Lured and Hooked: Evaluating the Sophistication of Phishing Scams to Bait Users

• In Event: From Phishing to Romance Scams: Motivations, Tactics, and Responses

Abstract

Phishing scams are cybercrimes where attackers, posing as legitimate entities, deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive information. To examine how sophistication influences susceptibility, we conducted a study at a large university in the Southeastern United States. Students from a specific college received phishing emails in three separate waves, each differing in sophistication but containing identical content. The goal was to determine whether greater sophistication—characterized by a more convincing appearance and lack of obvious deception cues—would increase the likelihood of students falling for the scam. Implications of these findings for cybersecurity practices are discussed.

Authors

• Marlena Bolton, University of South Florida

• Courtney Lee Weber, University of South Florida

• George Burruss, University of South Florida