V4 Supplemental Fraud Survey (SFS)

V4 Supplemental Fraud Survey (SFS)
Cognitive Testing Protocol–Spring 2017
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), I would like to thank you for taking the time
to speak with me today. I greatly appreciate it.
Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to ask you questions about your experiences with
being a victim of fraud. We are hoping to get your feedback and opinions on these questions so
we may improve them.
Procedure: I am going to ask you questions as if I were an interviewer who came to your house
or called you on the phone. I would like you to please answer these questions to the best of
your knowledge and know that there are no right or wrong answers. After some of the survey
questions I may stop and ask you follow-up questions to better understand your answer and the
way you thought about the question. Most of my follow-up questions will ask what you thought
about certain phrases or what you think a question is trying to ask.
As we are going through the survey, please feel free to tell me anything that comes to mind or to
ask me anything you are unclear about. Feel free to think aloud as you are answering these
questions. We want your honest opinions about what you like and dislike and what you do and
don’t understand so we can improve this survey. I also want to remind you that you do not have
to answer any questions you do not want to and you can end the interview at any time. If I ask
you a question you do not want to answer, you can just say “Pass.”
Once you have answered all of the survey questions, I will ask you a few follow-up questions
about your overall thoughts about the survey.
Do you have any questions before we begin?

1

INTRO
These questions refer to experiences in which someone convinced you to pay, invest, or donate money
or your personal time, by tricking or lying to you, hiding information, or promising you something that
you never received.
Prize or grant fraud – screener
S1. In the past 12 months, that is, since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], did you pay
money to receive a prize, grant, inheritance, lottery winning, or other large sum of money that you were
told was yours?
1=YES (ASK S1A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S2)
S1a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]
S1b. (If S1a >1, For how many of these incidents) Did you get all of the money you were promised?
_____________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

In your own words, tell me what you think it means to “pay money to receive a prize, grant,
inheritance, lottery winning, or other large sum of money that you were told was yours.” Can
you think of an example of this?

IF S1b – You said you got all of the money you were promised X times. Were there any times
when you only got some of the money you were promised?
IF YES, Did you get more than the amount you paid?

(GO TO S2)

2

Phantom debt collection fraud – screener
S2. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about] In the past 12 months,
that is since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], did you pay money to settle or pay off a
debt, but you found out you were being tricked or lied to and the debt was not real or not yours?
1=YES (SKIP TO S2A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S3)
S2a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

What type of situations do you think we are asking about in this question? Can you give an
example?

IF S2a – Did you have any difficulty remembering how many times this happened in the past
12 months?

(GO TO S3)

3

Charity fraud – screener
S3. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about] In the past 12 months,
that is, since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], have you donated money to a charity
or a charitable cause that later turned out to be fake or that you later suspected was fake?
1=YES (ASK S3A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S4)
S3a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

In your own words, what do you think we mean when we say, “later turned out to be fake or
that you later suspected was fake”? Can you give an example?

IF S3a – Did you have any difficulty remembering how many times this happened in the past
12 months?

(GO TO S4)

4

Employment fraud – screener
S4. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about]In the past 12 months,
that is since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], have you paid money to get a job or get
into a business opportunity but were tricked or lied to about how the money would be used or what you
would receive in return?
1=YES (ASK S4A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S5)

S4a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

S4b. (If S4a>1, For how many of these incidents) Did you get all of your money back from the person or
company without filing a claim or taking legal action?
________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]
[IF RESPONDENT SAYS “NOT YET” = NO, DID NOT GET MONEY BACK]
[IF S4B < S4A, ASK S4C. ALL ELSE SKIP TO S5]
S4c. For incident(s) in which you didn’t get your money back, did you try to get it back?
1=YES (ASK S4D)
2=NO (SKIP TO S5)
S4d. Do you think there is a chance that the person or company might still give you all of your money
back?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW
What do you think we mean when we say “paid money to get a job or get into a business
opportunity but were tricked or lied to about how the money would be used or what you
would receive in return”?

What types of situations do you think this includes?

