At the point of risk: Can AI-assisted decision support reduce digital fraud vulnerability across age groups and scam types?
Abstract
Digital communication has broadened fraud's reach and complexity, making detection more urgent and cognitively demanding. Yet most studies examine static risk profiles or single scams, leaving real-time support in realistic settings underexplored. To address this gap, this study examined an AI-assisted decision support framework for digital fraud prevention. Using a 2 × 2 online lab-in-the-field experimental design, we compared an AI-assisted condition with a control condition across a younger group and an older group. A total of 72 participants completed a 10-day study involving ecologically realistic simulated fraud scenarios across six scam categories: financial/payment fraud, cyber/technical fraud, social relationship scams, consumer fraud, government or institutional impersonation fraud, and social media scams. The AI system provided real-time risk assessments, explanations of suspicious cues, and recommended actions. The results showed that AI-assisted support improved fraud detection accuracy and reduced risky behavioral intention. Younger and older groups also showed different scam-specific vulnerability patterns, and AI support reduced participants' willingness to engage in risky actions in response to fraudulent communications in the scam categories to which each group was most vulnerable. Post-study questionnaire ratings and semi-structured interviews further indicated that participants generally perceived the system as useful and realistic, while trust depended on whether the AI output was interpretable and actionable. These findings demonstrate the potential of AI-assisted decision support for digital fraud prevention and highlight the importance of interpretable and actionable support that accounts for age-specific vulnerability patterns, offering practical guidance for the design of digital safety interventions in everyday online environments. 1. Introduction The rapid integration of digital technologies into financial, social, and institutional life has transformed the ways in which individuals communicate, transact, and make everyday decisions. At the same time, this transformation has expanded both the reach and the complexity of fraud (Jair &