Highly educated too fall prey to cybercrime: Study finds stress fuels online fraud

A study of 33 financial cybercrime victims in five Indian cities has found that many were highly educated, digitally literate and financially knowledgeable, challenging assumptions that online fraud victims are careless or financially unsophisticated.

Researchers at IIT Madras and collaborators have found that scammers often caught victims at moments of personal or professional stress and exploited fear, urgency, family or reputational concerns, or the lure of financial gains.