5

IF S4a – Did you have any difficulty remembering how many times this happened in the past
12 months?

IF S4b – This question asks, “Did you get all of your money back from the person or company
without filing a claim or taking legal action?” What do you think we are asking here?

IF S4b – What does “filing a claim or taking legal action” mean to you?

IF S4d – Can you tell me about your answer to this question and why you answered the way
you did?

(GO TO S5)

6

Consumer investment fraud – screener
S5. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about], in the past 12 months,
that is, since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], have you invested money with a
person or company that tricked you or lied to you about what you would receive in return?
1=YES (ASK S5A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S6)
S5a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

S5b. (If S5a>1, For how many of these incidents) Do you believe that the investment opportunity was
made up or that your money was never invested at all?
__________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]

What do you think it means to “invest money with a person or company”?

We ask if you “invested money with a person or company that tricked you or lied to you about
what you would receive in return.” Can you think of some examples of a situation like this?

7

IF S5b – What do you think we mean when we say the “investment opportunity was made up
or that your money was never invested at all”?

What if we changed the question to say “invested money with a person or company that
promised you a guaranteed return or promised you would not lose any money”? Would that
have changed your answer?

(GO TO S6)

8

Consumer products or services fraud (excluding unauthorized billing) – screener
S6. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about], In the past 12 months,
that is, since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], have you lost money by paying for any
products or services that you never received or that turned out to be a scam?
1=YES (ASK S6A)
2=NO (SKIP TO S7)
S6a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
_____________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]
S6b. (If S6a>1, For how many of these incidents) Did you get all of your money back from the person or
company without filing a claim or taking legal action?
_____________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]
[If respondent says “not yet” = no, did not get money back]
[If S6b < S6a, ask S6c. All else skip to S7]
S6c. For incident(s) in which you didn’t get your money back, did you try to get it back?
1=YES (ASK S6D)
2=NO (SKIP TO S7)
S6d. Do you think there is a chance that the person or company might still give you all of your money
back?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW
Can you tell me in your own words what this question is asking? (“lost money by paying for
any products or services that you never received or that turned out to be a scam”?)

9

Did you think of any instances that you thought might have counted here, but you weren’t
sure?

IF S4b – This question asks, “Did you get all of your money back from the person or company
without filing a claim or taking legal action?” What do you think we are asking here?

IF S4b – What does “filing a claim or taking legal action” mean to you?

IF S4d – Can you tell me about your answer to this question and why you answered the way
you did?
(GO TO S7)

10

Relationship/trust fraud – screener
S7. [IF NEEDED: Not including the time(s) you may have already told me about], in the past 12 months,
that is since [AUTOFILL DATE A YEAR AGO FROM SURVEY DATE], have you donated or sent money to
someone who pretended to be a family member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in you
romantically, but that person was not who they claimed to be?
1=YES (ASK S7A)
2=NO (SKIP TO INCIDENT FORM IF RESPONDENT SCREENED IN AS A FRAUD VICTIM; ALL ELSE END
SURVEY)
S7a. How many times did this happen in the past 12 months?
_____________________ [NUMERIC, OPEN-ENDED BOX]
(We asked “have you donated or sent money to someone who pretended to be a family
member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in you romantically, but that person was
not who they claimed to be?”) In this question, what do you think “but that person was not
who they claimed to be” means?

Can you give me an example of this?

GO TO INCIDENT FORM IF RESPONDENT SCREENED IN AS A FRAUD VICTIM; ALL ELSE END SURVEY.

11

Prize or grant fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A PRIZE OR GRANT FRAUD VICTIM
BY REPORTING –
•

S1B1, the most recent time you had> that experience.

S1B1. Which one of the following best describes the money or prize you were supposed to receive? Was
it….
1=Winnings from a lottery,
2=Winnings from a sweepstakes, raffle, or promotion,
3=An unclaimed inheritance,
4=A grant or loan from the government,
5=A tax refund,
6=Or something else?
S1B1o. How would you best describe the money or prize you were supposed to receive?
________________________
How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

S1B2. Were you told that you would have to pay a deposit, taxes, or a fee in order to get the money or
prize you were supposed to receive?
1=YES
2=NO

12

S1B3. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
S1B3 – Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or
company?

