Worth to spending time to find the problem…… preventing fraud

This project is my 2024 Independent Research Project (IRP) research part and personal perspective at Royal College of Art (RCA). If you’re interested in the final deliverable, please refer to the link: CraftMind.

Introduction

Back in my RCA days, I defined service design as the planning and management of service systems, reaching across industries like business, finance, healthcare and social services. Over years of experience and a return to school, I ground my view that both service providers and consumers are users whose journeys need thoughtful design. My aim isn’t just about shaping consumer experiences but also about empowering organizations to create, manage and evolve these experiences strategically. Now, I want to explore the role of service designers today and the key skills that make for a seasoned professional in the field through writing.

0. Begining

The idea for this project grew out of my experience in Taiwan where scams are a widespread issue. It’s nearly impossible to avoid receiving fraudulent messages from every industry if you’re reachable by phone or online. In my childhood, my family regularly received calls about fake kidnappings, romance scams and fraudulent online transactions. Despite taking every precaution with my online presence, I still received scams related to investments, romance and wire transfers when I was growing up. This experience led me to question why and how scams are able to deceive people so effectively.

1. Desk Research

Scam victims come from all kinds of life. With no clear patterns based on education, socioeconomic status, age or gender. To start my research, I explored resources from organizations dedicated to fighting fraud, such as Action Fraud, FCA, and Take Five which offer reporting channels and valuable data on scam incidents. For instance, the FCA’s NFIB Fraud and Cyber Crime Dashboard provides detailed data on the types of scams, financial losses and demographics of victims over the past 13 months. I also looked into how solicitor companies help scam victims return lost assets and how information security firms support businesses in protecting their data and employees.

Academic and financial publications were also integral to my research. These sources often explore specific aspects of scams — white-collar crime, romance scams and investment scams. Which reflect trends in government policies on fraud, shedding light on significant cases and how these cases evolve over time.

My interest in global crime cases informed my research. I find financial fraud particularly compelling because of the skill with which criminals exploit financial systems and complex regulations. I consumed everything from YouTubers’ videos covering cases like the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, OneCoin cryptocurrency scam and notable Taiwanese financial scandals. To films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard, and BBC documentaries on fraud. These sources provided both valuable insights and a bit of a break from the intensity of research.

2. Defining the Core Question

This took the longest time — nearly two months because I redefined my main question over and over again. The book What’s Your Problem? ( Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, 2020) and A More Beautiful Question (Warren Berger, 2016) helped me identify and refine my focus. I have to say, this is a crucial skill when you are a service designer.

Based on my research, I observed that scam victims share one thing in common: they’re in a vulnerable state. They might be manipulated, forced or disadvantaged by an information asymmetry that makes them lose their judgment capability. In moments of high tension or excitement, judgment tends to falter, making victims focus on solving the immediate problem rather than critically assessing the situation. After the scammer disappears, victims then realize what happened accompanied by anger and shame.

So, what was the problem I wanted to solve?

Initially, I examined various existing approaches — like educational campaigns and public awareness initiatives which are already employed by many organizations. But scams persist, indicating that current methods need re-evaluation. Research like Can You Spot a Scam? Measuring and Improving Scam Identification Ability (Elif Kubilay, 2023) shows that most victims are actually aware of common scam tactics with many being naturally cautious. Somehow, education of scams seems not effective.

Educational solution looks like the best option for my four-month project timeline. However, while this time, someone asked me a pivotal question: which type of scam was I targeting? I was momentarily stuck. To me, scams operate on a shared principle: using contextual cues to exploit people’s judgment to extract maximum gains. I realized my solution needed to be compact, adaptable and scalable to address various scenarios.

At this stage, I received valuable input from different people. My tutor Andrea agreed with my perspective but suggested targeting a specific type of scam, refining my focus on a certain kind of preventative education. She also recommended looking into services like the FCA’s scam checker which helps people identify fraudulent activities. Conversations with industry professionals like my former RCA Service Design programme head Clive, who has banking experience, emphasized the importance of institutions actively protecting their clients. After some casual interviews of people who live in the UK, I am surprised that a number of people fall victim to scams but their losses are too negligible to motivate them to report the incidents.

But what about those who haven’t been scammed? This question sparked a new line of thought. Like myself, I have received hundreds of scam calls, emails and messages but have never lost money. Why? My strategy is simple: if I have anything related to money, I’ll google it immediately. Typically, the first search result verifies the information is a scam or not. Others I spoke to had a similar approach — they only trust information from close family, friends and official sources and they always double-check questionable messages.

So, should my service aim to raise general scam awareness? reduce people’s exposure to scams? help them respond when they receive scam messages? or focus on helping institutions catch the scammers?

Turning to the educational aspect, scam messages are too diverse to be learned by education or warning posts. What is very frustrating is that even if we use fraud templates to educate people, the results are still limited. On the other hand, I considered a psychological concept called “grounding” which is a psychological technique to ease anxiety. I am really fond of this solution because it might pull people out of an intense situation in seconds. And how about catching criminals? That poses ethical and practical challenges beyond academic guidelines.

In the behavior of people who hadn’t been scammed, I noticed a process of when they receive something suspicious. They are actually open to receive all kinds of messages and they understand how the institution works or their friends and family’s behavior like the public. When they receive something that is out of their understanding, they will try to confirm it immediately. If the scammer is trying to manipulate or make them nervous, they leave the conversation and stay alert. This reminded me of high-risk professions like firefighters and police, where rigorous training helps people survive in dangerous conditions. Though scams aren’t physical harm, scams do impact people’s lives significantly. However, we can’t expect the public to undergo such intense training.

I found inspiration while browsing Instagram, Reddit and Taiwanese forums like PTT. Popular topics shift frequently and staying relevant in the media depends on understanding this cycle. For instance, while I was working on this IRP, the trending topics in London were the World Cup and Taylor Swift’s concerts. At such times, some of the victims are caused by fake ticket sellers or the accommodation agency.

I combine the structured training approach with the cyclical nature of trending topics, encouraging institutions, event organizers and government to assume responsibility. We could reduce the likelihood of victimization by connecting people’s interests with awareness of potential scams. If people shared these warnings with friends and family, we could extend the protective impact.

3. Proof

What is interesting was, my journey through the IRP served as evidence of my solution’s viability.

People I regularly interacted with, such as my tutor Andrea, other team members and friends and family became more aware of scam messages. They’d share examples with me, surprising at how realistic these messages were and how much more cautious they were now.

Meanwhile, people who indirectly heard about my project would later share stories of their friends and family’s experiences with scams, emphasizing that this topic’s relevance had reduced their own risk of being scammed.

There is a word in my native language called “誅心(Zhu Xin)”, which is a word used to prove that one’s claims are unreasonable by questioning the motives. I imagine my service as planting a seed of caution in people’s minds. if watered by awareness, can grow into a protective force that stands between them and would-be scammers.

Here is my final work online: CraftMind