E-fraud; exploring its prevalence and impact on victims /Prof. Jan Van Dijk

Open University of Catalonia, III Seminar on Criminology in Barcelona, 31 January 2013

Police recorded crimes per 100.000 (in red) and % victims (in yellow), by countries; sources: ICVS 2000 and UN Crime Survey 2002

or latest data available)

The International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS)

Standardized surveys on people’s experiences with crime (minimum of 2000 interviews per country)

Conducted in 1989, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2005 and 2010

Altogether 80 participating countries; in 2010 in only five EU countries

EU Safety Survey is under preparation

World ranking on ICVS victimization rates source: Jan Van Dijk (2008), The World of Crime, Thousand

Oaks: SAGE

5 februari 2013 4

One year prevalence victimization rates (percentages) for four types of crime in 2010, in twelve countries; results of ICVS-based studies

car theft burglary assault bribe‐takingAzerbaijan n.a. o.1 0.9 3.9Canada 1.4 1.3 3.5 0.6Denmark 0.8 3.6 4.1 1.0Estonia 0.4 3.0 3.7 0.5Georgia 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.2Germany 0.2 1.2 4.0 0.6Moldova 0.2 1.6 3.2 7.3Netherlands 0.5 0.8 5.7 0.2Sweden 0.5 1.0 4.5 0.1Switserland 0.2 1.9 5.1 0.2Tajikistan 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.2UK 1.5 1.5 4.9 0.0

Table 1: Victims of E –fraud. One year prevalence rates for fraud while buying something on the internet (percentages) in countries and main cities. 2005 ICVS.

Fraud while shopping

on the internet

Fraud while

shopping on the internet

USA 3.3 Lima (Peru) 10.7Poland 3.0 Berlin (Germany) 3.8Germany 2.7 New York (USA) 3.7Bulgaria 2.6 London (England) 3.2United 2.4 Paris (France) 2.7England & 2.2 Copenhagen 1.5Norway 1.5 Edinborough 1.0Denmark 1.4 Madrid (Spain) 1.0New Zealand 1.3 Vienna (Austria) 0.9Sweden 1.2 Hong Kong (SAR 0.9Northern 1.2 Amsterdam 0.9Austria 1.1 Dublin (Ireland) 0.7Scotland 1.0 Stockholm (Sweden) 0.7Spain 0.7 Brussels (Belgium) 0.6Ireland 0.7 Tallinn (Estonia) 0.6Canada 0.7 Belfast (Northern 0.5Estonia 0.6 Athens (Greece) 0.4Portugal 0.5 Oslo (Norway) 0.4Luxembourg 0.5 Reykjavik (Iceland) 0.3Iceland 0.4 Greater 0.3France 0.4 Lisbon (Portugal) 0.2Belgium 0.4 Helsinki (Finland) 0.0Netherlands 0.3 Budapest (Hungary) 0.0Mexico 0.2 Rome (Italy) 0.0Greece 0.1Finland 0.1Italy 0.0Average 1.1 Average 1.5

5 year victimization rate credit card fraud /2010

%% victim of credit or debit card fraud over five years/2010

UK 19,1 percent 4100 nGermany 4,6 3500Sweden 5,1 3800Holland 4,1 4700Denmark 4,5 4500

Reporting rates cc fraud

Last incident reported to police?

UK 29 percent 311 nGermany 36 78Sweden 47 72Holland 37 90Denmark 31 89

Satisfaction rate cc fraud

Satisfied with police

UK 62 percent 73 nGermany 61 28Sweden 71 34Holland 76 34Denmark 59 29

Focus group with E fraud victims

Victims contacted through TV programme

Focus group with 10 victims (gender balanced)

Unstructured, starting with tour de table

Lasted 2,5 hours

Type of frauds

2 advance fee scams (Nigerian)

2 e bay frauds

6 scams by persons met at dating sites (West Africa)

Some resultsIntegrated narratives on primary victimization and police response (secondary victimization)

Victims have been manipulated very professionally

Not motivated by greed but by loneliness

Loss of trust/loss of self esteem

Mutual empathy / self help group