The Online Mutual Help Practices of Romance Fraud Victims
Cantin, Pascale-Marie ; Ream, Fyscillia ; Dupont, Benoît (2025) — Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa Press eBooks
Type:
Book Chapter
AI-Generated Synopsis
This volume examines the online mutual help practices of individuals who have experienced romance fraud. Published by Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa (University of Ottawa Press eBooks), it presents a cross‑disciplinary look at how victims seek, offer, and exchange support within digital spaces. The work situates mutual aid as a social and informational activity, tracing how affected people connect, share experiences, and mobilize resources in response to romance fraud. Across online environments, victims create and participate in mutual aid practices that combine emotional support, practical guidance, risk awareness, and collective storytelling. The book describes how online networks function to validate experiences, disseminate tips for safety and recovery, and establish norms that shape expectations and behavior. It also considers the challenges of privacy, stigma, and platform dynamics that influence who participates, how information circulates, and the reliability of shared knowledge. Intended for scholars and practitioners, the volume offers a framework to understand the social organization of victim‑led support in the digital era. It highlights implications for service providers, policy makers, and digital platforms in terms of fostering safe, accessible, and ethical mutual aid. The work contributes to conversations about crime recovery, victim empowerment, and the role of online communities in navigating the aftermath of romance fraud.