Design Elements that Promote the use of Fake Website Detection Tools

Fake websites have emerged as a major source of online fraud, accounting for billions of dollars of loss by Internet users. We explore the process by which salient design elements could increase the use of protective tools, thus reducing the success rate of fake websites. Using the protection motivation theory, we conceptualize a model to investigate how salient design elements of detection tools could influence users’ perceptions of the tools, efficacy in dealing with threats, and use of such tools. The research method was a controlled lab experiment with a novel and extensive experimental design and protocol. We found that trust in the detector is the pivotal coping mechanism in dealing with security threats and is a major conduit for transforming salient design elements into increased use. We also found that design elements have profound and unexpected impacts on self-efficacy. The significant theoretical and empirical implications of findings are discussed.