About This Project

Large data sets such as the Health and Retirement Study sometimes ask respondents whether they have been a victim of fraud. My project questions the accuracy of those answers due to potential false positive or false negative responses. This study will survey a random sample of Americans aged 50 and over who have a net worth of at least $150,000. It will identify whether Americans can, on average, detect fraud by examining a fictitious brokerage account statement.

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What is the context of this research?

Fraud is a major problem throughout the world. There is very little research done on consumer perceptions of fraud and virtually no research on whether people can accurately tell whether they have been defrauded. We know various statistics regarding fraud as well as tidbits of knowledge derived from other academic literature covering financial reporting in corporations, conversion of assets in the purported sale of securities, and individuals attempting to defraud insurance companies. This study adds to the academic fraud literature by determining whether Americans can accurately report fraud victimization.

What is the significance of this project?

In studying fraud, researchers must overcome a host of challenges such as victims' reluctance to come forward, slippery definitions of fraud, and significant distance between the occurrence of the fraud and its discovery. This project begins to address the third challenge. Once we learn which people, based on demographic, financial, and personality characteristics, can accurately identify fraud when it occurs, we can aim our policy initiatives to help those who are especially susceptible to fraud victimization.

What are the goals of the project?

To assess who can and who cannot accurately identify fraud. While no information will be collected that would violate a respondent's confidentiality/anonymity, age, marital status, education level, gender, race/ethnicity, net worth, financial literacy and personality traits will be documented.