A new pilot study has found that game-based learning (GBL) can be a highly effective method for teaching adults how to identify and avoid e-commerce fraud and scams, an issue that continues to rise globally as more people shop online.

Lancaster University Master’s student Carina Chang and her supervisor, Dr Phillip Benachour, Senior Teaching Fellow in Lancaster’s School of Computing and Communications, looked at the impact of a role-playing quiz-style game designed to simulate real-world scam scenarios. Their game concept, ‘Smart E-Shopper Challenge’, was piloted with 46 adult participants between 18 and 54 years old, a demographic consistently identified as most vulnerable to online shopping fraud.

Participants either engaged in a traditional quiz about the risks of fraud or the Smart E-Shopper game. Those who chose the game reported higher levels of engagement and outperformed those taking the simple quiz by an average of 86.7% to 79.2% when later assessed on their awareness of fraud and online scams. Those using the game also showed a stronger likelihood of adopting safe online shopping behaviours.

The Smart E-Shopper Challenge placed players in a fictional workplace competition, challenging them to purchase items for a company party while avoiding online fraud traps. Learning tools included interactive ‘threat,’ ‘shield,’ and ‘tutorial’ cards, as well as secret missions that rewarded players for exploring protective strategies.

Game design principles, such as including flow, meaningful choice, incentives, and limited duration, were embedded in the gameplay. These features were designed to make sure the experience was engaging, informative, and suitable for busy adults. Feedback mechanisms were built in to reinforce correct answers and explain mistakes.

Ninety per cent of participants in the treatment group said they increased their knowledge about preventing online fraud. Most found the game easy to navigate, though technical glitches and mixed reactions to the gameplay pointed to areas that could be improved.

The research aligns with wider trends in consumer protection policy, as regulators in several countries, including the UK, are pushing for consumers to be more active in fraud prevention. Traditional awareness methods, like public media campaigns, have often been criticised for being unengaging, but this study shows GBL could be a promising alternative.

Ms Chang said: "Although this is a pilot study, the experimental results prove GBL could be an effective alternative means to educate the public on cybersecurity and cybercrime topics such as online shopping scams. By combining technology and GBL, I imagine mobile games can be developed to increase public awareness of trending cyber-crimes and impart knowledge on protective strategies against such crimes."

Dr Benachour said: “It is well known that people often represent the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain and can be regularly responsible for security system breaches. Equally, people are also an essential part of cybersecurity defence. This research has shown that GBL can be used as a tool to learn about cybersecurity literacy, raise awareness and positively influence user behaviour to minimise online threats.”

As global fraud losses continue to escalate, the study supports a growing call for innovative approaches to cybersecurity education. By mixing interactivity with practical learning outcomes, GBL methods may offer a cost-effective tool to increase public awareness, the researchers argue.

The research will be presented at the HCI International 2025 conference in June and the proceedings paper can be found here