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Service, game and livelihood, the new dimensions of neutralization techniques in Internet Romance Fraud: Extending the Neutralization Theory in Modern Internet crimes.

Toku, L. ; Otu Offei, M. (2023) — International Journal of Technology and Management Research

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DOI: 10.47127/ijtmr.v8i1.182 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Ghana
Tags:   AI-Enabled Fraud, Cross Cultural, Cybercrime, Game, Ghana, Internet Romance Fraud, Law Enforcement, Livelihood, Measurement, Neutralization Theory, Offender Rationalization, Offender Tactics, Pls Sem, Risk Factors, Service, Victim Experience
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Synopsis

            
The study surveyed 320 respondents at validated internet-romance-fraud hotspots, recruited through snowball referrals in university environments and internet cafes. A five-point Likert questionnaire measured established and newly developed neutralization constructs. Two IS experts and 18 offenders assessed face validity; a pilot involved 70 offenders. Offenders reportedly used condemnation of condemners, denial of injury, denial of victim, denial of responsibility, game, service, and livelihood to justify romance fraud. Service, game, and livelihood were presented as newly identified neutralization dimensions in internet romance fraud. The study was restricted to one West African country, limiting generalizability globally.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
The paper identifies a prior lack of research investigating neutralization techniques in relation to internet romance-fraud intention. It further argues that existing neutralization literature did not capture the context-specific dimensions of service, game, and livelihood used by romance-fraud offenders.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
The study surveyed 320 respondents at validated internet-romance-fraud hotspots, recruited through snowball referrals in university environments and internet cafés. A five-point Likert questionnaire measured established and newly developed neutralization constructs. Two IS experts and 18 offenders assessed face validity; a pilot involved 70 offenders. The authors used SmartPLS variance-based PLS-SEM, assessing reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, multicollinearity, and hypothesized paths to fraud intention.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The study was restricted to one West African country, limiting generalizability globally. The anonymous and secretive nature of the offence made the offender population difficult to estimate, and the sample was conveniently recruited from known hotspots. The study measured intention through format, deception, and intention-to-defraud constructs, but did not measure actual fraud.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Study the newly identified neutralization dimensions—service, game, and livelihood—in other crime contexts. The paper also indicates a need for legislation, prosecution, and law-enforcement approaches that account for evolving offender rationalizations.

          

              

    
    

        
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