S1B4. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S1B5)
2=NO (SKIP TO S1B6)

S1B5. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
S1B5 – Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S1B6. [If S1B>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid
money to receive a large sum of money but never got what you were promised], did you report the
incident to a law enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement
agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S1B8)
2=NO (ASK S1B7)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

13

S1B7. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S1B8. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S1B8a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8c. Bank or credit card company?
1=YES
14

2=NO
S1B8d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S1B8ko. [IF S1B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?

15

S1B9. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. These questions are
about how the incident made you feel and how it impacted you financially.
[If S1B>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid money to
receive a large sum of money but never got what you were promised], how distressing was this
incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing,
2=Mildly distressing,
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S1B10. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S1B11. Did this [IF S1a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

16

S1B12. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S1B13. Thinking about this [IF S1a>1 most recent] incident when you paid money to receive a large sum
of money but never got what you were promised, do you think you were a victim of fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

S1B14. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time that you paid money to receive
a large sum of money but never got what you were promised.

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?
17

Phantom debt collection fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A PHANTOM DEBT COLLECTION
FRAUD VICTIM BY REPORTING –
•

S2=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)

S2B1intro. “You indicated that you paid money to settle or pay off a debt but found out you were being
tricked or lied to. I would like to ask you a few additional questions related to that experience. When
answering these questions, please only think about 1, the most recent time you had> that
experience.”

S2B1. Which one of the following best describes the type of debt you were told you owed. Was it debt
due to…
1=Unpaid taxes
2=An unpaid loan
3=An unpaid fine or ticket
4=Credit card charges
5=Health care or medical care services
6=Other
S2B1o. How would you describe the type of debt you were told you owed? ______________________
How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

S2B2. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

18

S2B3. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S2B4)
2=NO (SKIP TO S2B5)

S2B4. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S2B5. [If S2a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid
money to settle or pay off a debt but found out you were being tricked or lied to], did you report the
incident to a law enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a federal law enforcement
agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S2B7)
2=NO (ASK S2B6)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

S2B6. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
19

5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S2B7. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S2B7a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7c. Bank or credit card company?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
20

1=YES
2=NO
S2B7g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B7k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S2B8ko. [IF S2B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?
S2B8. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. These questions are
about how the incident made you feel, and how it impacted you financially.
[If S2a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid money to
settle or pay off a debt but found out you were being tricked or lied to], how distressing was this
incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing,
2=Mildly distressing,
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

21

S2B9. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S2B10. Did this [IF S2a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

S2B11. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S2B12. Thinking about this [IF S2a>1 most recent] incident when you paid money to settle or pay off a
debt, but you found out you were being tricked or lied to, do you think you were a victim of fraud?
1=YES
22

2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

S2B13. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time that you paid money to settle or
pay off a debt but found out you were being tricked or lied to.

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?

23

Charity fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A CHARITY FRAUD VICTIM BY
REPORTING –
•

S3=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)

S3B1intro. “You indicated that you donated money to a charity or a charitable cause that later turned
out to be fake or you later suspected was fake. I would like to ask you a few additional questions related
to that experience. When answering these questions, please only think 1, the most recent time
you had that experience.”

S3B1. You stated that in the past 12 months you donated money to a charity or a charitable cause that
turned out to be fake or that you suspected was fake. Was the donation supposed to be going to an
organization?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW
What do you think we’re talking about in this question when we say “an organization?”

S3B2. Did you make this donation through a crowdfunding website like GoFundMe or Kickstarter?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW
Have you heard the term “crowdfunding” before?

Have you heard of GoFundMe or Kickstarter?

24

S3B3. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

S3B4. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S3B5)
2=NO (SKIP TO S3B6)

S3B5. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S3B6. [If S3a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you donated
money to a charity or a charitable cause that later turned out to be fake or you later suspected was
fake], did you report the incident to a law enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a
federal law enforcement agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S3B8)
2=NO (ASK S3B7)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

25

S3B7. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S3B8. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S3B8a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8c. Bank or credit card company?
26

1=YES
2=NO
S3B8d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S3B8ko. [IF S3B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?

