Phishing for a job? Investigating scam victimisation and interventions in Singapore

Abstract

With advances in technology, scams are plaguing many countries across the world where this brings about a pressing need to investigate the phenomenon of job scams and phishing scams, with a focus on victim characteristics and psychological factors that influence vulnerability to scams. By examining papers from the fields of psychology, criminology, and information technology, it was found that victims of job and phishing scams share common characteristics with regards to certain personality attributes. Several psychological models and theories were explored to better understand the processes underlying scam victimisation, including the Principles of Persuasion in Social Engineering (PPSE), Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and General Theory of Crime and Lifestyle Routine Activities Theory (LRAT). These models suggest that scams are successful due to the use of cognitive biases, emotional appeals, and persuasive communication strategies. A review of various interventions to prevent and mitigate scam victimisation were reviewed where these include filters, detection methods, education and the use of improved technological functions. The efficacy of these interventions was found to vary depending on the type of scam and the characteristics of the target population. Overall, this thesis highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to understand and prevent scam victimisation. Future research should focus on developing effective interventions that address the psychological and social factors that contribute to scam vulnerability. Keywords: scams, job scams, phishing scams, victim, principles of persuasion for social engineering, protection motivation theory, general theory of crime, lifestyle routine activities theory, elaboration likelihood model, interventions