Deception on the Internet: An integrative study

(Research Seminar, October 24th, 2002)

Stefano Grazioli
University of Virginia


Abstract

Why do so many consumer fail to detect deception on the Internet? Is it because they do not see the clues available to them? Is it because they do not come to think about the possibility of deception? Is it because they cannot assess the clues that they have found? Or is it because they fail to combine them appropriately?

This paper answers these questions by integrating two streams of empirical research: the process-oriented Theory of Deception by Johnson et al. (2001), and the broader Deception, Trust and Risk model of Internet consumer behavior by Grazioli & Jarvenpaa (2000).

A laboratory experiment with naïve Internet consumer provides the data to test several alternative hypotheses on the determinants of success and failure at detecting Internet deceptions. The findings suggest that Internet consumers heed the clues that a site may be deceptive, but are unable to effectively evaluate and combine them, i.e., to draw correct conclusions from them.

These results are encouraging in the ongoing struggle against Internet fraud because they suggests that consumers lack knowledge, not ability to detect deceptions, and that consumer education programs might be effective in helping consumers protect themselves.