The Online Dating Romance Scam is described as a relatively new form of online fraud. The article integrates insights from three qualitative studies: an analysis of posts in a public online support group, in-depth interviews with individuals who experienced the crime, and an interview with a Serious Organised Crime Agency officer. These diverse sources are used to outline how the scam operates and to illuminate its underlying structure. The authors propose a five-stage progression that defines the scam’s operation. In the first stage, the offender creates an appealing online profile intended to attract and engage a potential victim. In the second stage, the perpetrator grooms the target, shaping perceptions and expectations to prepare the victim to send money. In the third stage, requests for funds begin, with four distinct trajectories observed within these financial appeals. In the fourth stage, which only a minority of cases reach, the victim experiences sexual abuse through cybersex. The final stage involves the disclosure of the crime, marking the reveal of the fraud. Understanding this sequence and the interactions that accompany it is presented as important for both prevention efforts and psychological treatment for victims. By detailing the successive points at which vulnerability and manipulation occur, the analysis aims to inform interventions that reduce susceptibility and support recovery, clarifying how the scam unfolds and where protective measures and therapeutic approaches might be most effectively applied.