Scammed and misinformed? Overlap in victimisation from fake news and scams on social media in Singapore

Social media has witnessed a rise in fake news and online scams, which are often studied as distinct phenomena despite coexisting within the same digital environments. Guided by lifestyle-exposure theory, this study develops and tests a framework examining how social media use shapes exposure to these forms of deception, how such exposure relates to victimisation, and how perceived self-confidence in detecting falsehoods moderates these relationships. Using survey data from 992 users in Singapore, the findings reveal that time spent on social media is associated with increased exposure to fake news, which in turn is linked not only to fake news victimisation but also to scam victimisation, indicating a cross-domain vulnerability. In contrast, scam exposure predicts only scam victimisation, suggesting asymmetrical relationships between different forms of online falsehoods. Additionally, perceived self-confidence operates in domain-specific ways, amplifying vulnerability in the context of fake news while reducing it in the context of scams. This study outlines potential antecedents towards victimisation from online threats and highlights how exposure, perception and context jointly shape susceptibility.