Romance Scam Research Center

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

Yoshida, Y. (2025) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

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...

Uncovering vulnerability to fraud and scams among adult victims in online and offline contexts: A systematic review

Dadà, Chiara Barbara; Colautti, Laura; Rosi, Alessia; Cavallini, Elena; Antonietti, Alessandro; Iannello, Paola (2025) — Computers in Human Behavior

Type: Journal Article

This catalog-style synopsis summarizes a systematic review of adult vulnerability to fraud and scams in online and offline contexts, as published in Computers in Human Behavior. The review aggregates empirical work to ma...

“If U Don't Pay they will Share the Pics”: Exploring Sextortion in the Context of Romance Fraud

Cross, C.; Holt, K.; O'Malley, RL. (2024) — Scams, Cons, Frauds, and Deceptions

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

This piece examines “If U Don't Pay they will Share the Pics”: Exploring Sextortion in the Context of Romance Fraud within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns docum...

“What action should l take?”: Help-seeking behaviours of those targeted by romance fraud

Meikle, W.; Cross, C. (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This catalog-style synopsis summarizes a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Economic Criminology, examining help-seeking behaviours among people targeted by romance fraud. The piece surveys how victims res...

“Why did I fall for it?” Exploring internet fraud susceptibility in the pig butchering scam

Xie, Z.; Duan, Z. (2024) — Security Journal

Type: Journal Article Country: China Tags: victim experience, platform policy, prevention Methods: interview

Pig butchering scam, known also as Sha Zhu Pan or 杀猪盘, represents a contemporary form of online fraud that initially targeted Asian victims. With the expansion of Southeast Asian fraud networks, the scheme has achieve...

A qualitative investigation of the emotional, physiological, financial, and legal consequences of online romance scams in the United States

Cole, R. (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This catalog-style study provides a qualitative examination of the consequences associated with online romance scams in the United States, emphasizing emotional, physiological, financial, and legal dimensions. Situated w...

A Quantitative Analysis on the Sentencing Disparity in Online Romance Scam Cases in United States: A Focal Concern Theory Perspective

Wang, F. (2024) — Crime & Delinquency

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, AI misuse, cross-cultural Methods: quantitative

This piece examines A Quantitative Analysis on the Sentencing Disparity in Online Romance Scam Cases in United States: A Focal Concern Theory Perspective within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communicat...

Addressing Cyberscams and Acquired Brain Injury (“I Desperately Need to Know What to Do”): Qualitative Exploration of Clinicians’ and Service Providers’ Perspectives

Chew, Kimberly Ann; Ponsford, Jennie; Gould, Kate Rachel (2024) — Journal of Medical Internet Research

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, psychology, AI misuse, prevention Methods: interview

Acquired brain injury can heighten susceptibility to scams due to ongoing cognitive and psychosocial changes following injury. Cyberscams produce financial harm alongside debilitating psychological effects such as shame...

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

Fu, Z. (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...

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...