Romance Scam Research Center

A scoping review of online romance scams: Conceptual construction and comparative analysis

Wang, Fangzhou (2026) — International Review of Victimology

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, psychology, platform policy, money mules, prevention, scoping review, online romance scams, AFRS, InvRS, pig-butchering, typology, victim vulnerabilities, cross-border policy, PRISMA, cross-language synthesis, victimology, cross-cultural, transnational crime

This scoping review synthesizes findings from a body of 62 empirical investigations to construct a framework that differentiates two primary forms of online romance scams: advance fee romance scams and investment-based r...

Fake it till you make it: the psychological and communication tactics behind “Pig Butchering” scams

Asyalı, Ayşe Nur; Frank, Muriel-Larissa; Hölzmer, Pol (2026) — Journal of Cybersecurity

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, psychology, AI misuse, social engineering, prevention, Sha Zhu Pan, pig butchering, romance baiting, cybercrime, psychological theories, communication theories, qualitative methods, cryptocurrency investment fraud, pig_butchering, romance_scam, Sha_Zhu_Pan, social_engineering, psychological_theories, communication_theories, scam_manuals

Pig butchering is characterized as an advanced form of cyber-enabled social engineering that blends romantic engagement with investment schemes. While much of the existing scholarship emphasizes the experiences of victim...

Grooming in online dating romance frauds and scams: A scoping review

Feng, Maja (2026) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: ODARFS, grooming, romance fraud, romance scam, deception, trust-building, persuasive techniques, digital intimacy

This scoping review catalogs scholarly work on grooming practices within online dating romance frauds and scams. It seeks to map how grooming is defined and conceptualized in this domain, how offenders initiate and susta...

Industrialized heartbreak: how generative AI enables romance fraud at scale

Dominguez Castillo, Lorena (2026) — AI and Ethics

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: Romance fraud, Generative AI, Deepfake, AI governance, Platform accountability, Technology-facilitated abuse, Sextortion, Cryptocurrency laundering, Online safety, Fraud detection, Deepfakes

Industrialized heartbreak describes a trend in which generative AI tools amplify romance fraud by enabling scalable creation of convincing digital personas and outreach. Proponents and critics alike discuss how text-base...

Love and Technology

Gauci, Christine; Vella, Mary Grace (2026) — The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems

Type: Book Chapter Country: Global Tags: romance_fraud, artificial_intelligence, deepfakes, online_dating, digital_literacy, emotional_manipulation, psychological_trauma, financial_fraud, romance fraud, artificial intelligence, online dating, emotional manipulation, digital intimacy, identity deception, psychological trauma, Romance fraud, Artificial intelligence, Deepfakes, Online dating, Emotional manipulation, Digital intimacy, Identity deception, Psychological trauma

Love and technology are presented as a field within a global social problems framework. The volume surveys how digital platforms, algorithmic systems, and connected devices shape intimate life, affection, and partnership...

Pig Butchering Scams as Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime: A Scoping Review of Dimensions, Modus Operandi, and Victim-Offender Dynamics

Gujarathi, Palak; Verma, Shankey; Nair, Vipin Vijay (2026) — Deviant Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: pig butchering, Sha Zhu Pan, cyber-enabled financial crime, scoping review, victim-offender dynamics, crypto laundering, forensic analysis, policy gaps, romance scams, catfishing, crypto fraud, cyber-enabled crime, transnational crime

This piece examines Pig Butchering Scams as Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime: A Scoping Review of Dimensions, Modus Operandi, and Victim-Offender Dynamics within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communicatio...

Practitioner perspectives on what works in preventing fraud against older adults

Button, Mark; Karagiannopoulos, Vasileios; Shepherd, David; Kirby, Annie; Lee, Julak; Suh, Joon Bae; Jung, Jeyong; Koh, Chol Soo (2026) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: fraud prevention, older adults, crime policy, technology tools, education, third-party interventions, banking security, public–private partnerships, third-party intervention, banking fraud, public policy, crime prevention, experts' perceptions

This catalog-style synopsis examines the topic of practitioner perspectives on what works to prevent fraud against older adults, as discussed in the Journal of Economic Criminology. It aggregates viewpoints from professi...

“Simple job, high salary”: unveiling the complexity of scam-forced criminality in Southeast Asia

Luong, Hai Thanh (2025) — Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: pig-butchering, scam-forced criminality, cyber-enabled crime, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, human trafficking, victim-offender overlap, transnational crime

This catalog-style entry surveys the phenomenon commonly framed as “simple job, high salary” and its role in scam-forced criminality in Southeast Asia. The framing gathers a spectrum of recruitment narratives, promises o...

The Imperfect ‘Perfect’ Fraudster: Exploring How Vulnerability Framing, Fraudster Identity, and Victim Attachment Shape Financial Risk Perception

Huang, Yidan; Yao, Rui (2025) — European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: romance scam, victim psychology, fraudster identity construction, vulnerability framing, risk perception, attachment avoidance, mixed-methods, deception theory, Romance scam, Fraudster identity, Vulnerability framing, Victim attachment, Risk perception, Impression Management Theory, Interpersonal Deception Theory, Adult Attachment Theory

This catalog-style synopsis describes a scholarly examination of the figure of the “imperfect yet seemingly perfect” fraudster, focusing on how vulnerability framing, fraudster identity, and victim attachment converge to...

An Explorative Study of Pig Butchering Scams

Acharya, Bhupendra; Holz, Thorsten (2024) — arXiv (Cornell University)

Type: Journal Article Country: Global Tags: pig-butchering, romance scams, investment fraud, social engineering, cryptocurrency scams, online scams, abuse reports, scam lifecycle, victim experience, law enforcement, platform policy, AI misuse, prevention, measurement, data collection

This piece examines An Explorative Study of Pig Butchering Scams within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in the literature, describes how offenders cu...

A scoping review of online romance scams: Conceptual construction and comparative analysis

Fake it till you make it: the psychological and communication tactics behind “Pig Butchering” scams

Grooming in online dating romance frauds and scams: A scoping review

Industrialized heartbreak: how generative AI enables romance fraud at scale

Love and Technology

Pig Butchering Scams as Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime: A Scoping Review of Dimensions, Modus Operandi, and Victim-Offender Dynamics

Practitioner perspectives on what works in preventing fraud against older adults

“Simple job, high salary”: unveiling the complexity of scam-forced criminality in Southeast Asia

The Imperfect ‘Perfect’ Fraudster: Exploring How Vulnerability Framing, Fraudster Identity, and Victim Attachment Shape Financial Risk Perception

An Explorative Study of Pig Butchering Scams

Synopsis (AI-Generated)

Identified Gaps (AI-Generated)

Methods (AI-Generated)

Limitations (AI-Generated)

Future Work (AI-Generated)