"Slow Down Your Thinking to Spot Fake Websites"

According to research from the University of Southampton, individuals should engage in "analytical reasoning" in order to avoid being tricked by a fraudulent website. Those with slower, more deliberate thought processes were found to be less likely to fall for fraudulent websites than those with faster, more intuitive thought processes. Scammers often use fake versions of popular consumer websites to steal personal data, money, and banking information. Such spoofing attacks cost US consumers more than $200 million in 2020 alone. Researchers from the university wanted to determine whether certain thought processes could make a person more or less vulnerable to this type of fraud. In a series of studies, about 300 participants were asked to distinguish between fake and authentic websites. The participants also took a Cognitive Reflection Test to determine their likelihood of engaging in analytical reasoning. Those with a greater propensity for analytical reasoning were better able to detect fake websites, according to Dr. Nicholas Kelley, lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Southampton and lead researcher in the study. This article continues to discuss the research on analytical reasoning reducing susceptibility to Internet fraud.  

The University of Southampton reports "Slow Down Your Thinking to Spot Fake Websites"