Showing 29 results

A crime script perspective on mapping the entry, continuation, and exit pathways of online romance fraud

Abubakari, Yushawu; Lazarus, Suleman; Oseh-Ovarah, Valeen (2026) — International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice

Type: Journal Article

This article presents a crime script perspective on online romance fraud, focusing on how fraudulent schemes are initiated, sustained, and completed in digital environments. Grounded in crime-script analysis, it maps ent...

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...

Catfishing on Social Media: A Criminal Law And Islamic Criminal Law Analysis In Jambi

Ditasya Anisa Riani; Ruslan Abdul Gani; Maryani, Maryani (2026) — International Journal of Islamic Education, Research and Multiculturalism (IJIERM)

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: offender tactics, law enforcement, AI misuse, Identity Fraud, Romance Scam, Catfishing, Social Media, Criminal Law, Islamic Criminal Law, Indonesia, Polda Jambi, Identity fraud, Romance scam, Social media, Criminal law, Islamic criminal law, Jambi, Digital evidence

This study analyzes identity fraud conducted through a romance scam on social media, approached from both criminal law and Islamic criminal law perspectives. The topic is framed within a rising digital landscape in which...

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...

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...

An Anatomy of ‘Pig Butchering Scams’: Chinese Victims’ and Police Officers’ Perspectives

Han, Bing; Button, Mark (2025) — Deviant Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

This article analyzes the hybrid romance–investment scam known as “pig butchering” (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘) from the perspectives of Chinese victims and police officers. Unlike traditional romance scams, pig butchering fuse...

An Examination of Digital Validation-Seeking Behaviors in Adolescents as Precursors to Romance Scamming

Ohu, Francis; Jones, Laura (2025) — Scientia Moralitas Conference Proceedings

Country: United States Tags: offender tactics, psychology, AI misuse, risk factors, measurement

This study investigates digital validation-seeking behaviors among adolescents and young adults as precursors to romance scamming. It argues that patterns of deceptive online self-presentation, reinforced by social media...

Developments in the Law Governing Online Activity: The Criminalisation of Catfishing and Civil Relief in Cases of Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Boland, Michael James (2025) — SSRN Electronic Journal

Type: Journal Article Country: Ireland

Developments in the Law Governing Online Activity: The Criminalisation of Catfishing and Civil Relief in Cases of Image-Based Sexual Abuse provides a catalog-style overview of recent legal changes addressing online condu...

Policing cross-border fraud ‘Above and below the surface’: mapping actions and developing a more effective global response

Button, Mark; Hock, Branislav; Suh, Joon Bae; Koh, Chol Soo (2025) — Crime, Law and Social Change

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: platform policy, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural

Cross-border fraud represents a global challenge, spanning forms such as online retail fraud, pyramid schemes, romance fraud, and pig butchering. While there is clear evidence that these abuses are expanding across borde...

Romanssihuijaus - rakkauden varjolla tehty kyberrikos

Kanervo, Riikka; Normann, Maria; Korhonen, Helmi (2025) — Kriminologia

Type: Journal Article Country: Finland Tags: AI misuse

The paper analyzes romance scams as a distinct and serious form of cybercrime, emphasizing that these schemes rely on emotional manipulation rather than purely financial deception. Offenders build fabricated romantic rel...

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