RT Article
T1 Connected and fearful? Exploring fear of online financial crime, Internet behaviour and their relationship
JF European journal of criminology
VO 18
IS 2
SP 213
OP 234
A1 Brands, Jelle
A2 Wilsem, Johan van 1972-
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1760546976
AB Although it is generally acknowledged that the development of the Internet created new criminal opportunities, the ways this is experienced by the general population has received limited attention. The current study seeks to explore the degrees to which people report fear of online crime, its correlates, and how online fear is related to protective and avoidance behaviour. We focus on online financial crimes. Results based on a large, representative, survey indicate an intermediate level of fear of online crime among the general Dutch population. Various sociodemographic characteristics and victimization experiences are shown to predict fear of online financial crime. We also find online fear to be a strong predictor of avoidance behaviour, given negative relationships with online purchasing and banking, thereby impeding individuals’ perceived online freedom and opportunities. Finally, the results found no indications that fear may stimulate protective behaviour of one’s computer.
K1 Avoidance behaviour
K1 fear of cybercrime
K1 fear of online crime
K1 online financial crime
K1 protective behaviour
DO 10.1177/1477370819839619