(Mis)Understanding the Impact of Online Fraud: Implications for Victim Assistance Schemes
Abstract
Australia provides victims of violent crime access to financial support to assist with recovery, excluding victims of nonviolent offences. The author examines the experiences of online fraud victims, and details how the impacts experienced extend beyond financial losses, to include deterioration in health and well-being, relationship breakdown, homelessness, and unemployment, and in the worst cases, suicidal ideation. Using online fraud as a case study, the author argues eligibility to access victim assistance schemes should consider harms suffered rather than the offence experienced. Consequently, the author advocates a shift in eligibility criteria of victim assistance schemes to facilitate much-needed support to online fraud victims.
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Most fraud victims are not eligible for victim assistance programs that could help them financially recover.
“Another contributor to negative psychological effects is that most fraud victims are not be eligible for victim assistance programs that could help them financially recover (Cross 2018a).”
From Profiling consumers who reported mass marketing scams: demographic characteristics and emotional sentiments associated with victimization (2024) · cites this paper as Cross 2018a
Cites
Not a victimless crime: The impact of fraud on individual victims and their families
Button, M., Lewis, C., & Tapley, J. (2014) · Security Journal · doi:10.1057/sj.2012.11 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
No laughing matter: Blaming the victim of online fraud
Cross, C. (2015) · International Review of Victimology · doi:10.1177/0269758015571471 · Cited by 197 · cited 3× · see citing works
“A 5% response rate was received for participation, which is low but not surprising given the group of victims targeted (for a discussion on the strong victim blaming that exists for online fraud victims, see Cross, 2015).”
BackgroundSelf-citationDeem, D. L. (2000) · Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1300/j084v12n02_05 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Reporting behavior of fraud victims and black's theory of law: An empirical assessment
Copes, H., Kerley, K. R., Mason, K. A., & Van Wyk, J. (2001) · Justice Quarterly · doi:10.1080/07418820100094931 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
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How Do Individuals Justify and Rationalize Their Criminal Behaviors in Online Romance Fraud?
Offei, M., Andoh-Baidoo, F. K., Ayaburi, E. W., & Asamoah, D. (2022) · Information Systems Frontiers · doi:10.1007/s10796-020-10051-2 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Wang, J., Zhang, L., Xu, L., & Qian, X. (2024) · Journal of Criminal Justice · doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102231 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
DeLiema, M., & Witt, P. (2024) · Security Journal · doi:10.1057/s41284-023-00401-5 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Another contributor to negative psychological effects is that most fraud victims are not be eligible for victim assistance programs that could help them financially recover (Cross 2018a).”
Reynolds, D. (2021) · Security Journal · doi:10.1057/s41284-020-00258-y · Cited by 17 · see citing works
How fraud impacts individuals’ wellbeing—academic insights and gaps
Kassem, R. (2024) · Journal of Financial Crime · doi:10.1108/jfc-08-2023-0215 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Borwell, J., Jansen, J., & Stol, W. (2025) · European Journal of Criminology · doi:10.1177/14773708241312506 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Romance Fraud: Its Repercussions on Victims’ Wellbeing
Gauci, C., & Vella, M. G. (2025) · Women & Criminal Justice · doi:10.1080/08974454.2025.2600304 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Cross, C.
- Affiliations
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Cross, Cassandra
- ORCID
- Cross, Cassandra
- Venue
- Victims & Offenders
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-05-22
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 757-776
- ISSN
- 1556-4886 (ISSN-L)
- 1556-4991
- OpenAlex
- W2803574078
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 3.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Victims & Offenders (publishedVersion)
- QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Criminology Research Advisory Council, Australian Institute of Criminology (CRG 29/13-14)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Keywords
- online fraud, violent crime victims, breakup, homelessness, unemployment, suicidal ideation, Australia
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