Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice pp 1829–1836Cite as

Fraud Victimization

Overview

Generally defined, fraud victimization refers to a form of economic crime. A variety of crimes might be included in this category, but fraud victimization generally takes one of two forms: victimization of organizations, or victimization of individuals. There is considerable evidence indicating that fraud victimization continues to increase, and that losses experienced by victims of fraud greatly exceed those of street crime. Given that many fraud victims are reluctant to report their victimization to criminal justice officials, the problem is likely even more severe than official statistics suggest.

This entry examines key issues in the study of fraud victimization. Definitions and examples of occupational fraud and personal fraud are provided, with special attention to the nature and context of these offenses (e.g., the importance of fraud targeting and the methods of targeting victims). Theory and research on both forms of fraud victimization are presented. In addition to...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
EUR   29.95
Price includes VAT (France)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR   3,424.00
Price includes VAT (France)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
EUR   4,747.49
Price includes VAT (France)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Recommended Reading and References

  • Anderson KB (2004) Consumer fraud in the United States: an FTC survey. Federal Trade Commission, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2006) Report to the nation. Author, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen LE, Felson M (1979) Social change and crime rate trends: a routine activity approach. Am Sociol Rev 52(1):170–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Copes H, Kerley KR, Mason KA, Van Wyk J (2001) Reporting behavior of fraud victims and black’s theory of law: an empirical assessment. Justice Q 18(2):343–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Cressey DR (1953) Other people’s money: a study in the social psychology of embezzlement. Free Press, Glencoe

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (2001) Press release: internet fraud investigation “operation cyber loss.” Retrieved 31 Oct 2011, from http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel101/ifcc052301.htm

  • Gottfredson MR, Hirschi T (1990) A general theory of crime. Stanford University Press, Stanford

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg J (1990) Employee theft as a reaction to underpayment inequity: the hidden costs of paycuts. J Appl Psychol 75(5):561–568

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg J (1993) Stealing in the name of justice: informational and interpersonal moderators of theft reactions to underpayment inequity. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 54(1):81–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K (2004) Fraud in American organizations: an examination of control mechanisms. J Financ Crime 12(1):88–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K (2005) Is occupational fraud “typical” white-collar crime? A comparison of individual and organizational characteristics. J Crim Just 33(4):153–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K (2008a) The effects of legal and extra-legal characteristics on organizational victim decision-making. Crime Law Social Ch 50(4/5):307–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K (2008b) Determinants of fraud losses in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit Manag Leadersh 19(1):49–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter RE, Holtfreter K (2006) Gauging the effectiveness of U.S. Identity theft legislation. J Financ Crime 13(1):56–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K, VanSlyke S, Blomberg TG (2005) Sociolegal change in consumer fraud: from victim-offender interactions to global networks. Crime Law Social Ch 44(3):251–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K, Reisig MD, Blomberg TG (2006) Consumer fraud victimization in Florida: an empirical study. St Thomas L Rev 18(3):761–789

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K, Reisig MD, Pratt TC (2008) Low self-control, routine activities, and fraud victimization. Criminology 46(1):189–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K, Beaver KM, Reisig MD, Pratt TC (2010a) Low self-control and fraud offending. J Financ Crime 17(3):295–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtfreter K, Reisig MD, Piquero NL, Piquero AR (2010b) Low self-control and fraud: offending, victimization, and their overlap. Crim Justice Behav 37(2):188–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt TC, Holtfreter K, Reisig MD (2010) Routine online activity and internet fraud targeting: extending the generality of routine activity theory. J Res Crime Delinq 47(3):267–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Reisig MD, Holtfreter K (2007) Fraud victimization and confidence in Florida’s legal authorities. J Financ Crime 14(2):113–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Reisig MD, Pratt TC, Holtfreter K (2009) Perceived risk of internet theft victimization: examining the effects of social vulnerability and impulsivity. Crim Justice Behav 36(4):369–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreck CJ (1999) Criminal victimization and low self-control: an extension and test of a general theory of crime. Justice Q 16(4):633–654

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreck CJ, Wright RA, Miller JM (2002) A study of individual and situational antecedents of violent victimization. Justice Q 19(1):159–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Titus R (2001) Personal fraud and its victims. In: Shover N, Wright JP (eds) Crimes of privilege: readings in white-collar crime. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler T (2001) Public trust and confidence in legal authorities: what do majority and minority group members think? Behav Sci Law 19(2):215–235

    Google Scholar 

  • van Wilsem J (2011) Worlds tied together? Online and non-domestic routine activities and their impact on digital and traditional threat victimization. Eur J Criminol 8(2):115–127

    Google Scholar 

  • van Wilsem J (In press) ‘Bought it, but never got it’: assessing risk factors for online consumer fraud victimization. European Sociological Review

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd D, Wheeler S, Waring E, Bode N (1991) Crimes of the middle classes. Yale University Press, New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd D, Waring E, Chayet EF (2001) White-collar crime and criminal careers. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe SE, Piquero AR (2011) Organizational justice and police misconduct. Crim Justice Behav 38(4):332–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Zietz D (1981) Women who embezzle or defraud: a study of convicted felons. Praeger, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Ave., Suite 600, 85004, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Kristy Holtfreter

Authors
  1. Kristy Holtfreter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristy Holtfreter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gerben Bruinsma

  2. VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gerben Bruinsma

  3. Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    David Weisburd

  4. Faculty of Law, The Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel

    David Weisburd

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Holtfreter, K. (2014). Fraud Victimization. In: Bruinsma, G., Weisburd, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_75

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_75

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5689-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5690-2

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation