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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

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DOI: 10.1080/01924036.2026.2645937 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Ghana
Tags:   Crime Script Analysis, Cybercrime, Desistance, Ghana, Grooming, Money Laundering, Offender Pathways, Romance Scams, Sakawa
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Synopsis

            
This qualitative crime-script study combined interviews with 15 Ghana-based romance-fraud offenders - 10 active and five former - six WhatsApp follow-ups, and eight public U.S. court cases involving Ghanaian or Ghana-connected offenders. Deductive analysis mapped preparation, pre-activity, activity, and post-activity pathways, including target research, emotional bonding, professions of love and a shared future, small initial requests, escalation, and exit. Reported exits were prompted by declining returns, moral conflict, or proximity to arrest and extradition. The authors propose community, religious, vocational, and entrepreneurship interventions at different pathway points. Self-report, an all-male localized interview sample, limited documentary triangulation, and eight purposively selected foreign court cases restrict generalization.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
Prior research has largely emphasised structural causes, spiritual tactics, technological conditions, and justification narratives. The paper identifies insufficient understanding of the processual and behavioural pathways through which people enter, sustain, and exit online romance fraud, particularly through a Crime Script Analysis lens in African and Ghanaian hybrid fraud contexts.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Qualitative study using Crime Script Analysis (CSA) and deductive thematic analysis. Data comprised in-depth semi-structured/unstructured interviews with 15 Ghana-based romance-fraud offenders (10 active, 5 former), six WhatsApp follow-ups, and eight publicly available US court cases involving Ghanaian or Ghana-connected offenders. Coding was organised around preparation, pre-activity, activity, and post-activity stages; two authors independently coded and refined themes. Court records were used to triangulate, not generalise.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
Interview accounts may contain self-reporting bias, particularly where documentary triangulation was limited. The interview sample was small, all male, and focused primarily on Ghanaian offenders, limiting examination of gendered roles and generalisability to other national or diasporic settings. The eight court cases were purposively selected, geographically distant from Ghana, and not representative.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Use longitudinal designs; include broader participant groups, particularly victims and female offenders; and compare fraud ecologies across contexts. The authors state these approaches could refine Crime Script Analysis and generate more targeted, culturally sensitive interventions.

          

              

    
    

        
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