The University of Texas at Arlington has awarded funding to research teams to launch new investigative projects. The Research Enhancement Program (REP), administered by UTA's Office of Vice President for Research and Innovation, offers seed funding to investigators to help them test new ideas and explore new directions that could lead to future innovations and more competitive proposals for external funding from federal agencies and nonprofit foundations.
In this research series, we are highlighting six of these grants.
Researcher: Fangzhou Wang, assistant professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts; Shelley Wigley, associate professor, Department of Communication, College of Liberal Arts
Project title: "Protecting Your Assets: Inoculating Against Online Romance Scams"
What's the idea?
The widespread reach of internet technology has transformed human interaction and accessibility, but it has also created new opportunities for cybercriminal activity. Online fraud—particularly romance scams—leverages digital connectivity to exploit individuals' trust and emotional vulnerabilities for financial gain.
One possible way to help people protect themselves from these scams is inoculation messaging. Much like a medical vaccine, this approach works by exposing individuals to a mild version of a deceptive tactic to build resistance against future attacks. More than six decades of research support inoculation theory's effectiveness in protecting attitudes against persuasive manipulation.
Why it matters:
Despite various initiatives to create awareness content for victims of online romance scams, there are still gaps in developing evidence-based messaging tailored for effective prevention. Without a solid understanding of what makes messaging effective, many campaigns risk being ineffective, or even counterproductive, if they fail to resonate with potential victims or address the psychological tactics scammers use. Additionally, generalized or untested messages can lead to poor message retention and may not fully equip individuals with the necessary tools, still leaving them vulnerable to emotionally manipulative persuasion tactics.
Real-world use:
In the long term, the research on inoculation messaging has the potential to inform public awareness campaigns, enhance training programs for at-risk populations and contribute to a broader public discourse around digital safety and scam prevention.
Next steps:
The researchers will develop and test targeted video scenarios that simulate realistic online interactions where scam tactics are commonly used. They will then measure the effectiveness of different inoculation strategies in building users' resistance to online romance scams.
In their words:
"Messaging can be a very important aspect in helping prevent victims from falling for online romance scams. With this research, criminologists and communication experts will have a better understanding of how to create more effective online romance scam awareness and prevention campaigns." —Dr. Wang
Other Research Enhancement Program news:
May 27: Studying How Bacteria Grow to Fight Infections
May 29: Radar System Aims to Catch Drone Failures Early
