Romance Scam Research Center

Open Access: The Use of Military Profiles in Romance Fraud Schemes

Cross, C.; Holt, TJ. (2022) — The New Technology of Financial Crime

Type: Book Chapter Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, military, prevention, measurement Populations: military

This piece examines Open Access: The Use of Military Profiles in Romance Fraud Schemes within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in the literature, desc...

Using artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes to deceive victims: the need to rethink current romance fraud prevention messaging

Cross, C. (2022) — Crime Prevention and Community Safety

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, AI misuse, prevention

Romance fraud exploits the appearance of a genuine romantic connection to lure individuals into financial exploitation. Each year, a large number of people worldwide lose money to such schemes. Current prevention messagi...

“I Suspect That the Pictures Are Stolen”: Romance Fraud, Identity Crime, and Responding to Suspicions of Inauthentic Identities

Cross, C.; Layt, R. (2021) — Social Science Computer Review

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, platform policy, AI misuse Methods: interview, qualitative

Romance fraud affects a large number of people around the world, with financial losses measured in millions of dollars each year and a trend of continued growth. The offense unfolds when a perpetrator presents the preten...

The Use of Military Profiles in Romance Fraud Schemes

Cross, C.; Holt, TJ. (2021) — Victims & Offenders

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This catalog entry analyzes the phenomenon of romance fraud in which perpetrators adopt military personas to initiate and sustain online relationships. The focus is on the construction and deployment of military profiles...

Romance Fraud

Cross, C. (2020) — The Palgrave Handbook of International Cybercrime and Cyberdeviance

Type: Book Chapter Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, AI misuse

Romance fraud constitutes a pattern in which an individual masks financial intent behind a forged romantic connection. Offenders present themselves as consistent, appealing partners to cultivate trust and emotional depen...

“You’re not alone”: the use of peer support groups for fraud victims

Cross, C. (2019) — Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This article examines the severe consequences of fraud victimization and the limited support services available to those affected. Victims not only suffer financial loss but also face broader harms, including declines in...

Expectations vs reality: Responding to online fraud across the fraud justice network

Cross, C. (2018) — International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This catalog-style synopsis surveys how online fraud is addressed within the broader fraud justice network, spanning agencies, institutions, and jurisdictions. Framed by the contrast between stated expectations—rapid res...

Understanding Romance Fraud: Insights From Domestic Violence Research

Cross, C.; Dragiewicz, M.; Richards, K. (2018) — The British Journal of Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

Understanding Romance Fraud: Insights From Domestic Violence Research frames romance fraud as a form of manipulation that shares features with coercive control and financial abuse described in domestic violence scholarsh...