27

S3B9. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. These questions are
about how the incident made you feel and how it impacted you financially.
[If S3a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you donated
money to a charity or a charitable cause that later turned out to be fake or you later suspected was
fake], how distressing was this incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing
2=Mildly distressing
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S3B10. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S3B11. Did this [S3a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family members
or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you could
trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

S3B12. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
28

3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S3B13. Thinking about this [IF S3a>1 most recent] incident when you donated money to a charity or a
charitable cause that later turned out to be fake, do you think you were a victim of fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

S3B14. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time that you donated money to a
charity or a charitable cause that later turned out to be fake or you later suspected was fake.

29

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?

30

Employment fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS AN EMPLOYMENT FRAUD VICTIM
BY REPORTING –
•
•
•
•
•

S4=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)
S4A>=1 (HOW MANY TIMES)
S4B NOT = TO NUMBER OF TIMES IN S4A
S4C=1 (YES, TRIED TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK)
S4D=2, 3 (NOT A CHANCE OR DON’T KNOW IF RESPONDENT WILL GET THEIR MONEY BACK)

S4B1intro. “You indicated that you paid money to get a job or get into a business opportunity but were
tricked or lied to about how the money would be used or what you would receive in return. I would like
to ask you a few additional questions related to that experience. When answering these questions,
please only think about 1, the most recent time you had> that experience.”

S4B1. Did the money you lost go to someone who…
Was supposed to be helping you start your own business?
1=YES (SKIP TO S4B4)
2=NO (ASK S4B2)

S4B2. (Did the money you lost go to someone who…)
Promised to help you make money while you worked from home?
1=YES (SKIP TO S4B4)
2=NO (ASK S4B3)

S4B3. (Did the money you lost go to someone who…)
Promised to help you get a government job?
1=YES
2=NO

S4B4. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
31

[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

S4B5. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S4B6)
2=NO (SKIP TO S4B7)

S4B6. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S4B7. [If S4b>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid
money to get a job or get into a business opportunity but were tricked or lied to about how the money
would be used or what you would receive in return], did you report the incident to a law enforcement
agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a federal law enforcement agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S4B9)
2=NO (ASK S4B8)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

S4B8. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

32

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S4B9. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S4B9a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9c. Bank or credit card company?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9d. Company’s customer service?
33

1=YES
2=NO
S4B9e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B9k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S4B8ko. [IF S4B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?

34

S4B10. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. My next questions
are about how the incident made you feel and how it impacted you financially.
[If S4b>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time that you paid money to
get a job or get into a business opportunity but were tricked or lied to about how the money would be
used or what you would receive in return], how distressing was this incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing
2=Mildly distressing
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S4B11. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S4B12. Did this [IF S4a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

S4B13. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
35

1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S4B14. Thinking about this [IF S4a>1 most recent] incident when you paid money to get into a business
opportunity but were tricked or lied to, do you think you were a victim of fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

S4B15. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time that you paid money to get a job
or get into a business opportunity but were tricked or lied to about how the money would be used or
what you would receive in return.

36

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?

37

Consumer investment fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A CONSUMER INVESTMENT FRAUD
VICTIM BY REPORTING –
•
•
•

S5=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)
S5A>=1 (HOW MANY TIMES)
S5B=1 (RESPONDENT BELIEVES INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY WAS MADE UP)

S5B1intro. “You indicated that you invested money with a person or company that tricked you or lied to
you, and you believe the investment was made up or your money was never invested at all. I would like
to ask you a few additional questions related to that experience. When answering these questions,
please only think about 1, the most recent time you had> that experience.”

