Previous studies suggest that some elderly people do not use an answering machine at home to prevent falling victim to fraudulent scams despite this being known as one of the most effective behaviors ...to avoid fraud. The present study explored the influence of optimistic bias on answering machine use and behavioral intention for preventing fraud among elderly Japanese people. A survey was used among elderly Japanese respondents (N = 1,598, Mage = 73.2, SD = 5.30) to examine optimistic bias and behavioral intentions related to preventing scams targeting the elderly. Results of statistical analyses demonstrated that there was no relationship between optimistic bias and answering machine use. On the other hand, optimistic bias positively affected the behavioral intention of penetrating a scam by pretending to be deceived if respondents encountered scammers. We discuss the effects of optimistic bias and other factors, such as gender, on crime prevention behaviors regarding fraud.
Previous research on fraud victimization has revealed vulnerabilities in the psychological characteristics of the elderly, while relatively little is known on promoting anticrime measures. In this ...paper, we analyzed survey data of people who applied the telephone-equipment purchase subsidy program, and found the following points. First, those who have enabled the nuisance call prevention function (NCPF) are more likely to recommend the function to others than those who have not enabled it. Second, there is no statistically significant difference in the proportion of people who use NCPF between those whose relatives or electric appliance store staff installed the phone and those who did not.
Empirical studies abroad have indicated that elderly individuals’ likelihood of becoming a victim of fraud or cybercrime is affected by certain factors such as routine activities and an absence of ...guardianship. Using data from a survey of victims of fraud and attempted fraud, this study examined which risk factors contributed to the explanation of accomplished fraud victimization in Japan, based on a structural-choice model perspective. The risk factors that were found to elevate the risk of accomplished fraud victimization included proximity to potential crime opportunity afforded to a landline phone, lack of non-household activities, and absence of guardianship. The results of two models based on a combination of these risk factors indicated that persons with all three risk factors had the highest risk of fraud victimization. In addition, improvement in at least one of the risk factors decreased fraud victimization. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Previous studies suggest that some elderly people do not use an answering machine at home to prevent falling victim to fraudulent scams despite this being known as one of the most effective behaviors ...to avoid fraud. The present study explored the influence of optimistic bias on answering machine use and behavioral intention for preventing fraud among elderly Japanese people. A survey was used among elderly Japanese respondents (N = 1,598, Mage = 73.2, SD = 5.30) to examine optimistic bias and behavioral intentions related to preventing scams targeting the elderly. Results of statistical analyses demonstrated that there was no relationship between optimistic bias and answering machine use. On the other hand, optimistic bias positively affected the behavioral intention of penetrating a scam by pretending to be deceived if respondents encountered scammers. We discuss the effects of optimistic bias and other factors, such as gender, on crime prevention behaviors regarding fraud.
The study examined characteristics of crime maps and tables released at websites of all 47 prefectural police headquarters in Japan, in terms of spatio-temporal resolutions, crime types and ...population of jurisdiction. The results are summarized as follows: 1) There were differences in type of map by crime type; larceny offenses were featured by density maps, while moral offenses and suspicious person informations were featured pin maps. 2) There were differences in crime map by population of jurisdiction; felonious offenses and violent offenses were more released to websites in large-scale prefectures than in small-scale prefectures. 3) There were differences in resolutions by crime type; High spatial resolution was used in violent offenses and larceny offenses than in elonious and intellectual offenses. 4) The spatio-temporal resolution of crime tables was insufficient to describe crime concentration, specially in small-scale prefectures.
Using data from social survey of residents, the present study examined whether some living environments which included commuting routines as well as risk perception and other factors affected fear of ...crime using hierarchical multiple regression. The main results were summarized as follows. Risk perception affected fear of crime. Incivility and commuting routines as well as female car ownership affected fear of crime, after controlling for the effects of risk perception and other variables on fear of crime. The results implied that outside behaviors including commuting routines explained fear of crime to some extent. Further studies which measure more various types of outside behaviors will be needed for testing the relationship between living environments and fear of crime.
