Romance Scam Victimization: A Survey-Based Examination of Financial, Psychological, and Reporting Factors

Herrera, LD. (2025) — 2025 13th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS)

DOI: 10.1109/isdfs65363.2025.11012081

Synopsis

Romance scams constitute a rising form of cybercrime in which perpetrators cultivate deceitful romantic relationships to extract financial resources, causing substantial economic and psychological harm while remaining markedly underreported. Official figures from 2022 indicate that 1.3 billion dollars were lost to romance scams in the United States, though the actual toll is believed to be higher. The study summarized here investigates this phenomenon by examining how victims experience financial and psychological consequences, identifying patterns in victimization, and describing barriers to seeking help as well as how victims perceive the assistance they receive. Drawing on survey responses from 366 victims, the research analyzes both financial losses and psychological impact, along with reporting patterns, obstacles to obtaining help, and victims’ views on the help obtained. A notable portion of participants, 60.9 percent, did not pursue assistance from any source, whether formal institutions or personal networks. A chi-square test with 1 degree of freedom (N = 366) yielded a statistic of 13.94 and a p-value less than 0.001, indicating that those who rely exclusively on informal support are significantly less likely to engage formal reporting mechanisms. In addition, the results show an association between the magnitude of financial losses and the prevalence of suicidal ideation, with greater losses linked to higher rates of such thoughts. The findings suggest that enhancing the performance and the perceived usefulness of formal institutions could increase their utilization, improve reporting accuracy, and lead to better outcomes for victims. The authors recommend further research to evaluate potential improvements, including the establishment of a centralized victim assistance organization, as a means to improve victim outcomes and mitigate both financial and psychological consequences.

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