This study examines romance frauds, a form of conduct that has recently attracted notable public attention. The central focus is on how such frauds unfold, by guiding a target to believe they are engaged in a genuine romantic relationship and then leveraging that bond to obtain money, gifts, or other financial rewards. The discussion situates romance frauds within broader concerns about public awareness, policy implications, and the theoretical understanding of how deceptive personal interactions can yield material gain. By foregrounding the sequence from relationship illusion to financial extraction, the article illuminates why this issue has drawn systematic scrutiny and debate in contemporary discourse. The analysis emphasizes the operational dynamics of these schemes, describing how the perpetrator cultivates the impression of a real romance, and how subsequent actions exploit that established emotional connection for financial benefit. In this way, the conduct rests on a misleading premise about the authenticity of a personal relationship and uses that deception to secure resources from the victim. The examination also acknowledges the broader consequences for those targeted, noting that the emotional fallout of romance fraud can be significant and extend beyond straightforward monetary loss. Victims are described as experiencing distress that is comparable to grief, highlighting the psychological and relational harm accompanying the financial harm. A key question raised is how such behavior should be legally classified. The paper weighs whether romance fraud should be treated primarily as a financial crime, given its emphasis on monetary extraction, or whether the core