Fright by Byte: Exploring Fear of Digital Fraud in the United States From 2015 to 2022

Abstract

Digital technology has provided new opportunities for fraud perpetration—and led to widespread concern about digital fraud. This study explores fear of digital fraud in the US using national survey samples collected from 2015 to 2022. We began with an exploratory factor analysis to show that fears of digital fraud are distinct from fears about other crimes, and that the US public consistently reports being the most afraid of digital fraud. We next explored sociodemographic differences and showed that fear of digital fraud can explain a substantial portion of the association between fear of new technology and poor mental health. We conclude with a discussion of societal implications and opportunities for future scholarship.

Keywords

cyber crime fear of crime mental health

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