A Study on Romance Scam : The Current Situation and Effective Countermeasures

Kim, Hyo-shin ; Seo, Jun-bae (2019) — The Police Science Journal

Country:   South Korea

AI-Generated Synopsis

The article addresses a rapid uptick in romance scams within Korea, a form of credit fraud conducted through online channels such as social networking sites and email. The scammer’s tactic involves approaching targets, presenting an appealing image by signaling power, wealth, or attractiveness to build trust, and then requesting money for various stated reasons to exploit the relationship. Although the financial and social damage from these crimes has grown steeply, there has not yet been a comprehensive study of romance scam activities in Korea. This work marks the first national examination of the phenomenon and employs crime script analysis to dissect criminal methods and develop prevention and countermeasures. It outlines the study’s aim to map the current landscape, classify the methods used by offenders, and propose proactive responses, noting the need to continually collect and analyze evolving scam scenarios to stay ahead of new variants. The authors also argue for broader disclosure of collected cases to raise public awareness about the seriousness of these crimes and to reduce harm, while advocating closer collaboration between government agencies and private organizations so victims feel empowered to report incidents. Through analysis, the study identifies three principal crime-script patterns governing romance scams. These are a wealth-oriented script, a scenario based on impersonating a soldier, and a lineup that centers on paying for customs clearance fees. To curb these offenses and craft effective countermeasures, the research emphasizes the importance of aggregating and examining the continually changing scam playbooks so that responses can be proactive against emerging modalities. It also highlights the value of publicizing accumulated cases to elevate


        
      

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