Case Study: Romance Scams

Yen, TF. ; Jakobsson, M. (2016) — Understanding Social Engineering Based Scams
Synopsis

This chapter provides a neutral overview of romance scams and describes an experimental effort to establish measurable attributes for study, including a data collection tool called the simulated spam filter. The text outlines the scope of the topic, the purpose of the investigation, and the types of data considered, with attention to how metrics might capture elements such as onset, duration, and pattern of scam outreach. The presentation adopts a catalog-style cadence, organizing the material around a set of defined concepts rather than narrative detail. Methodological aspects are described in broad terms, covering the experimental design, sampling considerations, and the operational definitions used to distinguish scam content from legitimate interaction. The simulated spam filter is depicted as a mechanism for automating data collection and annotation, enabling systematic tracking of signal patterns, indicators of deception, and responses by targets. The discussion addresses data quality, validation steps, and the organization of results into metric categories that can be used for comparison and replication. The findings are summarized at a high level, noting that traditional romance scams account for the large majority of observed cases within the dataset, alongside discussion of common characteristics and progression stages. The chapter considers implications for detection methods, user education, and policy considerations, while emphasizing the role of the simulated spam filter as a reproducible instrument for ongoing measurement. Overall, the work is presented in a structured, reference-like format, with sections, figures, and tables that map the landscape of scam activity and the defined metrics.
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