Highly educated Hongkongers may be more vulnerable to scams, study finds
City University on Friday revealed the results of the recent poll, which showed that those in Hong Kong who had postgraduate qualifications were more likely to be fooled than undergraduate degree holders.
'Fraud is not simply a matter of poor individual judgment; rather, it represents a long-term battle involving information and trust,' said Christine Huang Yi-hui, head and chair professor of the university's department of media and communication.
'Scammers often use prolonged interaction, emotional investment and psychological manipulation to lower victims' defences.'
Huang led the team that conducted the survey of more than 4,500 people living in Hong Kong, Taiwan and on the mainland. The poll, which ran between May and June, aimed to better understand perceptions and behaviour patterns of victims of online and telecoms fraud.
'Our findings show that victims are not necessarily those traditionally perceived as 'vulnerable'; they can also be highly educated individuals that are often considered hard to deceive,' Huang said.
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