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The living evidence base for romance scam research

Find the studies, inspect the evidence, understand what is known, and see the questions that still need answers.

We do not host documents. All items link to publisher or repository pages.

Research corpus at a glance

Approved publications
286
Living syntheses
10
Quality-cleared synopses
286
Corpus updated

How RSRC Uses AI

AI helps RSRC organize and summarize research. Outputs may contain errors; verify findings in the linked original source.

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Explore the research

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See what the evidence says

Read living syntheses that connect findings across publications and identify uncertainties and research gaps.

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Research Insights

Synthesis and analysis across the corpus

Corpus-level findings that connect evidence across multiple publications and make uncertainties and research gaps visible.

Living Evidence Synthesis

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies: How offenders identify, approach, groom, deceive, and exploit targets

This synthesis summarizes reviewed, human‑approved evidence on offender tactics (offender tactics, scam techniques, modus operandi) used to identify, approach, groom, and financially exploit targets in relationship‑based online fraud. Multiple independent analyses converge on a s...

Publications:
23
Evidence statements:
273
Read the living evidence synthesis
Living Evidence Synthesis

Prevention and Intervention

Prevention and Intervention for Relationship‑Based (Romance) Scams: Evidence Synthesis

Reviewed evidence supports a layered, stage‑aware approach to preventing and responding to relationship‑based scams. Strong qualitative and administrative work documents a characteristic grooming sequence in which offenders build trust before asking for money and identifies clust...

Publications:
26
Evidence statements:
108
Read the living evidence synthesis

Research Library

Recently curated publications

Individual studies and reports recently added to the approved collection.

View 1

“CATFISHING” : EXPOSING TEEN RECEPTION ON MTV CATFISH ONLINE DATING

This article investigates how Indonesian adolescents aged 19–24, active in online dating and living in Jakarta, interpret and react to catfishing as depicted in MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show, episode “Jake & Taylor.” Ground...

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Catfish: Exploring the Individual Predictors and Interpersonal Characteristics o...

This study investigates catfishing in online romantic relationships by comparing perpetrators who misrepresent themselves online with targets who are deceived, using a triangulation mixed-methods design guided by the Cou...

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Digital Desire and the Cyber Imposter: A Psychoanalytic Reflection on Catfishing

Danielle Knafo’s Psychoanalytic Dialogues piece examines catfishing as a lens on the evolving sense of self, truth, and reality in a digitally connected world. Through psychoanalytic theory and clinical illustration, the...

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A Legal Analysis on Online Fraud Using Fake Identity

The publication presents a legal analysis of online fraud conducted under fake identities, commonly referred to as catfishing. Its stated purpose is to examine legal accountability for catfishing and to understand how di...

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Double, triple or quadruple hits? Exploring the impact of cybercrime on victims...

This publication investigates how online crime affects victims, focusing on the Netherlands. Its purpose is to explore the nature and extent of online victimisation and to compare its impact with that of traditional offl...

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Risk factors for fraud victimization: The role of socio-demographics, personalit...

The study seeks to understand why some individuals are victimized by fraud while others are not, by examining a broad set of personal risk factors in a Dutch sample. Using a representative, longitudinal design, the autho...

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The Effects of Risky Behaviors and Social Factors on the Frequency of Fraud Vict...

This study applies Routine Activity Theory to understand how social and behavioral factors relate to how often older adults experience mass-marketing fraud. It uses a novel sample of adults aged 60 and older who were ide...

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About RSRC

Built to make romance scam research usable

Founded by LD Herrera, PhD, RSRC organizes romance scam scholarship into a searchable public library and living evidence syntheses for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Learn about RSRC and its founder