Interpreting the perceptions of self-regulating the Internet by online consumers in Seattle, Washington.

摘要

The implication of increases in Internet fraud each year is that government agencies and private corporations are not successfully controlling online fraudulent behavior. Several researchers support the belief that a strategy requiring online consumers to self-regulate offers the greatest probability of limiting fraudulent behavior. However, researchers have not answered the question of whether online consumers are prepared to accept the responsibility of self-regulation. The scope of this study was to examine the perceptions of self-regulation by online consumers in Seattle, Washington using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Common themes interpreted from participants' responses to open ended questions revealed that self-regulation is an acceptable approach to preventing online fraud; however the online consumers in Seattle, Washington do not believe that they have the skills and resources to self-regulate.