Among us : Examining the knowledge, attitude and practices of residents in Poblacion North Muñoz Nueva Ecija towards Facebook online scams
Date
2023
Authors
Earl Angelo C. Somera
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Abstract
The advancement of data and correspondence innovation expanded the improvement of the worldwide economy and advanced personal satisfaction. The web has made new ways for individuals all over the planet to convey, associate, interface, and even do monetary organizations. The arising patterns through online entertainment among the youthful and surprisingly, the older never appears to dial back. The web opened up such countless ways for individuals to impart, however such a tremendous internet-based range likewise underwrites namelessness. The obscurity that the web can give is being utilized by scammers to swindle their strategy for getting around individuals for monetary and individual additions.
Given these setbacks in the related articles and literature, the study also aimed to fill the gap of localized literature concerning the spread of disinformation and its effects on the netizens of Nueva Ecija.
The majority of respondents strongly dislike the idea of scammers on Facebook, are skeptical when messaged by strangers about selling items, and are not confident when talking to strangers on Facebook. They start to suspect strangers when asked about income or banking account details and are angry when they or someone they know gets scammed financially. Respondents are undecided if scammers are entirely bad people and if they trust buy and sell Facebook pages.
Moreover, the majority of respondents feel uncomfortable when a stranger messages them without introducing themselves, and have reservations about buying items from anonymous sellers. They also take a long time to decide and consider changes to avoid being scammed again. Respondents strongly disagree about trusting anonymous sellers or potential scammers if they have been scammed before and they will never again trust unverified online sellers on facebook. Majority often think twice before talking to an online seller that they don't know.
There are several connections between the conclusions drawn from the analyzed data on Facebook online scamming and the cognitive dissonance theory. First, the finding that the majority of respondents strongly dislike the idea of scammers on facebook, are angry when they or someone they know gets scammed financially and ignore Facebook messages indicating that they won a reward from a stranger can be related to cognitive dissonance theory. According to the theory individuals experience discomfort when their actions or beliefs are incongruent. In the case of Facebook online scamming, the respondents' beliefs that scammers are bad people and that they should not trust strangers on Facebook may have caused them to experience cognitive dissonance when faced with scamming attempts. To reduce this discomfort, they may have chosen to ignore scamming attempts and disengage from potential.
Second, the finding that respondents strongly agree that they verify the profile of a seller before making a transaction and ignore profiles that lack personal information of suspicious-looking accounts can also be linked to cognitive dissonance theory. By verifying the profile of a seller, the respondents are aligning their actions with their beliefs that they should not trust strangers on Facebook. they may also be reducing the potential for cognitive dissonance by taking precautionary measures to avoid scamming attempts.
Overall, the findings suggest that respondents are knowledgeable about Facebook online scamming and how to protect themselves. the connections to cognitive dissonance theory indicate that respondents' beliefs about scammers and their actions to protect themselves from scamming attempts are consistent and may be motivated by a desire to reduce cognitive dissonance.