Associations Between Cognitive Functioning and Cyberscam Risk for People With and Without Acquired Brain Injury

Cyberscams represent a significant global crime. As a result of injury-related cognitive and social difficulties, individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) may experience greater difficulty recognizing cyberscams, learning cybersafety, and seeking appropriate help. This study aimed to objectively examine the association between cognitive function and cyberscam risk in people with and without ABI. We hypothesized that poorer cognitive functioning would be associated with poorer cybersafety and higher frequency of scam experiences.

Participants were recruited from a larger longitudinal traumatic brain injury outcome study through research databases, social media, and word-of-mouth. Participants with and without ABI were eligible if they were aged ≥18 years, living within Australia or New Zealand, and fluent in English. The final sample comprised 85 participants with and 94 without ABI.

Cross-sectional design.

Participants completed an online survey including demographic and cyberscam questions and The CyberAbility Scale, followed by a phone-administered cognitive assessment battery (Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone [BTACT]).

Group differences in standardized BTACT scores were examined using 2-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and Spearman correlations were run between BTACT and CyberAbility Scale scores. Mediation analysis evaluated the role of cognition in the relationship between ABI and cybersafety. Those reporting prior scam experience showed significantly poorer executive function and overall cognition in both groups. Worse self-rated cybersafety on The CyberAbility Scale was significantly associated with poorer overall cognition. The association between ABI and cybersafety was primarily mediated through cognition.

Findings highlight the association of cognitive impairment, particularly executive dysfunction, with increased cyberscam vulnerability. People with ABI, who commonly experience such cognitive impairments, represent a high-risk group, underscoring the need for tailored cybersafety resources that accommodate for cognitive impairment.