The Role of Love stories in Romance Scams: A Qualitative Analysis of Fraudulent Profiles
Christian Kopp ; Robert Layton ; Jim Sillitoe ; Iqbal Gondal (2016) — Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.56227
Type:
Journal Article
Country:
Nigeria
Synopsis (AI-Generated)
The study used exploratory qualitative analysis of 37 known fraudulent dating profiles from a website serving European users seeking international partners. Researchers grouped profiles by stated gender and age, repeatedly read the texts, marked key paragraphs based on disclosed information, and interpreted their intended or overt messages. The paper characterizes online romance scams as causing considerable financial and emotional harm to victims. Personal affinities linked to romantic imaginations, described as personal love stories, are presented as important to romance-scam success. The evidence is limited to 37 profiles posted as known scams on one dating website, rather than direct observations of offender-victim exchanges or victim interviews.
Identified Gaps (AI-Generated)
The paper states that little research has examined romance scams. It identifies a need to understand the framework and phase structure of scams, especially how profiles, grooming, and the sting operate together and how personal love stories influence victims’ financial compliance.
Methods (AI-Generated)
Exploratory qualitative analysis of 37 known fraudulent dating profiles from a website serving European users seeking international partners. Researchers grouped profiles by stated gender and age, repeatedly read the texts, marked key paragraphs based on disclosed information, and interpreted their intended or overt messages. The analysis examined profile structure and narrative elements in relation to personal love-story theory.
Limitations (AI-Generated)
The evidence is limited to 37 profiles posted as known scams on one dating website, rather than direct observations of offender–victim exchanges or victim interviews. The qualitative interpretive approach examines profile text and inferred messages, so conclusions about victim responses, scammer intent, and effectiveness are largely theoretical or drawn from cited prior research.
Future Work (AI-Generated)
Study the scam’s profile, grooming, and sting phases as a coherent strategy, with closer examination of the mechanics of love stories and victim behaviour when sending money. This understanding is positioned as a basis for countermeasures and early warning to reduce victim engagement.
AI-Generated Content Notice
The synopsis and research notes on this page were generated with AI from available publication information and, when available, the uploaded paper text. They may contain errors, omissions, or interpretation issues. Readers should follow the DOI or source link, review the original publication, and make their own judgment about the content.
Found a possible error? Request a correction.