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Knowledge and Protective Practice Towards Love Scam Among Female Facebook Users in Malaysia

Original title: Pengetahuan dan Amalan Perlindungan Pengguna Facebook Wanita Terhadap Penipuan Cinta di Malaysia

Document language: Malay. English title supplied by the publisher.

Norazlina Zainal Abidin ; Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin ; Azianura Hani Shaari ; Norazura Din ; Saravanan Ramasamy (2018) — Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication

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DOI: 10.17576/jkmjc-2018-3404-07 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Malaysia
Tags:   Facebook, Female Users, Knowledge, Love Scam, Malaysia, Online Fraud, Protective Practices, Romance Scams, Scam Knowledge, Women
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Synopsis

            
This study examines what Malaysian women who use Facebook know about love scams and how they protect themselves online. The authors describe love scams as fraudulent romantic schemes used to induce financial or sexual exploitation, and they focus on female Facebook users in Malaysia. A quantitative approach was used, distributing questionnaires to a purposive sample of 609 women. The researchers assessed two domains: knowledge of love scams and protective practices, reporting that most respondents demonstrated high levels in both areas. Analyses indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between knowledge and protective practices (Pearson r = 0.30, p < 0.05). The study also reports subgroup differences. There were no significant differences in knowledge or protective practices between women who had personally been victims of love scams and those who had not. However, there were significant differences when comparing respondents who had a close family member, friend, or colleague who had been a victim with those without such a history: those with a close contact who had been a victim scored higher on both knowledge and protective practices. Additional descriptive findings describe the emphases of respondents’ knowledge and practices, such as recognizing scams and avoiding sharing sensitive information or funds with unknown or recently acquainted online contacts. The authors suggest that these findings can serve as benchmarks for measuring and monitoring knowledge and protective behavior among female social media users in Malaysia. They imply that heightened awareness and careful online conduct contribute to protective practices, though the study does not present causal conclusions or broad generalizations beyond the sample.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
The paper identifies an absence of Malaysian research on knowledge of, and protective practices against, love scams despite many domestic incidents. It positions the study as an initial Malaysian baseline and indicates a need to determine which sociodemographic groups are more vulnerable.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Quantitative cross-sectional survey of 609 Malaysian female Facebook users aged 19–50, recruited through purposive non-probability sampling. A researcher-developed questionnaire measured demographics, love-scam knowledge (17 items), and protective practices (23 items). Face/content validity and internal consistency were assessed (Cronbach’s alpha .79 and .87). SPSS descriptive analyses, Pearson correlation, and independent-samples t-tests examined levels, associations, and differences by victimisation history.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The purposive, non-random sample comprised only female Facebook users aged 19–50, limiting generalisability beyond this population. Measures were researcher-developed self-report agreement scales, so reported protective practices may not reflect actual behaviour. The cross-sectional survey and correlational/t-test analyses establish associations and group differences but cannot determine whether knowledge causes protective practices or victimisation outcomes.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Use the developed questionnaire to compare knowledge and protective practices across sociodemographic groups, to identify groups more vulnerable to love scams. The authors also urge women, particularly prior victims, to take the issue seriously and strengthen protective practices to reduce recurrence.

          

              

    
    

        
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