  Scams are a widespread issue with severe consequences for both victims and
perpetrators, but existing data collection is fragmented, precluding global and
comparative local understanding. The present study addresses this gap through a
nationally representative survey (n = 8,369) on scam exposure, victimization,
types, vectors, and reporting in 12 countries: Belgium, Egypt, France, Hungary,
Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and
the United Kingdom. We analyze 6 survey questions to build a detailed
quantitative picture of the scams landscape in each country, and compare across
countries to identify global patterns. We find, first, that residents of less
affluent countries suffer financial loss from scams more often. Second, we find
that the internet plays a key role in scams across the globe, and that GNI
per-capita is strongly associated with specific scam types and contact vectors.
Third, we find widespread under-reporting, with residents of less affluent
countries being less likely to know how to report a scam. Our findings
contribute valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers
in the online fraud and scam prevention space.
