Designing and Validating a Measure to Evaluate Susceptibility to and Prevalence of Online Scams for People with Acquired Brain Injury

People with acquired brain injury (ABI) may represent an at-risk group to cyberscams due to cognitive and lifestyle challenges. However, risks are poorly understood due to lack of appropriate measurement tools. This thesis developed “The CyberAbility Scale”, a brief tool to screen cyberscam risk for people with and without ABI, providing clinicians and community members with a means of early screening. Using this tool, it was found that higher loneliness, impulsivity, and depression/anxiety symptoms, and lower trust and community integration increased online risk. People with ABI had difficulty identifying scams, suggesting a target group for cyberscam awareness building.