“More intelligent, less emotive and more greedy”: Hierarchies of blame in online fraud

Abstract

Online romance and investment fraud are growing crimes in Australia by volume and money lost but are also known to attract high levels of victim blame. The Fraud Justice Network (FJN) refers to the multitude of institutions that aim to combat frauds, but little is known about how and how and why professionals within these entities ascribe blame to fraud victims. ‘Ideal victimhood’ is constructed based on the nature and circumstances of the crime and behaviours of victim and offender and can effectively work to create hierarchies of legitimacy among victims. This article presents findings of perspectives and experiences of the FJN in Australia, through fourteen semi-structured interviews with FJN professionals. Thematic analysis found a discrepancy in the way the two types of victims were perceived. Reasons and potential impacts are discussed.