Pig Butchering Scams as Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime: A Scoping Review of Dimensions, Modus Operandi, and Victim-Offender Dynamics
Gujarathi, Palak; Verma, Shankey; Nair, Vipin Vijay (2026) — Deviant Behavior
Type: Journal Article
Country: Global
Tags: pig butchering, Sha Zhu Pan, cyber-enabled financial crime, scoping review, victim-offender dynamics, crypto laundering, forensic analysis, policy gaps, romance scams, catfishing, crypto fraud, cyber-enabled crime, transnational crime
This piece examines Pig Butchering Scams as Cyber-Enabled Financial Crime: A Scoping Review of Dimensions, Modus Operandi, and Victim-Offender Dynamics within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communicatio...
“Falling into a Black Hole”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Cyberscam Victim-Survivors and Their Social Support Networks
Cazanis, Alyxandra; Carminati, Jao-Yue; Chew, Kimberly; Cross, Cassandra; Ponsford, Jennie; Gould, Kate Rachel (2025) — Victims & Offenders
Type: Journal Article
Country: Australia
This study investigates the lived experiences of cyberscam victim-survivors and their friends and family members, highlighting vulnerabilities, impacts, and support needs. Although cyberscams affect millions globally, ex...
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...
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
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...
The charade of discreetness: Exploring the paradoxical lifestyles of romance fraudsters
Barnor, J. (2024) — Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling
Type: Journal Article
Country: Ghana
Tags: law enforcement, AI misuse, prevention, measurement
This article investigates the mechanisms that shape why romance fraud perpetrators publicly display wealth, a line of inquiry that has received limited attention in prior research. The study gathered data through semi-st...
Victim-offender overlap: the identity transformations experienced by trafficked Chinese workers escaping from pig-butchering scam syndicate
Wang, Fangzhou (2024) — Trends in Organized Crime
Type: Journal Article
Country: United States
Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, platform policy, AI misuse, social engineering, prevention
This study explores the intersection of human trafficking and online romance fraud within the context of the pig-butchering scam (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘). While the scam is widely recognized for combining romance and invest...
