A crime script perspective on mapping the entry, continuation, and exit pathways of online romance fraud
Abubakari, Yushawu; Lazarus, Suleman; Oseh-Ovarah, Valeen (2026) — International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice
Type: Journal Article
This article presents a crime script perspective on online romance fraud, focusing on how fraudulent schemes are initiated, sustained, and completed in digital environments. Grounded in crime-script analysis, it maps ent...
Grooming in online dating romance frauds and scams: A scoping review
Feng, Maja (2026) — Journal of Economic Criminology
Type: Journal Article
Country: Global
Tags: ODARFS, grooming, romance fraud, romance scam, deception, trust-building, persuasive techniques, digital intimacy
This scoping review catalogs scholarly work on grooming practices within online dating romance frauds and scams. It seeks to map how grooming is defined and conceptualized in this domain, how offenders initiate and susta...
“Falling into a Black Hole”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Cyberscam Victim-Survivors and Their Social Support Networks
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...
A multifaceted exploration of romance scam scripts : A Comparison of Two Methods of Analysis
Kim, Byunghoon; Suh, Joonbae; Park, Areum (2025) — Korean Police Studies Review
Type: Journal Article
Country: South Korea
The paper compares stage models of romance scams from Whitty (2013) and Kim & Seo (2019). It finds a structured progression: offender approach, trust-building, escalating money requests, and coercion, with repeat psychol...
Poster: Longitudinal Analysis of Romance Scam Infrastructure Evolution: Evidence of Strategic Legitimization
Ryu, Nayeon; Suh, Heeyeong; Lee, Seyoung (2025) — Proceedings of the 2025 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security
Type: Proceedings Article
Country: South Korea
This poster provides a longitudinal analysis of the infrastructure that underpins romance scams, tracing how the supporting systems and operational practices have evolved across an extended time frame. The discussion cen...
The prevention of online romance scams using a crime script analysis from the victim’s perspective
Wang, Fangzhou; Kelsay, James D (2025) — International Review of Victimology
Type: Journal Article
Country: United States
Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, platform policy, AI misuse, social engineering, prevention, measurement, cross-cultural
Online romance scams (ORS) have grown in severity, exploiting human vulnerabilities and trust through social engineering, which underscores the need for robust preventive strategies. This study advances the field by deve...
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...
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...
More than Money: Examining the Potential Exposure of Romance Fraud Victims to Identity Crime
Cross, C.; Holt, TJ. (2023) — Global Crime
Type: Journal Article
Country: Australia
More than Money: Examining the Potential Exposure of Romance Fraud Victims to Identity Crime is presented as a global crime topic that analyzes how victims of romance fraud may face exposure to identity crime beyond fina...
Self and desired partner descriptions in the online romance scam: a linguistic analysis of scammer and general user profiles on online dating portals
Lee, KF.; Chan, MY.; Mohamad Ali, A. (2022) — Crime Prevention and Community Safety
Type: Journal Article
Country: Malaysia
Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, psychology, AI misuse, prevention
This study investigates how online romance scammers construct their dating profiles linguistically, comparing them with genuine users on mainstream dating platforms. The focus is on self-descriptions and desired partner...
Romance Scam Research Center (RSRC)
1100 W Cherry St
Vermillion, SD 57069
USA
AI-generated summaries and research notes may contain errors or omissions. Please follow the DOI/source link and review the original publication before relying on this content.
