Showing 20 results

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...

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...

Online romance scam victimization fear: theorizing the causes and the consequences

Alam, Nabid; Dhillon, Gurpreet; Oliveira, Tiago (2026) — Internet Research

Type: Journal Article Tags: victim experience, psychology, platform policy, risk factors, measurement

The study seeks to illuminate the causes and effects of fear of victimization from online romance scams, treating it as a form of psychological stress that matters for both individuals who date online and the platforms t...

Amor, dependencia y aislamiento: El impacto psicológico del romance scam

Pacheco Unguetti, Antonia Pilar; Miranda Gálvez, Azahara Leonor (2025) — Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Type: Book Chapter Country: Spain

This record offers a general and neutral view of the phenomenon known as romance scam, with an emphasis on the triad between love, emotional dependence and social isolation. The dynamics of seduction, deception and manip...

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, Romance Scams, Forensic Cyberpsychology, Validation-Seeking Behaviors, Social Media Deception, Dark Triad Traits, Cyber Fraud, Algorithmic Biases

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...

Problems and Solutions of Telecommunications and Internet Fraud Crimes of the Type of "Pig Butchering Scams" in Criminal Law Regulation Based on Criminal Law Elements Analysis

Li, Xinyan (2025) — Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Type: Journal Article Country: Hong Kong Tags: victim experience, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural

This piece examines Problems and Solutions of Telecommunications and Internet Fraud Crimes of the Type of "Pig Butchering Scams" in Criminal Law Regulation Base within the broader context of online fraud and mediated com...

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...

Therapeutic but toxic spaces: Romance fraud victimization from a psychosocial perspective

Yoshida, Yutaka (2025) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: romance fraud, psychosocial criminology, Japan, neoliberalism, intimacy norms, connected independence, victimization, gender norms

Therapeutic but toxic spaces: Romance fraud victimization from a psychosocial perspective is positioned within economic criminology to explore how intimate-deception operates at the junction of individual psychology and...

Analysis of "Pig-Butchering Scam" Type of Network Fraud from the Legal Perspective

Fu, Zhenglang (2024) — Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Type: Journal Article Country: China Tags: victim experience, AI misuse

This paper examines pig-butchering scams (Sha Zhu Pan) from a legal perspective, focusing on their causes, operation, challenges for China’s legal system, and possible countermeasures. Pig-butchering scams are distinguis...

Digital Desires, Real Losses: The Complex World of Online Romance Fraud

Wiederhold, Brenda K. (2024) — Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This catalog-like overview surveys the constellation of online romance fraud within the domains of cyberpsychology, behavior, and social networking. It locates digital dating as a space where longing for connection can m...

Romance Scam Research Center (RSRC)
1100 W Cherry St
Vermillion, SD 57069
USA

We currently do not provide direct support. If you need immediate help or to report a crime, visit our curated resource list.

Resource List

© 2026 Romance Scam Research Center, a program of the Social Technology and Safety Foundation.