Safeguarding adults and mass marketing fraud – Perspectives from the police, trading standards and the voluntary sector

Olivier, Sean; Burls, Trish; Fenge, Lee‐Ann; Brown, Keith

doi:10.1080/09649069.2016.1161872

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Existing legislation includes Section 42 of the Care Act (2014), which has provisions for safeguarding adults at risk from abuse and neglect, including financial abuse such as fraud. Olivier et al (2016) note mass marketing fraud is a key concern for professionals involved in safeguarding older people, highlighting professionals need to be able to offer evidence-based support and education for older people at risk of victimisation. In September 2016, the UK Government debated the motion "scams are a serious crime which can impact the health and well-being of victims, in particular older people" (Great Britain, House of Commons, 2016).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Scamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older adults and “scams”: evidence from the Mass Observation Archive

Bailey¹,

Taylor

Kingston

et al. 2021

JAP

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Purpose The issue of financial abuse is highlighted in the Care Act (2014). One category of financial abuse is consumer fraud or “scams.” Evidence suggests that scams are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, yet how scams impact older adults remains under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to report data from 80 older adults’ written responses to a Mass Observation Archive Directive, commissioned in autumn 2015, which focused on scams. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used with data captured via written responses to a set of questions. There was no limit on the length of written accounts, and respondents remained anonymous. Data were analysed thematically, resulting in four key themes. Findings The data indicated scams impact individuals in terms of health and well-being, irrespective of whether they have experienced financial loss, and trigger implementation of strategies intended to avoid being defrauded. There was also evidence of scam-related stigma with individuals who are defrauded being subject to derision and censure. Social implications Individuals who have been victimised by fraudsters may need access to practical and emotional support. This requires the design of appropriate interventions and the stigma associated with being scammed to be addressed. Originality/value This paper adopts an original approach to collecting rich, candid data about an under-researched topic. The authors highlight that anti-scam interventions should equip individuals to identify and avoid scams without inciting fear or anxiety; proposing this may be facilitated by drawing on health and safety risk assessment protocol when designing anti-scam interventions.

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Section: Prevalence Of Scamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older adults and “scams”: evidence from the Mass Observation Archive

Bailey¹,

Taylor

Kingston

et al. 2021

JAP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…One of the newer and more victimized types of mass marketing scams is also the online dating scam. The scam affects one-third of the U.S. population and costs almost $40 billion annually [7]. Victims of many "non-violent" financial fraud crimes are not only devastated financially but also suffer physical and mental health consequences.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Types Of Scamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Dating Scam Victims Psychological Impact Analysis

Wang¹

2022

EHSS

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In an era of widespread mass marketing scams on the Internet, many victims have reported varying degrees of financial loss and psychological damage after encountering lottery scams and advance payment scams. Among them, the emotional damage to victims of online dating scams may be even more severe because the whole scam process involves mental attachment, sexual abuse, and relationship breakdown. There is little help and support for victims throughout the scam process and even after the scam is over, which not only makes it difficult for victims to get timely and professional assistance after experiencing online scams, but victims even run the risk of being scammed by criminals again afterward, so timely help and professional psychological treatment for victims is of positive significance. In previous studies, there are fewer reports summarizing and analyzing the psychological conditions of victims. In this paper, we will summarize the psychological problems of victims of online dating scams and compare the psychological treatment needed by victims of online dating scams who experience online aggression with the psychological treatment needed by victims who are actually violated in reality. For example, professional treatment for real victims of sexual assault has methodological merit for victims of online fraud, methods of privacy and psychological protection for victims of online romance fraud, criteria for measuring psychological status, and more. These are all measures to promote enhanced victim care and the prevention of online dating fraud throughout the industry.

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