The research hub for understanding and preventing romance scams

RSRC curates scholarship across cyber defense, psychology, criminality, privacy, gerontology, AI misuse, and more—using AI summaries and copyright-compliant links to where the work is published.

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How RSRC Uses AI

AI-assisted, source-linked research infrastructure for understanding romance scams.

RSRC uses AI to help summarize, tag, and organize research. AI-generated summaries and research notes are reviewed for usefulness but may contain errors and are not substitutes for the original source. Each library entry links to the publisher, DOI, or repository record so users can review the source directly.

How the Library Works

Entries can include a quality-cleared AI-generated synopsis, tags, and a link to the official source (e.g., DOI). Filters help you explore by topic, year, or method.

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Research Insights

Featured evidence and analysis

Living Evidence Synthesis

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

Across the reviewed evidence, relationship‑based online frauds are consistently described as staged social‑engineering processes. Multiple independent analyses reproduce a stage‑based sequence in relationship‑based fraud: constructing an attractive or authoritative profile, initi...

Publications:
41
Evidence statements:
401
Read the living evidence synthesis
Living Evidence Synthesis

Prevention and Intervention for Relationship‑Based Online Scams: Evidence Synthesis

Reviewed evidence supports a layered prevention and intervention approach that pairs ongoing, targeted public education with platform-side safeguards, improved reporting/support pathways for victims, and coordinated financial-sector measures for cryptocurrency-enabled hybrid scam...

Publications:
33
Evidence statements:
126
Read the living evidence synthesis

Research spotlight

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From swipe to swindle: a narrative review of research on older adult victims of...

This narrative review examines research on romance fraud affecting older adults (defined as 55 and older) and synthesizes empirical findings from eight studies published between 2017 and 2024. Its purpose is to understan...

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El timo del amor. Estafas eróticas realizadas por mujeres en Costa Rica entre 19...

This work addresses a crime that emerged in Costa Rica between the 1970s and the early 1990s, known as the “timo del amor” (love swindle). It consisted of frauds with erotic connotations in which the victims were men dec...

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Grooming in online dating romance frauds and scams: A scoping review

This scoping review followed a pre-registered protocol and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. It searched seven scholarly and four grey literature databases, screened 3,454 records, and included 87 publications (54 main, 33 updated)...

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Forensic footprints in digital love: Unveiling romance scams with Maltego and ma...

The study compiles data from open-source scam-reporting sites and Maltego OSINT extraction. Maltego transforms gather website, profile, URL, email, DNS, SSL, hash, IPQS, and linked-account information. Emails and links a...

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My Parents Expectations Were Overwhelming: Online Dating Romance Scams Targeting...

The study used episodic narrative interviews with 16 Iranian adults who had experienced online dating romance scams while aged under 18. Participants, aged 14-17 at victimization, were recruited through a Persian-languag...

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Love Scam: Sejauh Manakah Undang-Undang melindungi Mangsa Love Scam di Malaysia?

This legal-doctrinal study assesses how well Malaysian law protects victims of love scams. It analyzes legislation and prior cases, then compares Malaysian online-fraud law with approaches in Australia and the United Kin...

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Bridging the Protection Gap: Innovative Approaches to Shield Older Adults from A...

This paper uses two hypothetical cases - a technology-support scam and a romance scam - to examine how generative AI could increase the realism, speed, reach, and concealment of scams targeting older adults. Its five-sta...

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A note from our founder

RSRC exists to reduce harm from romance scams through research, education, and eventually, carefully designed services. The site begins as a rigorous, organized library to help researchers, policymakers, and practitioners find what they need faster.