Consumer Fraud Project

The Consumer Fraud Project was established in 2004 by a gift from the Florida Attorney General’s Office. The primary mission of the project is to conduct and publish policy-relevant research on consumer fraud. Our research is regularly presented at state, national, and international conferences.

In 2005, we conducted the first of a series of consumer fraud surveys. Our research agenda includes theoretical and empirical work, and we currently have a number of related studies in progress. Some of the many questions our research addresses include: (1) What types of fraud losses are experienced by Florida victims (financial and otherwise)? (2) Are certain demographic groups more vulnerable to fraud victimization? (3) What circumstances increase the risk of victimization? (4) Who reports victimization, and are victims satisfied with the response of law enforcement? (5) How can law enforcement and regulatory agencies increase detection of consumer fraud offenders and more effectively respond to victims? (6) How can criminologists and law enforcement improve public education and awareness about consumer fraud?

Contacts

George Pesta, Ph.D., Director, FSU Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research

Dates: 2004-2006

Publications

Reisig, Michael D., and Kristy Holtfreter (2007). Fraud victimization and confidence in Florida’s legal authorities. Journal of Financial Crime 14 (2): 113-126.

Holtfreter, Kristy, Michael D. Reisig, and Thomas G. Blomberg (2006). Consumer fraud victimization in Florida: An empirical study. St. Thomas Law Review 18 (3): 761-789.

Holtfreter, Kristy, Shanna VanSlyke, and Thomas G. Blomberg (2005). Sociolegal change in consumer fraud: From victim-offender interactions to global networks. Crime, Law, & Social Change. 44:251-275.

Presentations

Holtfreter, Kristy and Michael D. Reisig (2006). Consumer confidence in law enforcement’s ability to respond to consumer fraud victimization. Paper presented at the 6th annual meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Tüebingen, Germany.

Holtfreter, Kristy, Michael D. Reisig, and Thomas G. Blomberg (2006). Reporting fraud victimization in Florida. Invited presentation at Economic Crime in the 21st Century, St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens, FL.