Online-Dating Romance Scam in Malaysia: An Analysis of Online Conversations between Scammers and Victims

Shaari, AH. ; Kamaluddin, MR. ; Paizi@Fauzi, WF. ; Mohd, M. (2019) — GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies

DOI: 10.17576/gema-2019-1901-06

Synopsis

This catalog-style synopsis summarizes a study published in GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, titled Online-Dating Romance Scam in Malaysia: An Analysis of Online Conversations between Scammers and Victims. The work surveys online dating interactions in Malaysia, focusing on the communicative exchanges between scammers and their targets. It treats the phenomenon as a matter of language use and interaction in digital spaces, where dating platforms, apps, and messaging services provide the conversational environment. The description highlights an emphasis on how scam narratives are initiated, maintained, and escalated through electronic dialogue, with attention to aspects such as turn-taking, pacing, and the sequencing of messages. The analysis traces recurring interactional patterns, linguistic strategies, and emotional appeals employed in the conversations, alongside victim responses, resistance, and help-seeking behavior. The study considers how deception cues are embedded within affectionate rhetoric, self-presentation, and narrative framing, and it reflects on sociocultural dynamics specific to the Malaysian online-dating milieu. The discussion situates these exchanges within broader frames of language in online interaction, cross-cultural communication, and digital trust-building. Implications are outlined for awareness-raising, the development of detector and safeguarding tools, and platform policies aimed at reducing vulnerability to romance scams. Limitations and avenues for further inquiry are noted, with an eye toward enhancing comprehension of conversational tactics and improving preventive education.

Citation style