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Anatomy of Fraud: Report of a Nationwide Survey

NCJ Number
170541
Journal
National Institute of Justice Journal Issue: 229 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 28-34
Author(s)
R Titus; F Heinzelmann; J M Boyle
Date Published
1995
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The National Institute of Justice conducted a nationwide study of fraud to determine the extent of this crime, the kinds of fraud perpetrated, the financial and other losses experienced by victims, the types of people most often victimized, and the actions taken by people after being victimized.
Abstract
Results revealed that a substantial proportion of the adult population is affected by fraud and that fraud is more common than many crimes reported in the National Crime Victimization Survey. Unexpected findings were that monetary losses amounted to billions of dollars and that fraud affected people of all ages, both genders, all races, and all income levels. Fifty-eight percent of the 1,246 randomly selected participants had experienced a victimization or attempted victimization by fraud; 31 percent had experience with fraud in the last 12 months. The average loss was $216 and the amounts ranged from $25 to $65,000. Older people were less likely than young people to be victimized. Those without high school diplomas and those with graduate degrees were least likely to experience fraud. No typical fraud victim existed. The most common types of fraud were appliance and auto repair scams, fraudulent prices, 900-number swindles, fake subscriptions, and fake warranties. Only 15 percent of the frauds were reported to the police or consumer protection agencies. Findings also indicated that public education could help prevent fraud. Recommendations for further research, tables, illustration, and reference notes