Romance Scam Research Center

The effect of true crime docuseries on romance fraud reporting to the police

Grant, S.; Buil-Gil, D. (2025) — Crime Science

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

Romance fraud is a crime in which an individual is deceived for financial gain by someone they believe to be a romantic partner. Despite its reach and impact on victims, this form of wrongdoing remains markedly underrepo...

Meeting you was a fake: investigating the increase in romance fraud during COVID-19

Buil-Gil, D.; Zeng, Y. (2021) — Journal of Financial Crime

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: victim experience, older adults, law enforcement, AI misuse, risk factors, measurement Populations: older adults Methods: survey

This piece examines Meeting you was a fake: investigating the increase in romance fraud during COVID-19 within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in the...