Online Dating Scam Victims Psychological Impact Analysis

Wang, C. (2022) — Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
Synopsis

Across an era defined by widespread mass marketing scams conducted on the Internet, victims report varying degrees of financial loss and psychological harm after encounters with lottery scams and advance payment schemes. Among these, the emotional damage experienced by victims of online dating scams can be especially acute because the scam trajectory often involves mental attachment, sexual abuse, and the breakdown of personal relationships. The support system available to victims is limited during the scam and remains sparse even after the fraud concludes, which hinders access to timely and professional assistance and increases the risk that victims will face further exploitation. In this context, timely access to help and specialized psychological treatment for victims carries significant potential to mitigate harm and reduce subsequent vulnerability to additional fraud attempts. Existing literature contains relatively few studies that summarize and analyze the psychological conditions of scam victims. This article aims to aggregate the psychological problems faced by individuals affected by online dating scams and to compare the psychological treatment needs of victims who experience online aggression with those of victims who are harmed in real life. By examining these two groups side by side, the work seeks to identify parallels and differences in mental health impact and in clinical requirements, while highlighting areas where current understanding remains limited. The discussion emphasizes the need for a clearer framework to characterize psychological outcomes and to guide effective intervention. Moreover, the article suggests that evidence-based approaches developed for real victims of sexual assault offer methodological value for addressing online fraud victims. It points to
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