A Routine Activity Theory Approach in Developing A Framework for Mitigating E-Commerce Frauds and Cybercrime Praxis

This study aims to develop a sustainable digital framework for mitigating e-commerce fraud and cybercrime practices using a routine activity theory (RAT) approach. Research gaps reveal a lack of empirical studies featuring mitigating e-commerce fraud and cybercrime in cyberspace. The study is positioned within the broader discourse on cybersecurity and digital resilience to explore processes considered indispensable in uncovering failures, understanding motives, and developing a resilient and sustainable digital frameworks needed to curtail the economic criminality of cybercriminals. It adopted a qualitative research methodology and relies on 23 in-depth interviews conducted with the study’s participants. A combination of NVivo qualitative software for data analysis and a thematic analysis framework was applied for the in-depth interviews to analyse the participants’ responses and views. At the same time, the content analysis was adopted to analyse the documentary evidence. Key findings identified three main constructs that were conceptualized to develop a sustainable digital framework for mitigating e-commerce fraud and cybercrime praxis. These include the failures of the existing cybersecurity framework, the motives for committing cybercrimes by the actors, and developing a sustainable digital framework resilience. The study’s theoretical contributions and implications for managerial practice, policymakers, and society's well-being are identified. The transferability and applicability of the paper’s findings are highlighted.