurately detect various categories of fake websites by utilizing richer sets of fraud cues in combination with problem-specific knowledge. Given the hefty cost exacted by fake websites, the results have important implications for e-commerce and online security. Collapse

Topics: phishing website website web page source code internet fraud

Methods: support vector machine experiment machine learning design artifact Student's t-test

Theories: statistical learning theory

Parasitism and Internet auction fraud: An exploration

2008 | Information and Organization | Citations: 0

Authors: Chua, Cecil Eng Huang; Wareham, Jonathan

Abstract: Most research on Internet auction fraud focuses exclusively on the relationship ... Expand

Abstract: Most research on Internet auction fraud focuses exclusively on the relationship between the con-artist and victim. However, the con-artist and victim are situated in an ecology comprising the auction house, police, and auction community. This paper employs the ‘parasite’ metaphor as a way of building theory about Internet auction fraud. We begin by describing the parasite metaphor. We then introduce three theories from the parasitism literature and demonstrate the insights these theories can produce. The first theory, the competitive exclusion principle, highlights how separate auction markets evolve their own species or types of fraud. It also warns us that fraud elimination may be neither desirable nor feasible relative to constraining fraud to acceptable levels. The second theory details various parasite infection mechanisms to show that on-line fraud is composed of two processes; the actual deception and escape. Finally, virulence theory provides one way to predict how much harm a particular kind of fraud will cause to an individual victim. Virulence theory is also used to suggest that the auction infrastructure encourages low virulence vis-à-vis other kinds of fraud like Nigerian letter fraud. Collapse

Topics: online auction electronic mail laptop computer computer crime internet fraud

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview triangulation theory development

Theories: punctuated equilibrium theory

The Role of Online Trading Communities in Managing Internet Auction Fraud

2007 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Cecil Eng Huang Chua; Wareham, Jonathan; Robey, Daniel

Abstract: Internet auctions demonstrate that advances in information technologies can crea ... Expand

Abstract: Internet auctions demonstrate that advances in information technologies can create more efficient venues of exchange between large numbers of traders. However, the growth of Internet auctions has been accompanied by a corresponding growth in Internet auction fraud. Much extant research on Internet auction fraud in the information systems literature is conducted at the individual level of analysis, thereby limiting its focus to the choices of individual traders or trading dyads. The criminology literature, in contrast, recognizes that social and community factors are equally important influences on the perpetration and prevention of crime. We employ social disorganization theory as a lens to explain how online auction communities address auction fraud and how those communities interact with formal authorities. We show how communities may defy, coexist, or cooperate with the formal authority of auction houses. These observations are supported by a qualitative analysis of three cases of online anticrime communities operating in different auction product categories. Our analysis extends aspects of social disorganization theory to online communities. We conclude that community-based clan control may operate in concert with authority-based formal control to manage the problem of Internet auction fraud more effectively. Collapse

Topics: online auction criminality online community website electronic mail

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative content analysis archival research statistical hypothesis test theoretical contribution

Theories: social disorganization theory

Negotiation and Power in the Cybercrime Framework

2006 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Albrecht, Chad; Albrecht, Conan; Wareham, Jonathan; Fox, Paul

Abstract: Given the growing prevalence of Internet fraud and its enormous social costs, th ... Expand

Abstract: Given the growing prevalence of Internet fraud and its enormous social costs, the goal of this article is to advance theoretical understanding of the power that perpetrators use when influencing victims in fraudulent transactions. Specifically, the article proposes an interactive model, combining the dimensions of power and negotiation from the management and psychology literature. We then examine the moderating effects of the Internet on the communication and fraud process between perpetrator and victim, as well as some of the major tactics employed to appeal to each power type in predominant fraud forms. Collapse

Topics: internet technology internet fraud