PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore human factors as the possible facilitator of cyber-dependent (hacking and malware infection) and cyber-enabled (phishing) crimes victimisation and to test the applicability of lifestyle routine activities theory (LRAT) to cybercrime victimisation.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods research paradigm was applied to address the research questions and aims. The data set of Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) 2014/2015 and 42 semi-structured interviews conducted with victims of cybercrime and non-victim control group participants were analysed via binary logistic regression and content analyses methods.FindingsThis research illustrated that Internet users facilitated their victimisation through their online activities. Additionally, using insecure Internet connections and public access computers emerged as risk factors for both cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crime victimisation. Voluntary and involuntary personal information disclosure through social networking sites and online advertisement websites increased the likelihood of being a target of phishing. Deviant online activities such as free streaming or peer-to-peer sharing emerged to increase the risk of cyber-dependent crime victimisation.Research limitations/implicationsThe binary logistic regression analysis results suggested LRAT as a more suitable theoretical framework for cyber-dependent crime victimisation. Future research may test this result with models including more macro variables.Practical implicationsPolicymakers may consider implementing regulations regarding limiting the type of information required to login to free Wi-Fi connections. Checking trust signs and green padlocks may be effective safeguarding measures to lessen the adverse impacts of impulsive buying.Originality/valueThis study empirically illustrated that, besides individual-level factors, macro-level factors such as electronic devices being utilised to access the Internet and data breaches of large companies also increased the likelihood of becoming the victim of cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crime.

This empirical study is an exploration of the influence methods, fear appeals, and urgency cues applied by phishers to trick or coerce users to follow instructions presented in coronavirus-themed phishing emails. To that end, a content analysis of 208 coronavirus-themed phishing emails has been conducted. We identified nine types of phishing messages crafted by phishers. Phishing emails purporting to provide information about the spread of the disease were the most common type of unsolicited emails. Authority, liking and commitment emerged as the most common influence methods. Fear appeals and urgency cues were present in almost all of the sampled phishing messages. Finally, the analysis of coronavirus-themed phishing emails revealed a shift in the modus operandi of phishers. The implications of these results are discussed in this paper.

Banking cards, including credit cards, debit card, prepaid debit cards and ATM cards, have become the primary payment method in online transactions. However, this popularity boosted the Card-not-present (CNP) fraud victimization. Despite numerous studies exploring technological solutions to prevent CNP fraud, there is a shortage of theoretically informed research exploring the online lifestyle correlates of CNP. This study, which utilizes the dataset of Crime Survey for England and Wales 2014/2015, addresses this gap in the literature. Routine Activities Theory was used as the theoretical and conceptual framework in this present study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses results suggested that home users' online lifestyle increases the risk of becoming a victim of CNP fraud. Buying goods or services, accessing online government services and online communication (email/instant messaging and chat rooms) emerged as risk factors. Illustrating the impact of technological vulnerabilities (mobile phones and public access computers) on the risk of CNP fraud victimization was another novel contribution of this study. Additionally, personal guardianship measures, using complex passwords and different passwords, emerged as predictors of victimization. These results provide valuable implications for situational crime prevention efforts. Practical and theoretical implications of this study are further discussed.

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