You’ve got mail! : Explaining individual differences in becoming a phishing target

Although phishing is a form of cybercrime that internet users get confronted with rather frequently, many people still get deceived by these practices. Since receiving phishing e-mails is an important prerequisite of victimization, this study focusses on becoming a phishing target. More precisely, we use an integrative lifestyle exposure model to study the effects of risky online routine activities that make a target more likely to come across a motivated offender. Insights of the lifestyle exposure model are combined with propensity theories in order to determine which role impulsivity plays in phishing targeting. To achieve these objectives, data collected in 2016 from a representative sample (n = 723) were used. Support was found for a relationship between both online purchasing behavior and digital copying behavior, and phishing targeting. Moreover, a relationship was found between all online activities (except for online purchasing behavior) and impulsivity. The present study thus suggests that especially online shoppers and users who often share and use copied files online should be trained to deal with phishing attacks appropriately