Consumer Fraud: Examining Reporting Behaviors by Consumer Fraud Victims

• In Event: Contemporary Issues in Victimization: Religion and Fraud

Abstract

In 2024, there were 2.6 million cases of fraud reported in the United States costing victims more than $12 million according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey – Supplemental Fraud Survey (2017), this study examines the actions of consumer product and services fraud victims, specifically the decision to report the fraud formally to law enforcement, financial institutions, customer service, or other consumer protection agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as the decision to report the fraud informally to family and friends. Of particular interest is the impact of the severity of the fraud and the level of distress experienced by the victim on the decision to formally and informally report the consumer product and services fraud victimization.

Author

• Susan Quinn, Georgia Gwinnett College