S5B1. Which one of the following best describes the type of investment you thought you were making?
Were you investing in………
1=A low valued stock, also called a ‘penny stock,
2=Shares of a company prior to the company going public,
3=Real estate or a real estate investment trust,
4=A company that explores for new oil or gas,
5=An alternative energy company,
6=A government or corporate bond or promissory note ,
7=A foreign currency,
8=Precious metals,
9=Other products that could be traded, or
10=Something else?
11=Other Specify ________________________
88=DON’T KNOW
98=REFUSED
How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

38

S5B2. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

S5B3. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S5B4)
2=NO (SKIP TO S5B5)

S5B4. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S5B5. [If S5a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you invested
money with a person or company that tricked you or lied to you and you believe the investment was
made up or your money was never invested at all], did you report the incident to a law enforcement
agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a federal law enforcement agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S5B7)
2=NO (ASK S5B6)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

39

S5B6. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S5B7. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S5B7a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7c. Bank or credit card company?
40

1=YES
2=NO
S5B7d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B7k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S5B8ko. [IF S5B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?

41

S5B8. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. My next questions are
about how the incident made you feel and how it impacted you financially.
[If S5a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you invested money
with a person or company that tricked you or lied to you and you believe the investment was made up
or your money was never invested at all], how distressing was this incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing
2=Mildly distressing
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S5B9. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S5B10. Did this [IF S5a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

S5B11. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
42

4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S5B12. Thinking about this [IF S5a>1 most recent] incident when you invested money with a person or
company that tricked you or lied to you about what you would receive in return, do you think you were
a victim of fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

S5B13. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time you invested money with a
person or company that tricked you or lied to you and you believe the investment was made up or your
money was never invested at all.

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?

43

Consumer products or services fraud (excluding unauthorized billing) – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A CONSUMER PRODUCTS OR
SERVICES FRAUD VICTIM BY REPORTING –
•
•
•
•
•

S6=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)
S6A>=1 (HOW MANY TIMES)
S6B NOT = TO NUMBER OF TIMES IN S6A
S6C=1 (YES, TRIED TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK)
S6D=2, 3 (NOT A CHANCE OR DON’T KNOW IF RESPONDENT WILL GET THEIR MONEY BACK)

S6B1intro. You indicated that you lost money by paying for a product or service that you never received
or turned out to be a scam. I would like to ask you a few additional questions related to that experience.
When answering these questions, please only think about 1, the most recent time you had> that
experience.

S6B2. Would you say you were trying to purchase a product or a service?
1=PRODUCT (SKIP TO S6B3)
2=SERVICE (SKIP TO S6B5)
3=DON'T KNOW (SKIP TO S6B6)

S6B3. Which one of the following best describes the type of product you were trying to purchase? Was
it…
1=A weight loss product or health supplement,
2=A medical device,
3=A collectible or some type of memorabilia,
4=Computer software,
5=Gemstones or precious metals,
6=Automobile parts, or
7=Something else?
8=OTHER SPECIFY_______________________

44

How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

45

S6B4. Regardless of whether it was worthless or a scam, did you receive an actual product?
1=YES, RECEIVED
2=NEVER RECEIVED AT ALL
3=DON'T KNOW
[SKIP TO S6B6]
What do you think we are asking in this question?

S6B5. Which one of the following best describes the type of service you were trying to purchase? Was
it…….
1=An insurance service,
2=Computer virus removal or repair services,
3=Home or vehicle repair services,
4=Internet or phone services,
5=Website hosting or web domain services,
6=A service to prevent losses from fraud or identity theft,
7=A service to help you manage or pay off a debt,
8=A service to remove negative information from your credit report,
9=A home, apartment, or vacation rental service,
10=A service to help grow your business,
11=An adoption service, or
12=Something else?
SPECIFY____________________
How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

46

S6B6. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

S6B7. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S6B8)
2=NO (SKIP TO S6B9)

S6B8. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

S6B9. [If S6a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you lost money
by paying for a product or service that you never received or turned out to be a scam], did you report
the incident to a law enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a federal law
enforcement agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S6B11)
2=NO (ASK S6B10)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

47

S6B10. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

S6B11. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S6B11a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11c. Bank or credit card company?
48

1=YES
2=NO
S6B11d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B11k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B8ko. [IF S6B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they were?

