Two QUT researchers have received an AUD$151,500 Google Academic Research Award for the project, Strengthening Scam Reporting Mechanisms in the Pacific.
Associate Professor Danielle Watson (pictured right) Professor Cassandra Cross, from QUT's School of Justice, will investigate the dynamics of scam reporting in three Pacific Island Countries (PICs) - Cook Islands, Palau and Vanuatu.
Professor Watson has conducted research on drug trafficking, online casinos, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and the capacity of PICs to respond to transnational organised crime threats.
She said online scams had become an increasingly prevalent form of cyber-enabled crime in the Pacific.
"This project will identify systemic barriers to reporting of scams, assess law enforcement views about public awareness of online scamming and propose evidence-based improvements to national and community-level reporting mechanisms," Professor Watson said.
"Victims of scams in PICs often face social stigma, institutional distrust, language barriers and digital illiteracy, all of which contribute to underreporting and weak enforcement outcomes."
Professor Cross is a globally recognised authority on scam victimisation, fraud and cybercrime. She said that while global research on scam victimisation was growing, it was focused on high-income settings in the Global North.
"The research literature has not adequately addressed the structural, cultural and logistical realities of small island developing states," Professor Cross said.
"This project will provide research to support the development of culturally appropriate and victim-sensitive reporting pathways that lead to strengthened community trust and institutional responses.
"This will be the first comparative, multi-country study to empirically examine scam reporting systems across three Pacific nations.
"It will fill a critical gap by conducting institutional analysis and applying a participatory approach to co-develop solutions."
