Love and Technology
Gauci, Christine ; Vella, Mary Grace (2026) — The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems
Type:
Book Chapter
Country:
Global
Tags:
romance_fraud, artificial_intelligence, deepfakes, online_dating, digital_literacy, emotional_manipulation, psychological_trauma, financial_fraud, romance fraud, artificial intelligence, online dating, emotional manipulation, digital intimacy, identity deception, psychological trauma, Romance fraud, Artificial intelligence, Deepfakes, Online dating, Emotional manipulation, Digital intimacy, Identity deception, Psychological trauma, victim trauma, digital literacy, victim impact
Synopsis (AI-Generated)
This interdisciplinary chapter synthesizes criminology, psychology, sociology, and technology research to trace the history and current operation of romance fraud, its effects on victims, and policy implications. It describes fabricated self-disclosure and personal stories as tools for creating intimacy and dependency, and discusses how AI can help one operator sustain many simultaneous interactions and tailor language to psychological or cultural cues. Reported harms include loss of savings, homes, inheritances, and longer-term financial security. The chapter is a narrative secondary synthesis, not a new victim, offender, platform, or experimental study. It gives little methodological detail about source selection or analysis and appears weighted toward Western evidence, limiting completeness and global generalization.
Identified Gaps (AI-Generated)
The text signals gaps in empirical evidence on AI-driven deception and suggests broader issues such as geographic generalizability beyond Western contexts, lack of standardized definitions for identity-related fraud, and the need for interdisciplinary methods to study victims’ experiences and interventions.
Methods (AI-Generated)
The chapter uses a literature-based, interdisciplinary synthesis across criminology, psychology, sociology, and technology. It provides historical and contemporary analysis of romance fraud and AI-enabled deception, collating existing studies to map mechanisms, victim impacts, and policy implications rather than reporting new empirical data.
Limitations (AI-Generated)
The work relies on secondary sources and a narrative synthesis without new data; it appears centered on Western contexts, which may limit generalizability; the text lacks explicit methodological detail about data collection and analysis; potential biases in cited literature.
Future Work (AI-Generated)
The chapter calls for digital literacy, ethical AI development, and cross-sector collaboration to mitigate harm. It also highlights the need for empirical research on AI-enabled deception, platform responsibility, victim support, and the development of measurement frameworks and policy guidelines to protect consumers in online romance contexts.
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.