Romance Scam Research Center

Are fraud victims nothing more than animals? Critiquing the propagation of “pig butchering” (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘)

Whittaker, Jack M.; Lazarus, Suleman; Corcoran, Taidgh (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

The article explores the growing phenomenon of romance scams as a particularly harmful form of cybercrime that exploits emotional vulnerability for financial gain. The authors position romance scams within the wider land...

Beyond Dollars: Unveiling the Deeper Layers of Online Romance Scams Introducing “Body Scam”

Amirkhani, Sima; Alizadeh, Fatemeh; Randall, Dave; Stevens, Gunnar (2024) — Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Type: Proceedings Article Country: Germany

This piece examines Beyond Dollars: Unveiling the Deeper Layers of Online Romance Scams Introducing “Body Scam” within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documente...

Crypto Romance Scams and Pig Butchering

Scharfman, Jason (2024) — The Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset Fraud Casebook, Volume II

Type: Book Chapter Country: United States Tags: money mules, AI misuse

This chapter provides a neutral overview of crypto romance scams and pig butchering, placing them within a broader history of online fraud. The opening sections trace the historical thread of romance- and advance-fee sch...

Explore the Causes of Crime and Social Impact of Romance Fraud in Mainland China from 2019–2021

Yan, Yiwen (2024) — Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

Type: Book Chapter Country: China

This catalog-style study examines the causes of crime and the social impact of romance fraud in Mainland China from 2019 to 2021. Grounded in recent research across social science, education, and humanities, it surveys t...

Modelling the modus operandi of online romance fraud: Perspectives of online romance fraudsters

Abubakari, Yushawu (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Poland

This article offers a catalog-style, neutral synopsis of research on modelling the modus operandi of online romance fraud, drawing on perspectives attributed to the perpetrators themselves. Positioned within the field of...

Romance Scam and Legal Interpreting/Translation

Mouri, Masako (2024) — IICAH Official Conference Proceedings

Type: Proceedings Article Country: Japan Tags: AI misuse

This catalog entry describes shifts in criminal activity associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, focusing on how restrictions on the movement of people and goods altered illicit flows. Physical channe...

Scammed by Love: The Role of Loneliness, Trust, and Age in Financial Losses from U.S. Online Romance Scams

Cole, R. (2024) — Innovation in Aging

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, older adults, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural Populations: older adults Methods: survey, quantitative

This piece examines SCAMMED BY LOVE: THE ROLE OF LONELINESS, TRUST, AND AGE IN FINANCIAL LOSSES FROM U.S. ONLINE ROMANCE SCAMS within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common pat...

The cyber-industrialization of catfishing and romance fraud

Wang, Fangzhou; Topalli, Volkan (2024) — Computers in Human Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, platform policy, AI misuse

The article investigates a contemporary variant of online fraud that builds on romance scams and catfishing but is distinguished by its industrialized form, enabled by corporate practices, software platforms, and service...

The Trajectory of Romance Scams in the U.S

Herrera, LD.; Hastings, J. (2024) — 2024 12th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS)

Type: Proceedings Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, platform policy, prevention Methods: quantitative

Romance scams inflict financial and emotional harm by defrauding victims under the pretense of meaningful relationships. The study explores trends of RS in the United States through a quantitative synthesis of diverse so...

Understanding Cybercrime in Developing Economies: Insights from Agona Swedru, Ghana

Obeng, Charles; Kumah, Paul Kwasi; Asiedu, Hubert Bimpeh; Obeng Senior, Felix Awuah (2024) — E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Type: Journal Article Country: Ghana Tags: offender tactics, AI misuse, measurement Methods: survey, quantitative

This study aims to assess how widespread cybercrime is in Agona Swedru and to identify the main factors that drive individuals toward such activity. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey was conducted with 397 participa...