49

S6B12. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. My next questions
are about how the incident made you feel and how it impacted you financially.
[If S6a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you lost money by
paying for a product or service that you never received or turned out to be a scam], how distressing was
this incident? Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing,
2=Mildly distressing,
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S6B13. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers” means
as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

S6B14. Did this [IF S6a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO
S6B15. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?
50

S6B16. Thinking about this [IF S6a>1 most recent] incident when you lost money by paying for a product
or service that you never received or that turned out to be a scam, do you think you were a victim of
fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

S6B17. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time you lost money by paying for
any products or services that you never received or turned out to be a scam.

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think only
about the most recent time this happened?

51

Relationship/trust fraud – incident form
RESPONDENT RECEIVES THIS INCIDENT FORM IF THEY SCREEN IN AS A FRAUD VICTIM BY REPORTING –
•

S7=1 (ENDORSED BEHAVIOR)

S7B1intro. You indicated that you donated or sent money to someone who pretended to be a family
member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in you romantically, but that person was not who
they claimed to be. I would like to ask you a few additional questions related to that experience. When
answering these questions, please only think about 1, the most recent time you had> that
experience.

S7B1. You stated that in the past 12 months, you lost money paying to help someone who pretended to
be someone they weren’t. Was this person someone who seemed to have a romantic interest in you?
1=YES (SKIP TO S7B3)
2=NO (ASK S7B2)
What do you think we mean when we ask if this was someone who had a “romantic interest”
in you?

S7B2. Did the person pretend to be a family member?
1=YES
2=NO

S7B3. Which one of the following best describes how were you first contacted by this person?
1=Through a chat room,
2=Through a dating app or website,
3=Through social media (facebook, twitter, youtube),
4=Through another website,
5=In an email,
6=By a text message or phone call,
52

7=A mutual friend or someone claiming to be a mutual friend, or
8=Some other way?
How easy or difficult was it to pick an answer from the list? (PROBE ON DIFFICULTIES:
MEMORY, TOO SIMILAR, TOO MANY, NOT ENOUGH)

S7B4. How did you provide him or her with money? For example, did you wire them money, send it
through the mail, make a bank transfer (etc.)? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=PAID ONLINE
2=PAYMENT SENT THROUGH THE MAIL
3=PAID OVER THE TELEPHONE
4=BANK TRANSFER
5=PAID THE PERSON FACE-TO-FACE
6=WIRED FUNDS
7=OTHER
Using your own words, how would you describe how you sent them money?

S7B5. What form of payment or payments did you use to provide the money? For example, did you use
a credit card, debit card, pay by check, (etc)? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=CREDIT CARD
2=DEBIT OR ATM CARD
3=CASH
53

4=CHECK
5=CASHIER’S CHECK
6=MOBILE OR ONLINE PAYMENT APP (LIKE PAYPAL, APPLEPAY, SQUARE, VENMO, GOOGLE WALLET)
7=MONEY ORDER
8=WIRED MONEY THROUGH WESTERN UNION, MONEY GRAM, OR BANK TRANSFER
9=GIFT CARD
10=PREPAID CARD (LIKE GREEN DOT, VANILLA CARD, BLUEBIRD, OR MONEYPAK)
11=BITCOIN OR OTHER DIGITAL CURRENCY
12=TRANSFER FROM EXISTING INVESTMENT ACCOUNT
13=OTHER PAYMENT METHOD
[IF NEEDED Can you tell me more about the payment type?]
S7B6. How much money, altogether, did you give to this person or company? (ENTER IN WHOLE
DOLLARS.)
$[________________________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you gave this person or company?

S7B7. Did you get any of that money back, either on your own or after filing a claim or taking legal
action?
1=YES (ASK S7B8)
2=NO (SKIP TO S7B9)

S7B8. How much money did you get back? (ENTER IN WHOLE DOLLARS.)
$[_______________________________]
[EDIT: 0-999,999]
Did you have any difficulty remembering how much money you got back?

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S7B9. [If S7a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you donated or
sent money to someone who pretended to be a family member, friend, caregiver, or someone
interested in you romantically, but that person was not who they claimed to be], did you report the
incident to a law enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff or a federal law enforcement
agency?
1=YES (SKIP TO S7B11)
2=NO (ASK S7B10)
What groups or people would you include when we ask if you reported this to “a law
enforcement agency, such as the local police, a sheriff, or a federal law enforcement agency?

S7B10. Why did you not report the incident to law enforcement? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
PROBE: Are there any other reasons? UNTIL R SAYS NO

1=I WAS EMBARRASSED/ASHAMED
2=DIDN’T KNOW I COULD (OR SHOULD) REPORT IT/ WASN’T SURE IT WAS A CRIME
3=DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT
4=DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THEM
5=DIDN’T LOSE MUCH MONEY OR GOT MOST OF MONEY BACK
6=TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF
7=DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD DO ANY GOOD
8=DIDN’T WANT TO BOTHER THE POLICE/DID NOT SEEM IMPORTANT ENOUGH
9=FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT TOO LATE
10=COULDN’T PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFENDER
11=DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFFENDER IN TROUBLE
12=TOO INCONVENIENT/DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME
13=OTHER
Are there any other reason(s) you did not report what happened to law enforcement?

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S7B11. Did you tell any of the following people or groups about the incident…?
S7B11a. Family or friends?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11b. A lawyer?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11c. Bank or credit card company?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11d. Company’s customer service?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11e. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11f. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11g. Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11h. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11i. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)?
1=YES
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2=NO
S7B11j. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B11k. Someone else?
1=YES
2=NO
S7B8ko. [IF S7B8k = YES] Who else did you tell about the incident? ______________
were?

Were there any groups here you had not heard of before or weren’t sure who they

S7B12. The type of incident you’ve described can impact people in different ways. My next questions
are about how the incident made you feel, and how it impacted you financially.
[If S7a>1, INCLUDE FOLLOWING INTRO: Still thinking about the most recent time you donated or sent
money to someone who pretended to be a family member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in
you romantically, but that person was not who they claimed to be], how distressing was this incident?
Would you say it was…
1=Not at all distressing,
2=Mildly distressing,
3=Moderately distressing, or
4=Severely distressing?

S7B13. Did the incident lead you to have significant problems with your job or schoolwork, or trouble
with your boss, coworkers, or peers?
1=YES
2=NO
INTERVIEWER: IF NO JOB OR SCHOOL, NOTE AND MOVE ON.
What kinds of people did you think about in this question? What do you think “peers”
means as it was used in this question? (REREAD QUESTION IF NEEDED)

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S7B14. Did this [IF S7a>1 most recent] incident lead you to have significant problems with family
members or friends, including getting into more arguments or fights than you did before, not feeling you
could trust them as much, or not feeling as close to them as you did before?
1=YES
2=NO

S7B15. As a direct result of this incident, how difficult is it for you to meet your monthly expenses or
pay your bills? Would you say…
1=Not at all difficult,
2=A little difficult,
3=Pretty difficult, or
4=Very difficult?
What did you think about when answering this question?

S7B16. Thinking about this [IF S7a>1 most recent] incident when you donated or sent money to
someone who pretended to be a family member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in you
romantically, but weren’t who they claimed to be, do you think you were a victim of fraud?
1=YES
2=NO
3=DON’T KNOW/NOT SURE
In your own words, what do you think it means to be a victim of fraud?

How did you come up with your answer to this question?

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S7B17. In your own words, please briefly describe the most recent time you donated or sent money to
someone who pretended to be a family member, friend, caregiver, or someone interested in you
romantically, but that person was not who they claimed to be.

IF HAD ANY ‘MOST RECENT’ QUESTIONS – How easy or difficult was it for you to think
only about the most recent time this happened?

Those are all of the survey questions I have for you. Now I want to ask you some overall questions about
the survey.
General Questions
Overall, what are your thoughts about the survey?

Were there any questions that were unclear or confusing that we haven’t already
talked about?

Is there anything else about your experience(s) that we did not ask about, but you
thought we would or should?

Do you have any final thoughts/questions/comments?

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